What's up, it's Zayd.

LinkedIn just sent a clear message to the sales community: they're done playing games with automation tools.

In early 2025, LinkedIn blocked Apollo and Seamless.AI by temporarily removing their LinkedIn Company pages from the platform. These tools extract data, refresh existing data, and scrape contact information from LinkedIn Sales Navigator—direct violations of LinkedIn's Terms of Service.

LinkedIn is protecting user data and platform integrity more aggressively than ever.

This week, I'm breaking down what this means for sales teams, how LinkedIn catches automation violations, and how to scale outbound while staying compliant.

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Zayd’s Picks

My favorite finds of the week.

• Why your cold emails are landing in spam (link)

• Your cold emails should make people feel good (link)

• Don’t sell through users to get buyers (link)

• Habits that lead to PMF with founder-led sales (link)

• The traditional outbound playbook is dead (link)

• Growth survey insights from 100+ companies (link)

The New LinkedIn Reality

LinkedIn has become much more sophisticated in identifying and restricting automation tools by using advanced detection methods to catch subtle automation patterns.

Why this matters: Your LinkedIn account is likely your most valuable sales asset. Getting restricted or banned damages your professional brand and eliminates access to your network.

The stakes have never been higher.

How LinkedIn Catches You

LinkedIn's detection methods are surprisingly sophisticated:

Technical Detection

• Browser extension monitoring: They examine what extensions you have installed

• Activity pattern analysis: They monitor login patterns and interaction speed

• IP address tracking: They watch for suspicious location patterns

• Device fingerprinting: Multiple simultaneous logins trigger flags

Behavioral Detection

• Unnatural engagement patterns: Too many actions too quickly

• Template detection: Similar messages sent at scale

• Response rate monitoring: Low acceptance rates signal spam behavior

• User feedback: "I don't know this person" responses hurt your account

The bottom line: Your account behavior should look human. Because you're human. Act like it.

The New Limits and Boundaries

Understanding LinkedIn's current limits is crucial for compliance:

Connection Request Limits

• 100-200 connection requests per week depending on account health

• Translates to roughly 400-800 per month

• Weekly limit resets seven days after your first invitation

Direct Message Limits

• 50-100 direct messages daily to existing connections

• No strict limit, but quality matters more than quantity

• Avoid triggering spam filters with excessive messaging

InMail Limits

• 20-50 InMail credits monthly depending on Sales Navigator plan

• Credits return when people respond (effectively allowing more messages)

• Open Profile InMails don't count against this limit

Total Activity Consideration

LinkedIn watches overall account activity, not just individual actions.

Recommendation: Verified users with Sales Navigator should limit total daily activities to around 250 per day.

The Quality Imperative

Here's what most people miss: LinkedIn rewards good outreach.

When people respond positively:

• You get InMail credits back

• Your account health improves

• Your limits may increase over time

When people mark you as spam:

• Your account health deteriorates

• Your limits decrease

• Risk of restriction increases

This means tools that help you achieve better response rates are more crucial than ever.

Account Restriction vs. Suspension

Understanding the difference is critical:

Account Restriction

• Typically temporary (24-48 hours)

• LinkedIn always warns before restricting

• Recovery is usually possible

• Often triggered by sudden activity spikes

Account Suspension

• Permanent ban from the platform

• Much more serious consequence

• LinkedIn always restricts before suspending

• Creating new accounts after suspension can lead to permanent bans

Key insight: LinkedIn follows a predictable escalation pattern. They warn before restricting, and restrict before suspending.

Keeping Your Account Safe

Choose Automation Carefully

Not all tools carry equal risk:

Higher Risk Indicators:

• Cloud-based tools that require LinkedIn credentials

• Tools promoting dedicated IP addresses

• Services that scrape data directly from LinkedIn

• Platforms that don't mimic natural human behavior

Lower Risk Approaches:

• Tools that work through your actual browser

• Platforms that emphasize personalization

• Services that respect LinkedIn's rate limits

• Solutions focused on signal-based outreach

Implementation Best Practices

Even with safer tools, usage matters:

