25+ LinkedIn Connection Message Templates That Get Accepted
You send a LinkedIn connection request.
Three days pass. No response.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone.
Most professionals struggle with this exact problem every day.
Here’s the truth: Generic connection requests get ignored.
The default “I’d like to add you to my professional network” message has become background noise.
But personalized LinkedIn connection message templates can change everything.
In this guide, you’ll get templates for LinkedIn connection messages that get accepted.
These aren’t random examples.
They’re tested strategies that real professionals use for LinkedIn outreach, sales, recruiting, and LinkedIn networking.
Whether you’re building relationships, generating leads, or expanding your professional circle, these connect message examples will help you stand out.
Let’s understand LinkedIn connection message templates
LinkedIn gives you two options when connecting with someone new.
Click “Connect” and then “Send without a note” to send a generic request.
Or choose “Add a note” and write a personalized message.
The difference is huge.
Generic requests get accepted about 20% of the time.
Personalized messages can reach 70% or higher.
What is a LinkedIn connection request message?
A LinkedIn connection request message is the text that appears when someone considers accepting your invitation.
You have 200 characters to make your case for the connection request.
That’s roughly 40 words.
Not much space, but enough to show you’re a real person with genuine intent.
The message appears alongside your profile photo and headline.
Recipients see this information before deciding whether to connect or ignore your request.
Why personalized connection message templates work better?
LinkedIn personalization works because it shows effort.
According to LinkedIn’s 2024 State of Sales report, personalized connection requests achieve 2.5x higher acceptance rates than generic invitations.
When someone sees their name, company, or recent activity mentioned, they know you took time to research them.
Psychology plays a big role here.
People connect with those who show genuine interest. A personalized message triggers the reciprocity principle.
You’ve invested time in them, so they’re more likely to respond positively.
LinkedIn connection templates provide structure while allowing customization.
You get the efficiency of a proven format with the personal touch that makes connections happen.
How to send LinkedIn connection requests effectively?
The technical process is simple.
The strategy behind it makes all the difference.
A. Step-by-step guide to sending LinkedIn connection requests
First, visit the person’s LinkedIn profile.
Look for the blue “Connect” button near their headline.
Click “Connect” and you’ll see two options: “Send now” or “Add a note.”
Always choose “Add a note” for better results.
❗️Note: you can only send upto 10 personalized connections per month with a free LinkedIn account. (The one you get without paying anything)
A text box appears with 200 characters available.
Write your personalized message here.
Review it once, then click “Send invitation.”
The person receives your request in their LinkedIn notifications and via email (if they have notifications enabled).
B. Timing and targeting your outreach
Timing matters more than you might think.
✅ Tuesday through Thursday, between 9 AM and 11 AM, typically see higher response rates.
❌ Avoid Mondays (people catch up on weekend messages) and
❌ Fridays (they’re wrapping up the week)
Target people who are active on LinkedIn.Look for recent posts, comments, or profile updates.
Focus on quality over quantity.
How to craft personalized LinkedIn connection messages?
Great connection messages start with research.
Spend ~2 minutes learning about each person before writing and sending them an actual connection request on LinkedIn.
Which information to target for personalizing the connection notes?
Start with their current role and company.
Recent job changes are excellent conversation starters.
Check their recent activity –
- Did they share an article?
- Comment on a post?
- Engage with industry news?
Reference this in your message.
Look for mutual connections. Mentioning someone you both know creates instant trust.
Scroll through their experience section. Previous companies, especially well-known ones, provide connection points.
Don’t forget their education. Alumni connections often have higher acceptance rates.
For more detailed information on this topic, check out our detailed article “How to Write a LinkedIn Connection Request That Works?”.
We have covered in-depth about writing LinkedIn connection requests.
4 Essential elements of effective LinkedIn connection messages
Every good connection message has these 4 elements ⤵️
- Personal greeting: Use their first name. Avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” or other formal language.
- Connection point: Explain why you’re reaching out. Reference something specific about them or their work.
