LinkedIn Connection Request Templates That Get Accepted

Most connection requests get ignored for the same reason: they read like the first line of a pitch. The person on the other end can tell, and they click "Ignore" without thinking twice.

This post gives you 15 short templates grouped by situation, a simple rule for when to skip the note entirely, and four first messages to send once someone accepts. Every template is well under 200 characters, so it fits on any account type.

Note or no note?

There is no universal answer here. A blank request and a request with a note both work, in different situations.

Send without a note when:

• They already know who you are (you've emailed, met, or traded comments).
• Your profile does the explaining. A clear headline like "Founder at Acme, helping clinics cut no-shows" says enough.
• You're connecting with peers in your own industry, where a request from someone similar is normal.

Send with a note when:

• You have a specific, real reason to connect (their post, an event, a mutual contact).
• You're reaching up to someone senior who gets a lot of requests.
• You're running LinkedIn alongside cold email and want to tie the two together.

A useful rule of thumb: if you can't write a note that only makes sense for this one person, send no note. A generic note is worse than none, because it signals a pitch is coming.

Check your character limit

LinkedIn caps the length of connection notes, and the cap depends on your account type. The commonly cited range is roughly 200 to 300 characters, and free accounts may also be limited in how many personalized notes they can send per month. LinkedIn changes this from time to time, so check what your own account allows before you build a campaign around notes.

The templates below are written to stay well under 200 characters, even after you fill in the brackets.

Anatomy of a request that gets accepted

Good connection notes share three traits.

1. Short. One or two sentences. If it needs scrolling, it's too long.
2. Specific. It mentions something only true of this person: their post, their company's news, an event you both attended.
3. No pitch. No product, no calendar link, no "I'd love to show you." The note's only job is to get the connection. Selling comes later, if at all.

Here's the difference in practice.

15 connection request templates

Swap the {brackets} for real details. If you can't fill a bracket with something true and specific, use a different template.

After a cold email

1.

Hi {first_name}, I emailed you last week about {topic}. Figured I'd connect here too in case LinkedIn is easier. No pressure either way.

2.

Hi {first_name}, sent you a short email about {topic} recently. Not chasing it here, I just like what {company} is building.

Mutual connection or shared interest

3.

Hi {first_name}, I see we both know {mutual_name}. I work with {role}s on {area} and would like to connect.

4.

Hi {first_name}, noticed we're both in the {group_or_community} group. Always good to know others working on {topic}.

They posted something

5.

Hi {first_name}, your post on {topic} was the clearest take I've read, especially the bit about {detail}. Would like to connect.

6.

Hi {first_name}, I've been reading your posts on {topic} for a while. Finally sending a request. Thanks for writing them.

Same industry or role

7.

Hi {first_name}, fellow {role} here, also selling into {industry}. Good to know people dealing with the same problems.

8.

Hi {first_name}, I'm connecting with {role}s in {industry} to compare notes on {topic}. Happy to share what I'm seeing too.

Event

9.

Hi {first_name}, we were both at {event}. Your question about {topic} in the {session} session stuck with me. Would like to connect.

10.

Hi {first_name}, saw you're going to {event} next week. I'll be there too. Good to connect beforehand.

Hiring or job change signal

11.

Hi {first_name}, saw {company} is hiring {count} {role}s. Looks like a big quarter. Would like to connect and follow along.

12.

Hi {first_name}, congrats on the new role at {company}. The first few months are a lot. Would like to connect.

Founder to founder

13.

Hi {first_name}, founder of {my_company} here. We're both building for {audience}, so I'd like to connect and swap notes sometime.

14.

Hi {first_name}, fellow founder, a couple of years behind you on {milestone}. Would like to connect and learn from how you did it.

Re-engaging someone you've talked to before

15.

Hi {first_name}, we spoke back in {month} about {topic}. A lot has changed on our side since. Would be good to stay connected here.

The first message after they accept

Acceptance is not interest. It just means they didn't mind connecting. The first message decides whether the conversation goes anywhere, so keep it light and give them an easy way to respond (or not).

A common pattern is to wait a day or two after they accept, rather than messaging the second the request goes through. It feels less automated.

A. The genuine question

Thanks for connecting, {first_name}. Curious how you're handling {problem} at {company} right now. Most {role}s I talk to are split on it.

B. The useful resource

Thanks for connecting. Since you posted about {topic}, here's a {checklist/teardown} we put together on it. No form, just the doc: {link}

C. The direct ask, with an easy out

Thanks for accepting, {first_name}. I'll be straight: we help {role}s at companies like {company} {outcome}. Worth a quick look, or not a priority right now?

D. After a cold email

Thanks for connecting. I emailed you on {day} about {topic}. Happy to talk here if that's easier. If it's not relevant, just say so and I'll stop.

Template C is the one most people skip to. It works best when your targeting is tight and the outcome is concrete. If you're unsure, start with A or B.

Common mistakes

Pitching in the note. "I help companies like yours..." is the fastest way to an ignored request. Save the offer for after they accept, and even then, ask before you pitch.

Fake personalization. "I came across your profile and was impressed" fits everyone, so it means nothing. If a template could be sent to 1,000 people unchanged, it isn't personalized.

Pitching the moment they accept. A long sales message seconds after acceptance reads as a bot, because it usually is one. Wait, and keep the first message short.

Sending too many requests too fast. LinkedIn doesn't publish exact limits, and accounts that send large batches of requests, especially ones that go unaccepted, can get restricted. Start slow and ramp up. Our guide to LinkedIn automation limits and safe pacing covers commonly cited ranges. Also note that LinkedIn's terms restrict automation, so if you use a tool to send requests, accept that risk knowingly.

Leaving old requests pending forever. A pile of unanswered requests doesn't help you. Withdraw ones that have sat for a few weeks with no response.

Running LinkedIn and email separately. If someone replies to your email and then gets an unrelated LinkedIn pitch from you, it looks careless. Keep both channels in one sequence so a reply on either one stops the other.

Putting it into a sequence

Connection requests work best as one step in a multichannel sequence, not as a standalone campaign. A simple version:

1. Day 1: Visit their profile.
2. Day 2: Send cold email #1.
3. Day 4: Send a connection request (template 1 or 2, or no note).
4. Wait until connected, then send first message D.
5. Day 8: Email follow-up, only if there's been no reply on either channel.

In SuperSend, LinkedIn steps (profile visits, connection requests with or without a note, wait-until-connected, and messages) sit in the same sequence as your emails, and a reply on either channel stops both. You set the daily action limits yourself. See how LinkedIn outreach in SuperSend works, or read our walkthrough on running cold email and LinkedIn in one sequence.

The short version

• Skip the note when they already know you or your headline explains enough. Use a note when you have a specific, real reason.
• Keep notes to one or two sentences, specific to the person, with no pitch. Check your account's character limit.
• Pick a template by situation: after an email, shared connection, their post, same role, event, hiring signal, founder to founder, or re-engaging.
• After they accept, wait a day or two and open with a question or something useful, not a sales message.
• Pace your requests conservatively and run LinkedIn and email together so one reply stops both.

Ready to run connection requests and cold email in one sequence? See SuperSend pricing.