What to Say in a LinkedIn Connection Request

A connection request with the right note gets accepted and opens a real conversation. A blank one — or one that opens with an ask — gets ignored.

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Example — what you’ll see

Someone who works at your target company

🎓 Same university as you · 💼 Shared past employer

🔥 Strongest

A recruiter at your target company

🎓 Same university as you

🎓 Alumni

✍️ Ready-to-send intro“Hi — we both studied at [your school]. I’d love to hear about your path to a company you are targeting before I apply…”

… plus everyone else in your network who can put in a good word.

See who can refer you in — pick your target company:

Short answer: Always add a note, keep it under LinkedIn's 300-character limit, and lead with the genuine thing you share (same school, an overlapping employer, the same field). Say one specific reason you want to connect, and do not ask for a job or a referral in the request itself. The goal of the note is only to get accepted and start a thread — the ask comes much later, if at all.

The formula for a note that gets accepted

Shared signal, first. "Fellow [School] grad" or "saw we both spent time at [Company]." This is the single biggest driver of acceptance.
One specific reason. "I am moving into [field] and admire your work on [X]." Specific reads as real; generic reads as a bot.
No ask. Do not request a referral, a job, or even a call in the connection note. Getting connected is the whole goal; save the ask for later.

Why you never ask in the request

A connection request is the doorway, not the conversation. Ask for something in it and you force a stranger to judge a favor before they know you at all — so they decline. Keep the note purely about the shared thing and a genuine reason to connect, and acceptance rates jump.

Once you are connected, you have a thread. Reply to something they posted, or send a short follow-up message with your actual question a day or two later. The relationship, however small, has to exist before the ask.

Send it to people who will actually accept

The best-worded request still needs a real reason to connect. People who share your school, a past employer, or your field accept at far higher rates than strangers — the note simply names the thing you already have in common.

FindWarmIntros finds those people at any target company and even drafts the note, so your requests go to warm contacts with the shared signal already spelled out. There is also a free LinkedIn connection request generator if you want to write one for a specific person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I add a note to a LinkedIn connection request?

Yes, almost always. A request with a short, specific note that leads with what you share is accepted far more often than a blank one. The exception is a truly obvious mutual connection, but even then a one-line note helps.

What should the note say?

Lead with the genuine thing you share (same school, an overlapping employer, the same field), give one specific reason you want to connect, and ask for nothing. Keep it under 300 characters. The note's only job is to get accepted and open a thread.

How long can a LinkedIn connection request note be?

LinkedIn caps the note at 300 characters, so keep it to two or three short sentences. That constraint is a feature — it forces you to lead with the shared signal and one specific reason, which is exactly what earns the accept.

Should I ask for a referral in the connection request?

No. Asking for a referral or a job in the request makes a stranger evaluate a favor before they know you, so they decline. Get connected first, build a small thread, and make any ask later once there is a real relationship.

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