- Value proposition: What’s in it for them? This could be industry insights, potential collaboration, or shared experiences.
- Clear next step: Keep it simple. Most connection messages end with “I’d love to connect” or similar phrasing.
💡Practical tip: Keep the tone conversational. Write like you’re talking to a colleague, not giving a presentation.
25+ LinkedIn connection message templates (by category)
Here are some of the proven templates organized by use case.
Remember to customize each one for your specific situation.
Use case → Networking and relationship-building templates
Template 1) Industry peer connection
| “Hi [First Name], I noticed we both work in [industry] and share an interest in [specific topic]. Would love to connect and exchange insights about [industry trend]. Looking forward to connecting!” |
Template 2) Event attendee follow-up
| “Hi [First Name], great meeting you at [event name] yesterday. Enjoyed our conversation about [specific topic discussed]. Would love to stay connected and continue the discussion!” |
Template 3) Content engagement
| “Hi [First Name], saw your recent post about [specific topic]. Your insights on [specific point] really resonated with me. Would love to connect and follow your content!” |
Template 4) Mutual connection reference
| “Hi [First Name], [Mutual connection name] suggested I reach out to you. They mentioned your expertise in [area] and thought we should connect. Looking forward to learning more about your work!” |
Template 5) Company research
| “Hi [First Name], been following [Company name]’s work in [specific area]. Really impressed by [specific achievement/project]. Would love to connect and learn more about your role there!” |
Template 6) Geographic connection
| “Hi [First Name], noticed we’re both based in [city/region]. Always excited to connect with local professionals in [industry]. Would love to expand my network here!” |
Template 7) Career transition
| “Hi [First Name], saw you recently joined [Company] as [Role]. Congratulations! I’m exploring opportunities in [similar field] and would love to connect with someone with your experience.” |
Template 8) Industry group member
| “Hi [First Name], noticed we’re both members of [LinkedIn group name]. Love connecting with fellow [industry] professionals. Your background at [Company] looks really interesting!” |
Use case → Sales and business development templates
Template 9) Prospect research
| “Hi [First Name], noticed [Company name] is expanding into [market/area]. We’ve helped similar companies in [industry] with [specific challenge]. Would love to connect and share some insights!” |
Template 10) Technology reference
| “Hi [First Name], saw that [Company] uses [specific technology/tool]. We work with several companies using similar tech stack. Would love to connect and share best practices!” |
Template 11) Industry challenge
| “Hi [First Name], many [job title]s I work with mention challenges with [specific problem]. Curious about your experience at [Company] and would love to connect!” |
Template 12) Growth mention
| “Hi [First Name], congratulations on [Company]’s recent [achievement/funding/expansion]. Impressive growth! Would love to connect and learn more about your journey there.” |
Template 13) Content value offer
| “Hi [First Name], your role at [Company] is really interesting. I recently wrote about [relevant topic] that might be useful for [job title]s like yourself. Happy to share if you’d like to connect!” |
Template 14) Similar client reference
| “Hi [First Name], we recently helped [similar company] with [specific outcome]. Given your role at [Company], thought you might find it interesting. Would love to connect and share the story!” |
Use case → Recruiting and job search templates
Template 15) Recruiter to candidate
| “Hi [First Name], your experience in [specific skill/area] at [Company] is impressive. We’re working on a [job title] role that might interest you. Would love to connect and share details!” |
Template 16) Candidate to recruiter
| “Hi [First Name], noticed you recruit for [specific roles/companies] in [location]. Currently exploring new opportunities in [field]. Would love to connect and learn about your openings!” |
Template 17) Internal referral
| “Hi [First Name], saw you work at [Company] in [department]. Really interested in opportunities there, especially in [specific area]. Would love to connect and learn about the culture!” |
Template 18) Hiring manager outreach
| “Hi [First Name], your team at [Company] is doing amazing work in [specific area]. I have [X years] experience in [relevant field] and would love to connect to learn about potential opportunities!” |
Template 19) Career advice
| “Hi [First Name], your career progression from [previous role] to [current role] is inspiring. Would love to connect and learn about your journey in [industry/field]!” |
