Following other artists vs Connecting — when to use which

ArtHelper has two different ways to keep up with another artist, and they do different things. **Follow** is quiet, one-way, and just adds their posts to your feed — like following someone on Instagram. **Connect** is mutual, requires their acceptance, and unlocks direct messaging once accepted — like a LinkedIn connection. You can do one without the other, or you can do both. This article explains the difference and helps you pick the right one.## Finding the explanation right in the appThe quickest way to remember which button does what is to hover your mouse over the **Connect** or **Follow** button on someone's profile. When you do, a small tooltip will appear explaining what that action does — no need to leave the page or dig through help articles. This is especially helpful when you're looking at a profile and wondering which button to click.## Follow vs Connect at a glance- **Follow** is one-way. You see their posts in your feed. They don't have to follow you back, and they only get a small notification that you followed them.- **Connect** is mutual. You send a request. If they accept, you're connected — and then you can send each other direct messages. **Accepting a connection request also automatically makes both of you follow each other**, so you'll see each other's posts in your feeds without needing to click Follow separately.- You can **Follow without connecting** — useful when you just want to keep an eye on someone's work.- You can **Connect without following** — useful when you want to be able to message them but don't want their posts in your feed. However, once the connection is accepted, both of you will automatically follow each other.- Most artists end up doing both with people they care about.## How to follow an artistFollowing is the quieter, lighter action. Use it when you've spotted work you like and want to keep seeing it.1. Open the artist's profile, or find them in your feed, the Trending list, or a community.2. Click the **Follow** button.3. The button changes to **Following**. Their posts now show up in your feed.4. To stop following, hover the **Following** button and click again to unfollow.You can follow as many artists as you like. They get a small notification telling them you followed them.## How to send a connection requestConnecting is a bigger step. Use it when you'd like to be able to message that artist, or when you want to be part of each other's network.1. Open the artist's profile or their Genome page.2. Click the **Connect** button.3. A small box opens asking if you'd like to add a personal message. A friendly intro like *"Hi [their name] — I found your profile on ArtHelper and would love to connect"* is already filled in.4. Edit the message if you want, then click **Send**. Or, if you'd rather just send the request without a note, click **No thanks**.5. The button changes to **Request sent**. The other artist gets a notification and can accept or decline.**Tip:** A short personal message helps a lot. Connection requests with a one-sentence intro get accepted much more often than blank ones — just mention what drew you to their work.## What happens when a connection request is acceptedWhen someone accepts your connection request (or when you accept theirs), three things happen automatically:1. **You're both connected** — you'll appear in each other's network.2. **Direct messaging unlocks** — you can now send private messages to each other.3. **You automatically follow each other** — both of you will now see each other's posts in your feeds. This mutual follow happens silently in the background — no separate action needed and no extra notification sent.This means that accepting a connection is a bigger commitment than just following someone on its own, since it makes you both visible in each other's feeds as well as opening up messaging.## When to pick which- You spotted someone whose work you love and you just want to see more of it in your feed → **Follow**.- You'd like to introduce yourself or eventually message that artist → **Connect** (and remember, accepting the connection will also make you follow each other automatically).- You're meeting someone you already know in real life or online → **Connect** (which will also automatically add their posts to your feed once accepted).- You're a working artist building a real network on ArtHelper → **Connect** with the artists you'd genuinely want to talk to.## Managing your connectionsYou can see and manage everyone you've connected with — and everyone you follow — from the same place.1. Go to [arthelper.com/network](https://www.arthelper.com/network) (your **My Network** page).2. Use the tabs to switch between your connections, your pending connection requests, and the people you follow.3. From here you can accept incoming requests, withdraw requests you sent, or unfollow artists.## Common questions### Can someone tell I followed them?Yes — they get a small notification. It's a quiet signal, not a public announcement.### Can someone tell I unfollowed them?No. Unfollows happen quietly with no notification on either side.### If I connect with someone, do I have to follow them too?As of the latest update, when a connection request is accepted, both artists automatically follow each other — so you don't need to click Follow separately. The mutual follow happens in the background the moment the connection is accepted. If you'd prefer not to see their posts in your feed after connecting, you can manually unfollow them from your Network page.### What happens if someone declines my connection request?The button on their profile goes back to **Connect** so you could send another one if you wanted, but it's good etiquette not to. You'll get a quiet notification — no one else sees that it was declined.### How do I message someone after connecting?Once a connection request is accepted, you can open a direct message from their profile or from your [Messages](https://www.arthelper.com/messages) inbox. See the [Connections, Network, and Messages](https://intercom.help/arthelper-6801e95e2b6e/en/articles/15169690-connections-network-messages) article for the full walkthrough.