LinkedIn Recommendation Examples: How to Write and Request One (10 Samples)

LinkedIn recommendations are short texts in which a 1st-degree connection describes your work. You ask for one through "More" and "Request a recommendation" on the connection's profile, write one yourself through "More" and "Recommend", and you decide which ones appear on your profile. Below you'll find the process, three request templates and ten recommendation examples by role. As of October 2026.

Recommendation vs. skill endorsement

LinkedIn separates two things that often get mixed up. A recommendation, according to LinkedIn Help, is a text written by a member to recognize your work. A skill endorsement is a click with which a 1st-degree connection validates a skill on your profile. LinkedIn states explicitly that the two are different.

Sources: LinkedIn Help: Recommendations on LinkedIn and LinkedIn Help: Skill endorsements, accessed October 3, 2026.

For trust, the recommendation is what counts. Forty connections endorsing "Sales" says little about how you work. Three sentences from a client describing what changed after your project say a lot.

How to request a recommendation on LinkedIn

You can only ask 1st-degree connections for a recommendation. There are two ways in.

From the connection's profile

1. Open "My Network", then "Connections", and find the person.
2. Click "More" in the top section of their profile and select "Request a recommendation".
3. Fill in "Relationship" and "Position at the time".
4. Replace the default text with a personal message and click "Send".

From your own profile

1. Click "Me" at the top, then "View profile".
2. Scroll to the "Recommendations" section, click the Plus icon, then "Ask for recommendation".
3. Search for the person, click "Continue" and fill in the fields as above.

LinkedIn only shows the "Recommendations" section once you have given or received a recommendation that isn't hidden. Without it, use the first route.

What to know before you ask

• Language: according to LinkedIn, recommendations can only be requested in your primary profile language. If your profile's primary language is English, the request goes out in English.
• One request per person: you can only ask a connection for one recommendation at a time.
• Relationship is fixed: you can't change the relationship once you've sent the request. If you made a mistake, the other person has to delete the request and you ask again.
• One per position: there is one recommendation per member per position. If someone worked with you in two jobs, two are possible.
• Connection removed, recommendation gone: if you remove a connection, the recommendations between you are withdrawn. They are not restored if you reconnect later.

Sources: LinkedIn Help: Request a recommendation and Recommendations on LinkedIn, accessed October 3, 2026.

Three request templates

LinkedIn's default text is generic and says nothing about the occasion. A good request names the occasion and says what the recommendation should cover. That takes the work off the other person's plate. Copy what fits:

To a client after a project

Hi [First name], [project] wrapped up [time period] ago, and I'm still happy about [specific result]. Would you write me a short recommendation on LinkedIn? What helps most is if you describe how things were before the project and what changed afterwards. Two or three sentences are plenty. Thank you, [Your name]

To a former colleague

Hi [First name], I often think back to our time at [company], especially [shared project]. I'm reworking my profile and would love a recommendation from you, ideally about [skill it should focus on]. If you like, I'm happy to write one for you in return. Best, [Your name]

To a former manager

Dear [Mr./Ms. Last name], I'm currently applying for roles as [role] and would greatly appreciate a short recommendation from you. Your view on [task or achievement from our time together] would be especially valuable. If it helps, I'm glad to send you a few bullet points. Kind regards, [Your name]

Offering bullet points lowers the bar noticeably. Don't write the recommendation for them, though. A text that sounds like you loses exactly what makes a recommendation valuable.

How to write a recommendation: four sentences

A good recommendation is short, specific and names something that could be checked. This structure works for almost any role:

1. Relationship and time: how do you know the person and for how long?
2. Specific contribution: what did they do, in one example?
3. Result or impact: what was different afterwards?
4. Clear recommendation: who or what task would you recommend them for?

Written out, it looks like this:

"I worked with [First name] in sales at [company] for two years. She rebuilt our quoting process and talked to every existing customer herself to do it. Afterwards our quotes went out faster, and the team finally worked from the same numbers. If you need someone who cleans up processes and brings people along, talk to [First name]."

To write it: go to the 1st-degree connection's profile, click "More" and "Recommend", fill in "Relationship" and "Position at the time", click "Next", write your text and click "Send". If someone asked you, you'll find the request in "Messaging". Source: LinkedIn Help: Recommend someone on LinkedIn, accessed October 3, 2026.

If you want to check your text length before pasting, use our LinkedIn Character Counter. Our rule of thumb: 400 to 800 characters, and people read to the end. Open the tool

Ten LinkedIn recommendation examples by role

Each example follows the four-sentence structure. Replace the brackets and add one real detail, otherwise the text sounds interchangeable.