Use case → Industry-specific and niche templates
Template 20) Alumni connection
| “Hi [First Name], fellow [University] alum here! Noticed you’re working in [industry] at [Company]. Would love to connect with another [school mascot/nickname] and hear about your experience!” |
Template 21) Conference speaker
| “Hi [First Name], watched your presentation on [topic] at [conference name]. Your insights on [specific point] were really valuable. Would love to connect and follow your future content!” |
Template 22) Local business leader
| “Hi [First Name], [Company name] has quite a reputation here in [city/region]. As someone building their network locally, would love to connect with established leaders like yourself!” |
Template 23) Industry publication mention
| “Hi [First Name], saw your recent article in [publication] about [topic]. Your perspective on [specific point] was spot-on. Would love to connect and stay updated on your insights!” |
Template 24) Partnership opportunity
| “Hi [First Name], [Company name] and our company serve similar markets. Wondering if there might be opportunities for collaboration. Would love to connect and explore possibilities!” |
Template 25) Skill-based connection
| “Hi [First Name], your expertise in [specific skill] is exactly what I’m trying to develop. Would love to connect and learn from someone with your experience in [area]!” |
Template 26) Recent achievement
| “Hi [First Name], congratulations on [specific achievement/award/promotion]! Really impressive work. Would love to connect and follow your continued success!” |
Best practices for sending LinkedIn connection requests
Here are some of the best practices that you should follow while sending connection request messages on LinkedIn.
A) Do’s and don’ts of LinkedIn connection messaging
✅ Do’s:
- Research the person before writing
- Keep messages under 180 characters
- Mention specific details from their profile
- Use a friendly, professional tone
- Follow up appropriately after connecting
❌ Don’ts:
- Send generic template messages
- Pitch your services immediately
- Use overly formal language
- Make the message about yourself
- Send the same message to everyone
LinkedIn networking is about building relationships, not making immediate sales.
Focus on connection first, business second.
B) Optimize your LinkedIn profile to support LinkedIn outreach
Your profile is the first thing people check after receiving your connection request.
A weak profile kills even the best connection message.
Use a professional headshot.
Avoid group photos, pets, or low-quality images.
Write a clear LinkedIn headline that explains what you do. “Marketing Manager” is better than “Passionate about growth.”
Fill out your summary section. This is where people learn about your background and expertise.
Add recent work experience with detailed descriptions. Empty profiles look suspicious.
Request recommendations from colleagues. Social proof increases connection acceptance rates.
Scale LinkedIn connection outreach with automation
Manual outreach works for small number of connection requests on LinkedIn.
But when you need to connect with hundreds of prospects, automation becomes essential.
With automation you can send 10x more prospects personalized connection requests with notes.
And tracking becomes easier too.
SmartReach.io is one such platforms that provide you a full end-to-end LinkedIn automation platform.
SmartReach’s LinkedIn automation lets you create fully automated LinkedIn campaigns through a task manager.
You can schedule connection requests with notes, send personalized messages and InMails, and view profiles automatically.
The platform helps you stay within LinkedIn’s daily limits while reaching more prospects.
SmartReach gives you flexibility to choose between manual and end-to-end automation for your LinkedIn outreach activities.
For example, you can automate connection requests but manually send follow-up messages after prospects accept.
This helps teams coordinate outreach without account restrictions or duplicated efforts.
You can monitor acceptance rates, response rates, and optimize your approach based on data.
Try the Smartreach LinkedIn automation today.
Final thoughts
LinkedIn connection message templates are tools, not magic bullets.
The real magic happens when you combine proven frameworks with genuine research and personalization.
Start with the templates that match your situation.
Customize them based on your prospect’s background. Track your results and keep improving.
Remember: LinkedIn networking is about building relationships first, business second.
Focus on providing value and genuine connection. The business results will follow.
Ready to scale your LinkedIn outreach?
Consider tools like SmartReach.io that help you manage personalized multichannel campaigns that drive real business results.
