How to Filter Your LinkedIn Feed to See Only First Connection Posts
Jan 6, 2026
Summary
LinkedIn's algorithm clutters your feed with "liked" posts and recommendations, causing you to miss critical updates from your 1st-degree connections.
The most effective method to see only posts from your network is by using a special, bookmarkable URL that filters your search results.
A permanent solution may be coming soon, as LinkedIn is actively testing a "My Network" feed tab to show only content from your connections.
After decluttering your feed, organize your LinkedIn DMs with a tool like Kondo to manage conversations with labels, reminders, and shortcuts.
You've spent months, even years, carefully building your LinkedIn network with strategic connections. But when you open your feed, it's flooded with "Jane liked this post" and "Bob commented on that article" - drowning out the actual updates from the people you explicitly chose to connect with.
As one frustrated user put it: "It's so bad, I don't see any updates from my actual network because it's all 'x liked this post'." This sentiment echoes across professional circles, with another lamenting, "5 years later, still looking for a way to only see updates from my actual network."
For sales professionals especially, this isn't just annoying—it's costly. When your feed is cluttered with irrelevant content, you miss valuable buying signals, conversation starters, and important updates from your most valuable contacts—your first-degree connections.
The good news? There are several tactical methods to reclaim your LinkedIn feed and focus on content that matters. This guide will walk you through multiple approaches—from quick fixes to powerful workarounds—that will help you filter your LinkedIn feed to show posts only from your direct connections.
Why Your LinkedIn Feed is a Mess (And Why It Matters)
Before diving into solutions, it's important to understand why your feed looks the way it does. LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes what it predicts will generate engagement, not necessarily what's most relevant to your direct network.
Your feed typically contains three types of content:
Sponsored Content: Paid advertisements that businesses target to users like you.
Recommended Content: Posts from people or pages you don't follow but that the algorithm thinks will interest you based on your behavior.
Interaction Clutter: Posts appearing because someone in your network engaged with them—the primary source of frustration for many users.
As one Reddit user pointed out: "All activity by your connections and hashtags/pages/people you follow are treated as content created by them." This means LinkedIn treats your connection's like or comment on a stranger's post almost the same as an original post from your connection.
For sales professionals and networkers, this algorithmic approach diminishes LinkedIn's value as a relationship-building tool. When you can't easily see what your actual connections are posting, you miss opportunities to engage meaningfully with your network.
Method 1: The "Official" LinkedIn Toolkit for Feed Customization
LinkedIn provides some basic tools to clean your feed, but they don't directly solve our specific goal of seeing only first-connection posts. These are manual, one-by-one approaches that help reduce some noise:
Unfollow or Mute
According to the LinkedIn Help Center, "You can unfollow or mute individuals or companies whose posts are no longer relevant to you." While this doesn't create a first-connections-only feed, it does help reduce some clutter.
To unfollow someone while remaining connected:
Navigate to their profile
Click the "More" button (three dots)
Select "Unfollow"
Train the Algorithm
When you see irrelevant content, click the three dots in the upper right corner of the post and select "I don't want to see this." While not a perfect solution, this gradually trains the algorithm to show you more relevant content.
Sort Updates by "Recent"
On desktop, you can sort your feed by "Recent" instead of the default "Top" to at least see content in chronological order rather than what the algorithm deems most engaging.
However, as Social Media Today reports, some desktop users may notice this option disappearing as LinkedIn tests new feed formats.
The limitation of these official methods is clear: as one user lamented, "Unfortunately, You can't customize your LinkedIn newsfeed by reducing interactions by your connections." These tools require constant manual effort and don't create a dedicated space for viewing only posts created by your direct connections.
Method 2: The Ultimate Workaround — A Custom URL for a 1st-Connection-Only Feed
This method, shared in multiple Reddit discussions, is currently the most effective way to achieve our goal of seeing only first-connection posts.
Step-by-Step Instructions (The Manual Way)
Click into the main search bar at the top of LinkedIn and press Enter
On the search results page, click the "Posts" filter button
Find the "Posted by" filter dropdown and select "1st connections"
To ensure timeliness, use the "Date posted" filter and select "Past 24 hours"
Finally, use the "Sort by" filter and choose "Latest"
This creates a feed showing only the most recent posts from your first-degree connections, without all the algorithmic clutter and "X liked this" posts.
The Shortcut: A Pre-Built, Bookmarkable URL
For even faster access, you can bookmark this URL which performs the same filtering automatically:
Pro-Tip (from Reddit users): "Keep this tab open, refresh daily for the latest posts." This turns a clunky process into a simple, daily routine.
While some users have reported this method can occasionally be unreliable, with one noting, "Just tried this, but somehow not all posts were showing up," it remains the most effective workaround currently available.
