LinkedIn connection message: 200 characters and 7 templates

A LinkedIn connection message has 200 characters to say how you know the person, or why you want to know them, and nothing else. That is the limit LinkedIn's help page gives for the note on a connection request, and on a free account you can attach a note to only a few requests a month. So the note should do one job: give a stranger a reason to click Accept. The ask comes later, in a message after they accept.

1. You get 200 characters, and free accounts get only a few notes a month

LinkedIn's help article on personalizing invitations says each note can be up to 200 characters. It also says you can add a personal note to up to three connection requests per month, and that Premium members can personalize all their invitations (general connection limits still apply).

LinkedIn's own pages do not quite agree. An older help article on reaching the invitation limit says free members get five personalized notes a month. Plan for three. If you find you have five, enjoy the bonus.

Two other details from the same personalization article matter. The person can reply to your note without accepting, so the note works as a tiny message even if they never connect. And invitations sent from People You May Know in the mobile app can't carry a note at all, so send from the person's profile.

Short version: on a free account, save your notes for people who would not recognize your name. People who know you well can get a blank request.

2. Spend the 200 characters on one reason to accept

LinkedIn's guidance on what to include is sensible: how you found the person or what you share, and why you want to connect now. In 200 characters that becomes two parts:

The link. The event, school, post, person or role you share. "We both spoke at the Denver payroll meetup" is a link. "I came across your profile" is not.
The reason. Why you want them in your network, in one clause. "I'm hiring my first ops lead and you've built that team twice" gives them something to picture.

Leave out the pitch, the meeting request and the compliment that could apply to anyone. A connection request that ends with "can we hop on a call?" asks for two favors at once, and the second one is the hard one. Ask after they accept.

The templates below use about 145 to 165 characters each, which leaves room for names longer than "Sam."

3. Seven LinkedIn connection message templates

Here is a made-up example to fill them in. Imani Brooks is head of operations at a 30-person payroll software company in Denver. She is about to hire a support team and keeps a running count of tickets with "URGENT" in the subject line (41 this month, two of them about the office printer). Each template below is followed by Imani's version, and every one fits inside 200 characters, including spaces.

1. A prospect you want to sell to later

Hi [Name], I work on [problem] for [type of company] and noticed [specific thing about their company]. I'd like to follow what your team is doing. Glad to connect.

Imani's version: "Hi Raj, I work on payroll for restaurant groups and saw Fresco just opened its 12th location. I'd like to follow how your team handles the growth. Glad to connect."

No pitch here. The note earns the connection, and the sale, if it comes, starts with a useful message later.

2. An expert you want advice from

Hi [Name], your [post, talk or article] on [topic] was the clearest thing I've read on it. I'm [doing the related thing] now and would value following your work.

Imani's version: "Hi Dana, your talk on scaling support teams was the clearest thing I've seen on it. I'm hiring our first support team now and would value following your work."

If you want their advice, ask one specific question in a message after they accept. The coffee chat questions guide has questions that fit in a short call.

3. A recruiter

Hi [Name], I see you recruit [role type] for [industry or company]. I'm a [your role] with [one fact, such as years or specialty] and open to [type of role]. Glad to connect.

Imani's version: "Hi Chris, I see you recruit operations leaders for fintech. I'm a head of ops with 8 years in payroll and open to VP roles next year. Glad to connect."

4. Someone you met at an event

Hi [Name], good to meet you at [event] [day]. I enjoyed your point about [specific thing they said]. Let's stay in touch.

Imani's version: "Hi Leo, good to meet you at the Denver HR Tech meetup Thursday. I enjoyed your point about onboarding checklists going stale. Let's stay in touch."

Send it within a day or two of the event, while they still remember your face.

5. An alum of your school or company

Hi [Name], fellow [school or former employer] alum here ([your year or team]). I'm now [what you do] and saw you're [what they do]. Would be glad to connect.

Imani's version: "Hi Priya, fellow CU Boulder alum here (class of 2014). I'm now running ops at a payroll startup and saw you lead support in fintech. Would be glad to connect."

6. Someone who posted something useful

Hi [Name], your post on [topic] changed how I [specific thing]. [One sentence on what you did or will do.] Would like to keep reading your work.

Imani's version: "Hi Tom, your post on support ticket tags changed how I'm setting up our helpdesk. We're starting with 6 tags instead of 40. Would like to keep reading your work."

Saying what you did with their idea beats saying the post was great. Everyone says the post was great.

7. A friend of a friend

Hi [Name], [mutual contact] suggested I reach out. I'm [your role] working on [project], and [he/she/they] said you know [topic] well. Glad to connect.

Imani's version: "Hi Ana, Owen Park suggested I reach out. I'm head of ops at a payroll startup hiring a support team, and he said you know support hiring well. Glad to connect."

Only name the mutual contact if they agreed to be named.

4. Send the real ask in a message after they accept

Once someone accepts, you can message them directly, and you have room to write normally. Send one message within a day or two: a reminder of the link, one specific question, and how long an answer would take. The cold outreach guide covers how to structure a first message to someone who doesn't know you.

If they accept and don't reply, leave it. You are connected, and their posts will tell you more about what they care about than a second nudge would.

5. When a connection request is the wrong tool

A connection request is for building a network. It is a poor way to get a specific answer from a specific stranger by a specific date.

LinkedIn says so itself. Its page on alternatives to inviting someone says members often ignore or mark as spam invitations from people they don't know, and suggests following them, joining a shared group or sending an InMail instead. Its page on invitation restrictions says your account can be temporarily restricted if many of your invitations are ignored, left pending or marked as spam. Withdrawing an invitation also blocks you from re-inviting that person for up to three weeks.

Use this rule. If the person would not recognize your name and you need an answer from them, skip the connection request and use one of these, in this order:

A mutual contact who asks on your behalf. It is slower, and the person hears about you from someone they already trust. The guide to an introduction email has a note your contact can forward.
InMail, which lets Premium members message people outside their network. LinkedIn's page on InMail credits lists 5 credits a month on Premium Career and 15 on Premium Business, and a credit comes back when the recipient responds within 90 days. The InMail comparison covers when it is worth paying for.
Their work email, if your question is about their job. You get more than 200 characters to explain it.

Keep connection requests for people you have a real link to, or would like to follow for years.

Write the link first

Before you write any LinkedIn connection message, finish this sentence: "We both..." or "I saw your...". If you can't, the request is the wrong tool for this person. If you can, you have most of your 200 characters already.

If you need answers from specific people who don't know you, such as chief revenue officers or startup advisors, Instant Expert can invite them to a short call or a written or voice answer, and you pay only if someone books or answers.