1. Client about a sales consultant

"[First name] supported us for six months while we built our field sales team. Instead of a slide deck, we got a weekly session with the team and clear homework. After three months we had our first predictable month. For founders who no longer want to carry sales alone, I recommend [First name] without reservation."

2. Colleague about a marketing colleague

"I worked with [First name] in marketing at [company] for three years. She is the one who asks the question in the meeting that nobody else thought of. Our campaigns got simpler and better because of it. I would work with her again any time."

3. Manager about an employee

"[First name] joined my team as a working student and left as a project lead. He worked his way into every new task and documented what he did along the way. In the end, two of our most important client projects ran through him. If you need a project lead who thinks ahead, [First name] is your person."

4. Employee about her manager

"[First name] was my manager at [company] for four years. She explained decisions even when they were uncomfortable and stood up for the team when things went wrong. Nobody on our team quit during her time. I wish everyone a manager like her."

5. Client about a freelancer

"We hired [First name] for [project]. Every draft arrived on time, and he asked questions before they got expensive. We used the final result without rework. For companies that need a [role] they can rely on, he is the right choice."

6. Recruiter about a candidate

"I met [First name] during the hiring process for a [role] position. Her case study was the most thorough I saw this year, and she answered every follow-up question openly. We filled the role differently in the end, for reasons that had nothing to do with her. I recommend her to any team looking for a [role]."

7. Client about an accountant

"[First name] has handled our bookkeeping and year-end accounts for [time period]. She reaches out before a deadline gets tight and explains numbers so that non-accountants understand them. Since we've been with her, there have been no surprises. A clear recommendation for small businesses."

8. Colleague about a developer

"I worked with [First name] on the same engineering team for two years. He writes code others can understand and takes time for reviews. He practically built our onboarding for new colleagues on his own. A team with [First name] is a better team."

9. Partner about a sales director

"[First name] and I served [number] customers together as partner companies. He keeps his commitments, even small ones, and raises problems before they reach the customer. It was the easiest partnership I have experienced. If you are looking for a sales director with integrity, you should meet him."

10. Lecturer about a graduate

"[First name] took my course [course] at [university]. Her final project on [topic] solved a problem an industry partner had struggled with for years. She works in a structured way and asks when something is unclear. For an entry-level role as [role], I recommend her without hesitation."

Recommendations as proof of trust in sales, recruiting and job search

People who don't know you check your profile before they reply. What they find there decides whether they accept your request. Recommendations are the part of your profile you don't write about yourself. Why trust comes first in sales is covered in Why trust is the most important factor in your sales success. How to build the rest of your profile is shown in Perfect LinkedIn profile in 6 steps.

CompLeadly helps you put that profile in front of the right people. A profile visit through the app runs from your own account and is visible to the contact, depending on your visibility setting for profile views. Anyone who looks back out of curiosity lands on your profile and reads your recommendations. Then come a connection request with a note, a first message and a follow-up. The app runs locally on your own computer. The recommendation requests themselves you send by hand: they are personal and should stay that way.

• Sales: ask for a client recommendation after every finished project. Then visit and invite new contacts from a Sales Navigator search or a people search. Your recommendations do the work while the contact checks your profile.
• Recruiting: candidates check your profile the same way clients do. Recommendations from people you have placed show how you treat applicants. In CompLeadly, Recruiter Lite searches, pipelines and saved searches work as an audience, see CompLeadly for recruiters.
• Job seekers: two or three recommendations from former managers are quick proof for recruiters. After that, a people search for recruiters at your target companies becomes an audience for profile visits and connection requests. More in Open to Work on LinkedIn.

Profile visits, connection requests with a note, first messages and follow-ups are already part of the free version, with daily limits such as 2 connection requests and 25 profile visits. Before that, you test all features free for 10 days. Plans and prices are on the pricing page.

Revise, hide or delete a recommendation

A recommendation isn't forever. LinkedIn gives both sides control:

• Accept or dismiss one you receive: when someone writes you a recommendation, you get a message. You can accept it, dismiss it or ask for a revision. Accepted recommendations are visible to your network by default.
• Hide: you can hide a recommendation you have accepted. The person who wrote it can hide it too.
• Revise one you wrote: in your own profile, click the Edit icon in the "Recommendations" section, open the "Given" tab, click "More" next to the recommendation and choose "Revise recommendation". The revised version only appears once the other person has reviewed it.
• Delete: you can edit or delete a recommendation you wrote at any time.

Sources: Recommendations on LinkedIn, Revise a recommendation you've given and Recommend someone on LinkedIn, accessed October 3, 2026.