LinkedIn Connection Message: 25 Templates Sorted by Goal

A good LinkedIn connection message is short, gives one specific reason for reaching out and sells nothing. You don't get much room anyway: on accounts without Premium, LinkedIn allows 200 characters in the note. Below are 25 templates sorted by goal, each under 200 characters including placeholders, plus LinkedIn's own rules and the lines you should leave out. Last updated: 2 October 2026.

LinkedIn connection message rules: length, number and tone

The note on a connection request is not a cover letter. LinkedIn caps its length and, on free accounts, the number of notes per month. In two places the help pages contradict each other.

The newer help page says for free accounts: “You can add a personalized message to up to three connection requests per month”. Two older pages say five. Plan for three, since that is the more recent statement. For Premium, the same page gives no separate character count, only: “LinkedIn Premium members can send unlimited personalized invitations to all their connection requests (connection request limits may still apply)”. If you stay under 200 characters, the Premium contradiction doesn't matter, which is why all 25 templates below are that short.

Sources: LinkedIn Help: Personalize invitations to connect, older LinkedIn Help page on personalized invitations and LinkedIn Help: Invitation limit reached, all retrieved 2 October 2026.

How to add a note to your connect message

On desktop, open the profile, select Connect, click Add a note, type your message and select Send invitation. In the app, tap the More icon on the profile, then Personalize Invite. Worth knowing: “Invitations sent from People You May Know on the LinkedIn mobile app can't be personalized.” And the person can answer before accepting: “If the recipient responds to your message, they can reply without accepting your invitation.”

What belongs in LinkedIn connection messages

LinkedIn Help names three building blocks for the note: “How you found the person or what you have in common”, “Why you'd like to connect now” and “A clear and polite tone”. Another help page adds: “Provide context by adding a personalized message with your invitation, explaining how you know the recipient, or why you'd like to connect with them.” Source: LinkedIn Help on invitations, retrieved 2 October 2026.

Personalization doesn't mean the first name is in there. It means one detail that fits only this person: a post, a career step, a mutual connection. In 200 characters that is one sentence about them, one on why, and a short close. Count the characters before you save a template, for example with our free LinkedIn character counter. For connection requests, its bar only turns red past 300 characters, so go by the number it shows: under 200, your note fits any account.

25 LinkedIn connection message templates by goal

Placeholders are in square brackets. Each template stays under 200 characters with the brackets in place; check the filled-in text, since long names add length. The tone is friendly and professional, so adjust it if your industry is more formal.

Sales and prospecting

The request gives a reason and leaves the offer out.

1. Cold request to a decision maker

Hi [First name], I work on [topic] with [industry] teams and keep running into your posts on it. Would be glad to have you in my network.

2. Same buyers, different offer

Hi [First name], we sell to the same people: you with [product], me with [service]. Curious how [company] handles [task]. Happy to connect.

3. New role at a target account

Hi [First name], congrats on the new role at [company]. I've followed [topic] in [industry] for years and would like to stay in touch as you settle in.

4. Company is visibly growing

Hi [First name], saw that [company] is growing the [team] team. I work in the same space and figured we should be connected. No ask today.

Recruiting: reaching candidates

What works with candidates: one detail from their background and honesty about whether a role is open. For longer outreach after they accept, use our LinkedIn recruiting message templates, and see CompLeadly for recruiters for a one-workflow-per-role setup.

5. Strong profile, no open role yet

Hi [First name], your path from [role] to [role] caught my eye. I hire for [field] and like staying connected with people who are good at it.

6. Specific role, no pressure

Hi [First name], I'm hiring a [role] for [company] and your background fits well. Once we're connected, can I send you two lines about it?

7. Talent pool for later

Hi [First name], I'm not hiring for your skill set right now, but [field] experience like yours is rare. Glad to connect so we don't lose track.

8. Referred by a colleague

Hi [First name], [name] told me you built [project] at [company]. I recruit for [field] teams and would be glad to connect.

Agencies: clients and partners

For agencies, this means marketing leads, partners and new people at existing clients. The CompLeadly for agencies page covers the setup.

9. Marketing lead with a visible campaign

Hi [First name], your [topic] campaign stood out, especially [detail]. I run an agency for [service] and would be glad to connect.

10. Partner agency

Hi [First name], you do [service], we do [service], and our clients overlap a lot. Let's connect, there may be a fit down the road.

11. New contact at an existing client

Hi [First name], we've supported [company] with [service] since [year]. Now that you lead [area], I'd be glad to be connected here too.

After an event

An event is the best reason there is, because the person remembers the setting. Send the request the same day or the next.

12. You talked briefly

Hi [First name], good talking with you at [event]. Your point about [topic] stuck with me. Let's stay in touch here.

13. You saw their talk

Hi [First name], I was in your session at [event] and [detail] was the part I wrote down. Would be glad to connect.

14. Both there, never met

Hi [First name], looks like we were both at [event] but missed each other. What did you think of [session]? Happy to connect.

After a post

The note picks up the post, not your offer.

15. You commented on their post

Hi [First name], I left a comment on your post about [topic] and wanted to connect too. I'd like to read more of your take on [detail].

16. Friendly disagreement

Hi [First name], your post on [topic] made me think, even though I see [point] differently. Would be glad to connect and keep reading.

17. They commented on your post

Hi [First name], thanks for your comment on my post about [topic]. Your point on [detail] was a good one. Glad to connect.

