LinkydyLinkedIn gives you 300 characters for a connection request note — including spaces. That's roughly 50 words to convince a stranger you're worth a slot in their network. Most people spend it on the default "I'd like to join your network" (forgettable) or a pitch (worse).
This page is the whole resource: 24 LinkedIn connection request message templates, grouped by scenario, every one under the character limit. Copy the one that matches your situation, fill the blanks, and send.
Two kinds of placeholders appear below. {FirstName}, {Company}, and {JobTitle} come from the prospect's profile. [Bracketed] slots — a topic, a mutual's name, an event — are yours to fill once per campaign.
Three rules before you copy
- One specific beats three generics. A single detail that's only true of this person — their post, their career move, a named mutual — outperforms any amount of polish. If a note could go to 500 people unchanged, it reads that way.
- Ask small. A connection request earns a connection, not a meeting. Notes that push a calendar link get ignored or reported.
- Leave headroom. The 300-character cap applies after placeholders expand. {FirstName} is 11 characters in your template, but a long company name on send can push a 295-character note over the edge. Aim for 270 or less.
Cold outreach to your ICP
No shared context, no mutuals, no prior interaction — just a match with your ideal customer profile. These invites work the hardest, so specificity does the lifting.
1. The research opener
Hi {FirstName} — I keep running into {Company} while researching how [industry] teams handle [problem]. I work in the same space and would rather learn from people doing it than guess from the outside. Open to connecting?
Why it works: It admits your motive — research, not a pitch — and names their company, the two things that separate it from a mass blast.
2. The peer-problem opener
{FirstName}, quick context for the invite: most {JobTitle}s I speak with are fighting [problem] right now. If that's on your plate at {Company} too, I'll gladly share what I'm seeing work elsewhere. No pitch attached.
Why it works: It leads with the reader's job title and problem, and "no pitch attached" disarms the objection by saying it out loud.
3. The honest stranger
Hi {FirstName} — you don't know me, and this isn't automated small talk: I build [what you do] for [role]s, and I want more people like you in my feed so I stop guessing what actually matters to teams like {Company}.
Why it works: Naming the elephant ("you don't know me") reads human, and the ask is tiny — a smarter feed, not a meeting.
After a post interaction
The warmest cold invite there is: they've already seen your name, or you've already seen their thinking. Reference the interaction precisely.
4. They posted, you read it
Hi {FirstName} — your post on [topic] put words to something I've been circling for months, especially the point about [detail]. Connecting so I don't miss the next one.
Why it works: The [detail] proves you actually read it, and the reason to connect asks nothing from them.
5. You commented on their post
{FirstName}, I'm the one who commented about [point] on your [topic] post. Comment threads flatten nuance — figured the conversation deserved a connection instead.
Why it works: You're a name they've already seen today, not a stranger — the invite just closes a loop they opened.
6. They commented on your post
Hi {FirstName} — thanks for weighing in on my post about [topic]. Given what you do at {Company}, your take carried weight. I'm writing a follow-up and would rather have you in the loop than lose you to the algorithm.
Why it works: It returns their effort with a specific compliment and gives a concrete reason — the follow-up post — to stay connected.
Mutual connection
Borrowed trust. Name the mutual whenever you can — a vague "we know some of the same people" is weaker than saying nothing at all.
7. The named mutual
Hi {FirstName} — we both know [Mutual], who mentioned the work you're doing at {Company} on [topic]. Figured it was time to stop being a second-degree connection.
Why it works: A named mutual is borrowed trust, and the last line adds warmth without trying too hard.
8. The recurring name
{FirstName}, your name has come up twice this month — once from [Mutual], once in a thread on [topic]. Twice is a pattern. Connecting before it happens a third time.
Why it works: "Your name keeps coming up" is flattery with evidence, and evidence is what makes flattery land.
9. The shared circle
Hi {FirstName} — we share a dozen connections from the [industry] world and keep appearing in the same threads. Seems overdue. I work on [what you do]; no agenda beyond a better feed.
Why it works: For genuinely adjacent people, honesty about the low stakes ("no agenda") is more credible than inventing a reason.
Event / webinar
A shared event is shared context with an expiry date. Send these within about 48 hours, while the excuse is still fresh.
10. Before the event
Hi {FirstName} — I saw you're attending [event] next week. I'll be there too, mostly for the [topic] sessions. Connecting now so we can say hello in person instead of exchanging badge scans.
Why it works: A built-in deadline (the event) plus a concrete, low-effort next step (say hello) — the easiest yes in cold outreach.
11. After a webinar
{FirstName}, your question in the [webinar name] session about [topic] was the one I wanted answered too. That's usually a sign two people should be connected.
Why it works: It singles out something they did, not something they are — the rarest kind of relevance.
12. After their talk
Hi {FirstName} — your [event] talk on [topic] was the only one I took full notes on. The idea I'm stealing first: [detail]. Wanted to connect before the conference glow fades.
Why it works: "The idea I'm stealing" proves you listened and flatters the content, not the person.