1. Gradual warmup: Don't go from zero to maximum activity overnight

2. Immediate disconnection: Stop all automation if you receive any warnings

3. Single tool usage: Never use multiple automation tools simultaneously

4. Monitor account health: Track your connection acceptance rates and response rates

Why Accounts Get Restricted

Understanding the root causes helps prevent violations:

1. Engagement Issues

LinkedIn monitors how others respond to you:

• Low acceptance rate for connection requests

• Frequent "I don't know this person" responses

• Messages marked as spam

• Low response rates to outreach

2. Activity Violations

Certain behaviors trigger security systems:

• Exceeding weekly connection limits

• Sudden spikes in account activity

• Using fake identities or inaccurate information

• Sending identical messages to many connections quickly

3. Technical Violations

Technical factors that raise red flags:

• VPN usage that makes location jump around

• Multiple device logins simultaneously

• Suspicious browser extensions

• Automated clicking patterns

The Signal-Based Alternative

The future of LinkedIn outbound isn't about more automation—it's about better targeting.

Signal-based outbound focuses on identifying and acting on specific buyer behaviors and intent signals rather than relying on static data points.

Examples of signals:

• Engaging with your content

• Visiting your website

• Changing job titles

• Company funding announcements

• Industry-specific events or news

This approach naturally leads to:

• Higher response rates

• Better account health

• More meaningful conversations

• Reduced risk of restrictions

Social Selling Index Impact

Your SSI score influences your account limitations:

Higher scores can:

• Increase your connection limits

• Improve your content visibility

• Enhance your credibility

• Reduce restriction risk

How to improve SSI:

• Complete your profile thoroughly

• Share valuable content regularly

• Engage meaningfully with your network

• Build relevant connections

Message Personalization Strategy

Personalization is crucial for both effectiveness and account safety:

Connection Requests

• Include personal notes referencing their profile

• Mention mutual connections or interests

• Avoid commercial language

• Reference specific recent activity

Direct Messages

• Avoid generic templates

• Reference specific details from their profile

• Focus on value, not selling

• Use natural, conversational language

Important: Hyper-personalization and unique 1:1 messages are non-negotiable for account safety.

The Valley Approach

At Valley, we've designed our platform with compliance in mind:

• Behavior mimics human patterns

• Respects all LinkedIn limits

• Focuses on personalization over volume

• Emphasizes signal-based targeting

• Provides safety monitoring and alerts

Our goal is to help you achieve better results while staying completely compliant with LinkedIn's terms.

Recovery and Prevention

If you do get restricted:

1. Don't panic: Restrictions are usually temporary

2. Stop all automation: Immediately disconnect any tools

3. Wait it out: Don't try to circumvent the restriction

4. Review your approach: Identify what triggered the restriction

5. Gradually resume: Start slowly when the restriction lifts

The Future of LinkedIn Outbound

The trends are clear:

Volume-based approaches are dying:

• Higher restriction risk

• Lower response rates

• Damaged sender reputation

Quality-based approaches are winning:

• Better account health

• Higher engagement rates

• Sustainable long-term results

The companies that adapt to this new reality first will have a significant advantage.

To stay compliant while scaling:

1. Audit current practices: Review your automation tools and usage patterns

2. Set conservative limits: Stay well below LinkedIn's maximum limits

3. Focus on personalization: Invest in tools that improve message quality

4. Monitor account health: Track acceptance rates and responses

5. Implement signal-based targeting: Focus on prospects showing buying intent

The goal is to operate in a way that LinkedIn actively supports.

Sales teams that embrace this shift toward quality over quantity will find themselves with a competitive advantage over those still trying to game the system.

Check out Valley’s messaging here 

How I Can Help?

Let me book sales calls for you while you’re optimizing your LinkedIn. Seriously.

I built Valley to be your automated SDR and empower AEs. Get started today and watch your calendar fill up with qualified leads.

How can we work together 🏔️

1. See more of Valley’s messaging examples, feel free to roast them: https://joinvalley.notion.site/

2. Generate more demos for your company using LinkedIn: https://meetings.hubspot.com/zayd-from-valley/tryvalley
   

3. Become a Valley partner and get 20% recurring commission for every user you bring in: https://withvalley.notion.site/valley-affiliate-partner-program