A Survey on GNN-based Link Prediction: Techniques, Applications, and Challenges

Abstract: Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as the leading paradigm for link prediction, enabling the inference of missing connections and the anticipation of potential future links. However, existing reviews lack systematic exploration specifically targeting underlying GNN architectures and diverse graph structures. To address this critical gap, this paper provides a comprehensive review of GNN-based link prediction from a novel and dedicated GNN perspective. We propose an innovative taxonomy that categorizes recent advancements based on techniques and applications. From a technique perspective, we focus on key GNN encoder architectures, including GCN-based, GAE-based, GAT-based, and GFormer-based methods, discussing their strengths and limitations. From an application perspective, we highlight prominent use cases of link prediction in knowledge graphs and recommendation systems, demonstrating their real-world impact. In addition, we examine the current challenges and discuss promising future directions.
Submission history
Access Paper:
Current browse context:
References & Citations
BibTeX formatted citation


arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs .
Verified source · arXiv.org
Reported by arXiv.org. Open the original for full media and formatting.
More in Research
All newsSome Large Language Models Exhibit Consistent Risk Attitudes
As artificial intelligence systems are deployed in open-ended, high-stakes settings, a critical dimension remains unmeasured: how perceived risk is translated into action. We test whether large language models (LLMs) exhibit systematic and consistent risk attitudes under uncerta…
Read at arXiv cs.AIPlanFlip: Attacking Multi-Agent LLM Systems via Planning-Phase Prompt Injection
Multi-agent LLM systems increasingly rely on a Planner to decompose goals into sub-task sequences that downstream Executor and Critic agents execute and audit. We identify the planning phase as a critical attack surface: a single injection into the Planner's context achieves cas…
Read at arXiv cs.AIRater State Bias in RLHF Preference Data: An Audit Framework
We identify a structured confound in Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). Pairwise preference labels are intended to reflect the compared outputs, but they may also reflect the rater's state during annotation. Under sustained stressful or distressing conditions, ra…
Read at arXiv cs.AIDeterministic Replay for AI Agent Systems
AI agent systems that couple large language models (LLMs) with external tools and APIs are inherently non-deterministic: LLM sampling variance, external API state, CDN infrastructure headers, and execution-environment noise collectively prevent any prior agent run from being fai…
Read at arXiv cs.AI