Publication Date

October 3, 2025

Summary

If you’re a freelancer relying on LinkedIn to find clients, understanding why these limits exist (and how to work within them) will help you get better results with less frustration.

Why Your Search Results Are Limited by LinkedIn

LinkedIn intentionally limits how much you can search and connect on their free plan.

Sure, part of that is to nudge you toward a paid plan.

But it’s also about protecting the platform’s user experience and reducing spammy behavior.

Behind the scenes, LinkedIn tracks your behavior using something called the Social Selling Index (SSI). It measures how you’re showing up:

Are you building a real network?
Sharing content?
Engaging thoughtfully?
Or are you spraying connection requests like it’s 2012?

If your activity looks too aggressive or disconnected from your profile’s algorithm-determined level, LinkedIn starts limiting what you can do.

That’s why how you use LinkedIn matters just as much as how much.

SEE YOUR SSI

LinkedIn Sales Navigator vs. LinkedIn Premium

Here's a quick TL;DR on my opinion (for freelancers) of the two main paid services LinkedIn offers:

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Sales Nav is a prospecting tool.

But if you're using the methods I teach, you’ll be prospecting your Ideal Clients through pre-vetted sources like:

Crunchbase
Industry certifications
Marketplaces

…not LinkedIn itself.

LinkedIn Premium

LinkedIn Premium is a connection tool.

It's designed to help you connect with people outside your current network and grow your career.

So what do you actually need?

If you’re a freelancer using LinkedIn to find and connect with potential clients, skip Sales Navigator unless you're exclusively working with:

Solopreneurs
Coaches
Founders / CEOs

Sales Nav is overbuilt for what freelancers need — and overpriced for the value it delivers especially if you're using my Get Clients method.

When LinkedIn Premium Career Is Worth It

Use LinkedIn Premium Career if:

You’re sending more than 15 connection requests per month
You’re trying to connect with more than one person at a company (multi-player mode)
You’re sick of seeing “LinkedIn Member” and hitting search limits
You want a smoother experience connecting with people inside ideal client companies

Premium Career unlocks the key features you need:

More visibility
More connection opportunities
Fewer dead ends
More control over your outreach

And it works with the systems I teach in:

The Get Clients Guidebook
The Getting Clients Routine
The LinkedIn Challenge

Bottom line:

You don’t need the most expensive fancy plan.

Premium Career gives you everything you need — for far less than $99/month.

If you’re not ready to commit, start with the 30-day trial. Make a plan, use it well, and decide from there.

How to Get Around LinkedIn’s Limits (Without Paying)

If you're not keen to spend money on LinkedIn, I get it.

We’ve all got budgets.

Here’s a workaround that works shockingly well:

You can try this prompt with ChatGPT (or any AI tool with internet access) to find specific names and job titles of people at your Ideal Clients’ companies.

Prime your chat with this fill-in-the-blank prompt:

Hey Chat, I'm a freelance service provider.
I offer [your services] to [your ideal client description].
I typically try to target [job titles you look for].
I'm doing some prospecting on LinkedIn and I need your help finding specific people who work for my Ideal Clients.
Can you help with that?

Not sure which job titles to target?

Ask Chat to help figure that part out — it's pretty smart at pattern-matching industry roles.

When you're ready to find someone at a specific company:

Can you help me figure out who to connect with at [company] on LinkedIn?

Then pop those full names directly into the LinkedIn search bar — the right person should appear.

Or simply Google:

“[job title] + [company name]”

This works about 80% of the time and gives you the names of 5–10 people at each company.

Is Premium Still Worth It?

Even with these hacks, I’ll say this:

Premium is well worth the money for the ways it can grow your business — especially if you’re consistent.

You’re more likely to land a gig when you connect with as many relevant people as possible at each company you want to work with.

Getting clients on LinkedIn is very much a numbers game.

Personally, I usually get Premium for 3 months at a time, go HAM on sending connection requests, then:

Cancel for 3 months
Let follow-ups carry the load
Repeat the cycle

It’s simple. It’s strategic. And it works.

FAQ: LinkedIn Search Limits + Premium vs. Sales Navigator

Why does LinkedIn limit my searches?

To prevent spam, encourage meaningful networking, and maintain platform quality — not just to push paid plans.

What is LinkedIn’s SSI score?

The Social Selling Index measures your activity and credibility. Low SSI = more limits. High SSI = more visibility.

Do freelancers really need Sales Navigator?

Usually no. It’s built for high-volume sales teams, not freelancers using targeted outreach and pre-vetted leads.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for freelancers?

If you're sending >15 connection requests per month or want to connect with multiple people at ideal companies, yes — Premium Career is the best fit.

Can I find lead names without Sales Navigator?

Yes — use AI tools, Google searches, or people-finder prompts to identify names, then search manually on LinkedIn.

Will Premium dramatically increase my client results?

Premium doesn’t guarantee clients — but it removes barriers that slow down outreach, which directly impacts results.

Is there a free way to avoid search limits?

Not fully, but workarounds (AI name sourcing + Google) work 80% of the time.

Looking for something else?

Cancellation Policies

Sales Navigator vs. LinkedIn Premium: What Freelancers Really Need to Find Clients