After a profile view

LinkedIn shows who viewed your profile under “Who's viewed your profile”. On a free account, LinkedIn Help says you see the “Three most recent viewers in the last 90 days”, if you browse with your own name and headline visible. Source: LinkedIn Help: Who's viewed your profile, basic vs. Premium, retrieved 2 October 2026.

18. They viewed your profile

Hi [First name], I noticed you stopped by my profile. We both work on [topic], so I figured I'd reach out. What brought you my way?

19. You viewed their profile

Hi [First name], reading your profile, [detail] stood out. I'm working on [topic] myself. Mind if we connect?

Alumni and mutual connections

LinkedIn suggests this reason itself: what you have in common. Name it specifically.

20. Same school

Hi [First name], we both went to [school], you for [major], me for [major]. Interesting to see where you ended up. Let's connect.

21. Same former employer

Hi [First name], we both worked at [company], just at different times. I was on the [team] team. Always good to know a fellow alum.

22. Mutual connection

Hi [First name], we both know [name], who told me about your work on [topic]. It overlaps with what I do, so I'd like to connect.

Job search: reaching recruiters and hiring managers

Job seekers reach out to recruiters, hiring managers and future teammates. The note says why this company and asks for nothing beyond the connection. What else your profile needs is covered in common LinkedIn job search mistakes.

23. Recruiter at a target company

Hi [First name], [company] has been on my list since [reason], and I'm looking at [field] roles. Would be glad to connect, even if nothing is open right now.

24. Hiring manager after applying

Hi [First name], I applied for the [role] opening on your team. The work on [topic] is exactly what I want to do next. Glad to connect.

25. Insider view before applying

Hi [First name], I'm thinking about applying to [company] and saw you're a [role] there. Glad to connect, and maybe ask one quick question later.

What to leave out of a LinkedIn connect message

Weak requests rarely fail on wording. They fail on content:

• No offer, no price, no calendar link, no pressure. Accepting is the first yes. Asking for a meeting in the note skips it.
• No “I'd like to add you to my professional network”. It's true of every request, so it says nothing about the person.
• No fake familiarity. “As we discussed” only if you discussed it. “Great to reconnect” only if you've met.
• No résumé. Who you are is on your profile. Half a sentence about your role is enough.
• No placeholder accidents. A leftover [topic] or the wrong first name looks worse than no note at all. Read every template once after filling it in.

To see whether your version sounds too salesy, paste it into our free LinkedIn message check. It runs in your browser and looks at length, personal reference and promotional language, among other things.

Should you connect with or without a message?

On a free account, the current help page gives you only three notes a month. Spend them where you have a real reason: after an event, after a post, with a mutual connection or at a company you want to work for. Cold requests with no specific reason can go out without a note; the template then becomes your first message after they accept. More in LinkedIn connections with or without a message. Your acceptance rate tells you whether your version works; our guide to raising your LinkedIn acceptance rate explains how to track and improve it.

LinkedIn also limits the number of invitations but gives no fixed weekly number. More in our article on the LinkedIn connection limit.

The follow-up message after they accept

The note was tight, now you have room. Write within a few days of acceptance and keep the same line as in the note: them first, your ask later. Ready-made messages are in Thanks for connecting on LinkedIn: 15 messages and replies. If there is no reply, a short second message does more than a long one. Timing and wording are in our follow-up templates.

If the request went out without a note, use the matching template as your first message and swap “Glad to connect” for an easy question.

How to use these templates with CompLeadly

The templates work by hand. If you send a lot of requests, CompLeadly saves you the copying. CompLeadly runs through your own LinkedIn account and sends connection requests with or without a personal note, which is a toggle in the connect feature (included in the free version). The free version sends two connection requests a day. On Basic and up, CompLeadly sets no cap of its own, and you choose a daily value per step. The weekly ceiling comes from LinkedIn: when LinkedIn reports the weekly limit, the feature pauses automatically.

Instead of [First name], CompLeadly uses the placeholder _FN_, along with _CO_ for the company and custom placeholders. Which placeholders come with which plan is listed on the pricing page. The note field in CompLeadly holds 270 characters because 30 are reserved as a buffer for placeholders; the knowledge base article Invite text in CompLeadly allows only 270 characters explains why. On accounts without LinkedIn Premium, LinkedIn's 200-character limit still applies, so the 25 templates above fit.

With Premium Plus, CompLeadly can write the note per profile with AI, based on your prompt and the profile data. After acceptance, the Opener sends the first message to new connections, and only if the chat is still empty (free: one a day; unlimited on Basic and up). Follow-ups run in several steps and stop as soon as the person replies (free: one a day; unlimited on Basic and up). As one connected workflow with a schedule, the chain runs on Basic and up; in the free version you start the steps one at a time.

For the three typical uses:

• Sales: A LinkedIn or Sales Navigator people search becomes your audience, followed by a profile visit, a request with template 1 to 4, Opener and follow-ups (free: 25 profile visits and two connection requests a day).
• Recruiting: Your audience is a Recruiter Lite search, the pipeline or a saved search (with a valid Recruiter license). Templates 5 to 8 run through the connect feature (free: two a day; no cap in the tool on Basic and up).
• Job seekers: A people search for recruiters and hiring managers at your target companies becomes your audience, followed by a profile visit, a connection request with template 23 to 25, Opener and follow-up. These are standard features, also in the free version with daily limits. The profile visit runs through your own account. The other person sees it unless you browse LinkedIn in private mode, and here that visibility is the point.

When you sign up, you automatically get all features for 10 days, no credit card needed. After that, your account switches to the free version on its own. What each feature does in detail is on the features page.