<p>Social exclusion threatens the fundamental need to belong, yielding divergent behavioral responses: affiliation-seeking versus social withdrawal. The present research investigated how regulatory focus shapes these post-exclusion responses across two studies. Study 1 (<i>N</i> = 410) used a cross-sectional survey to examine the association between social exclusion and social avoidance, along with the moderating role of trait regulatory focus. Results indicated that social exclusion positively predicted social avoidance. Trait promotion focus operated through a compensatory process—maintaining lower baseline levels of avoidance—rather than exerting traditional buffering effects. In contrast, trait prevention focus did not moderate this association. Study 2 (<i>N</i> = 92) experimentally manipulated social exclusion and situationally primed regulatory focus, presenting three behavioral options: solitary work, continued engagement with original excluders, or affiliative reconnection with a novel partner. State promotion focus attenuated post-exclusion avoidance by facilitating affiliative reconnection with new partners. Unexpectedly, state prevention focus did not amplify solitary withdrawal; instead, it elicited a diffuse response pattern wherein participants endorsed solitary withdrawal and cautious affiliation equally. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that social exclusion elevates avoidance selectively directed toward the exclusion source rather than reflecting indiscriminate social withdrawal. Crucially, these effects are critically shaped by individuals’ regulatory orientation toward gains and ideals, with theoretical and intervention implications.</p>