Method 3: The Future is Coming — LinkedIn's "My Network" Feed Test
There's good news on the horizon. According to a report from Social Media Today, LinkedIn is actively testing a feature that directly addresses this user pain point.
The test introduces two tabs at the top of the feed:
All: The current default feed with mixed content
My Network: A tab that exclusively displays posts from your first-degree connections and pages or creators you explicitly follow
According to the article, "studies indicate that content from peers is the most engaging for users," which is driving LinkedIn to finally implement this long-requested feature. The feature is currently in a five-week testing phase, so keep an eye out for this update—it could become the permanent, one-click solution everyone has been waiting for.
Method 4: Using Third-Party Tools for Granular Control
For those who want even more control over their LinkedIn experience, third-party tools can provide additional filtering capabilities.
LinkedIn Feed Filter (Chrome Extension)
The LinkedIn Feed Filter Chrome extension is designed to hide unwanted posts based on keywords. With a user rating of 3.7/5, it offers several useful features:
Hide Posts by Keywords: Add keywords or phrases to a filter list to automatically hide posts containing them
Pause and Resume: Easily toggle the filtering on and off
Track Hidden Posts: A badge counter shows how many posts have been hidden
The extension is lightweight (180KiB) and the developer states that no user data is collected.
Other Tools Mentioned by Users
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: A premium LinkedIn product that allows for the creation of custom lists of leads and accounts to follow closely
Automation Tools: Some users recommend tools like DexyAI for automating engagement and Ready to Touch for tracking posts from employees at target companies, as mentioned in various Reddit discussions
From Frustration to Focus: Reclaiming Your LinkedIn Experience
As we've seen, there are several approaches to filtering your LinkedIn feed to focus on content from your first-degree connections:
Basic Tweaks: Using LinkedIn's native "Unfollow" and "Sort by Recent" features to reduce some noise
The URL Workaround: The most powerful current method for a clean, 1st-connection feed
The Future "My Network" Tab: The promising official solution on the horizon
Third-Party Tools: For ultimate keyword-based filtering
For sales professionals and networkers, curating your LinkedIn feed isn't just about reducing annoyance—it's a strategic move. When you can easily see what your actual connections are posting, you can:
Identify buying signals and conversation starters
Engage with key accounts at the right moment
Strengthen relationships with timely, relevant comments
Stay informed about important updates from your most valuable contacts
As one user perfectly expressed the core desire: "I'm trying to interact with connections already made, not those who someone else knows." With the methods outlined above, you can transform LinkedIn from a source of distraction into a powerful tool for monitoring key accounts and strengthening the relationships that drive your business forward.
By implementing these techniques, you'll no longer miss updates from your actual network because of algorithmic clutter. Instead, you'll have a focused view of the connections that matter most to you—the ones you've intentionally built over time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I filter my LinkedIn feed to see only my connections' posts?
The most effective way is to use a custom search URL. This method involves using LinkedIn's search filters for "Posts" by "1st connections," sorted by "Latest," and then bookmarking the resulting URL for daily use. While LinkedIn offers basic tools like "Unfollow" and sorting by "Recent," the custom URL is the best workaround to create a dedicated feed of only your direct connections' content.
Why is my LinkedIn feed full of posts from people I don't know?
Your LinkedIn feed is filled with posts from strangers because the algorithm prioritizes engagement over direct connections. It shows you sponsored content, recommended posts, and—most commonly—posts that people in your network have liked or commented on. LinkedIn treats this "interaction clutter" similarly to original posts from your connections, leading to a noisy and irrelevant feed.
What is the fastest way to see posts only from my 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn?
The fastest method is to bookmark a pre-filtered LinkedIn search URL. This URL automatically applies the necessary filters (Posts, 1st connections, Past 24 hours, Latest) so you can access a clean feed with a single click, bypassing the need to manually apply these filters every time.
Is LinkedIn adding a feature to see only connections' posts?
Yes, LinkedIn is currently testing a new "My Network" feed tab. This feature, if rolled out to all users, will provide a dedicated feed that exclusively shows posts from your first-degree connections and the specific pages or creators you follow. This would be a built-in, one-click solution to the problem of feed clutter.
How do I stop seeing posts that my connections have liked or commented on?
Unfortunately, there is no single button to turn off "liked" or "commented on" activity from your feed. The best way to avoid this "interaction clutter" is to use the custom URL workaround described in this article. This method filters the feed to show only original posts published by your first-degree connections, effectively hiding the posts they merely interacted with.
What is the difference between sorting my LinkedIn feed by 'Top' vs. 'Recent'?
Sorting by "Top" (the default) shows you posts that LinkedIn's algorithm thinks you will find most engaging, regardless of when they were posted. Sorting by "Recent" shows you all posts in chronological order, with the newest appearing first. While "Recent" provides a timeline view, it still includes all types of content, not just posts from your direct connections.