Recruiter → candidate
Candidates are buried in vague "exciting opportunity" notes. Transparency about role, range, and process is your differentiator.
13. The transparent search
Hi {FirstName} — I'm hiring a [role] and your work at {Company} is the closest match I've seen this month. This isn't a mass blast: I'll share salary range, team size, and the real challenges upfront if you're open to a look.
Why it works: Salary-range-upfront signals a recruiter worth answering, even for candidates who weren't looking.
14. The no-pressure add
{FirstName}, recruiter here — the non-spammy kind, I hope. One [role] search open right now at a [stage] [industry] company. If the timing's wrong, connect anyway: I'll only ping you when something genuinely fits.
Why it works: It gives a graceful yes to people not currently looking — which is most of the good ones.
15. The career-path note
Hi {FirstName} — the jump you made from [previous role] to {JobTitle} is exactly the path my client wants in their next [role] hire. Worth 20 minutes to compare notes? If not, one reply closes it — no follow-up barrage.
Why it works: Referencing their actual career move shows you read the profile, not just the headline.
Candidate → recruiter
Recruiters keep benches. Make yourself easy to file: role, domain, availability. Vague "open to opportunities" notes get skimmed past.
16. Quietly looking
Hi {FirstName} — I see you place [role]s in [location/industry]. I'm a [your role] at [company], starting to look quietly. Connecting now so I'm already on your radar when the right search opens up.
Why it works: "Quietly looking" tells the recruiter exactly which bench to put you on, and discretion signals seniority.
17. Open from a date
{FirstName}, I'm a [role] with [X] years in [domain], open to new roles from [month]. You recruit in exactly this space, so I'd rather be in your network before I need it than after.
Why it works: A specific availability date and domain make you filterable — which is how recruiters actually work.
18. Applied, plus invite
Hi {FirstName} — I applied for the [role] opening at {Company} yesterday, and I know how deep those inboxes run. The short version: [one-line proof of fit]. Happy to send the longer one.
Why it works: It acknowledges the crowded pipeline and hands over the one line that matters, instead of "please check my application".
Agency → client
The invite is not the pitch. Lead with something finished and free, tied to a signal you actually observed at their company.
19. The free teardown
Hi {FirstName} — we run [service] for [industry] companies around {Company}'s size. No pitch in an invite; I'd just like to send you our teardown of [topic]. It names names, and it's yours whether we ever talk or not.
Why it works: A specific, finished asset beats a promise of "value", and "no pitch in an invite" respects the medium.
20. The trigger signal
{FirstName}, I noticed {Company} is [hiring SDRs / running new ads / opening a market]. In our experience that's when [problem] starts to bite. If it's biting, I'll send one relevant example of how we fixed it — not a deck.
Why it works: A real trigger event makes the note timely, and "one example, not a deck" makes the follow-up safe to accept.
21. The three quick wins
Hi {FirstName} — your [site/ads/onboarding] came up in our team review this week, in a good way. We still spotted three quick wins we'd fix first. Want them? They're yours either way, no contract required.
Why it works: Compliment, then free specific value, then zero commitment — the reader risks nothing by accepting.
Follow-up after accept
An accepted invite is attention you haven't earned yet. These short bridge notes open a conversation without breaking the no-pitch promise — and staying under 300 characters keeps them readable in a preview.
22. The curious opener
Thanks for connecting, {FirstName}. No pitch — just one question I ask every new connection: what's eating most of your week at {Company} right now? The answers shape what I build and write.
Why it works: One open question, zero links, zero calendar ask. The replies write your next campaign for you.
23. The expectations-setter
Glad the invite landed, {FirstName}. Quick expectations: I share [type of content] about once a week, nothing else. If there's a topic you want covered from the {JobTitle} side of the table, say the word.
Why it works: Telling people what to expect from you is rare enough to be memorable, and it invites a reply without demanding one.
24. The three-bullets ask
Good to be connected, {FirstName}. I'm mapping how [role]s handle [problem] this year. If you have opinions, I'll take three bullet points over a 30-minute call any day. Want me to send the two questions?
Why it works: It shrinks the ask from "hop on a call" to "type three bullets" — reducing friction is the whole game after the accept.
Put it to work with Linkydy
Copy-paste holds up for five invites a day. Past that, the busywork — opening profiles, pasting the note, fixing the name — eats the time the templates saved. Linkydy, a free Chrome extension, closes that gap without turning your outreach into a bot blast.
- Collect leads straight from LinkedIn people search or Sales Navigator results — name, title, company, and profile URL land in a lightweight CRM.
- Personalize — pick one of the templates above, and the extension swaps in each lead's real first name, company, and job title before sending.
- Send safely — invites go out with human-like pacing and daily caps enforced by the extension, inside your own browser session. The outreach automation page shows exactly how.
Two things to line up before you hit send. LinkedIn caps invites at roughly 100–200 per week, so plan your volume with the connection request limits guide. And your profile is the landing page for every note you send — the LinkedIn profile checklist for sales tightens it up in about ten minutes. Once invites get accepted, graduate from notes to real conversations with the cold outreach message templates.