A LinkedIn connection request message is a short note of up to 200 characters, a limit set by LinkedIn, and it works best when it says in one sentence why you want to connect. LinkedIn Help states that a free account can add a note to three connection requests a month, while Premium members can personalise every invitation. A good sales note names what you have in common with the prospect, gives a reason to connect now and asks for nothing. The pitch, the meeting request and the follow-ups wait until the person accepts.
What is a LinkedIn connection request message?
A LinkedIn connection request message is the optional note a member attaches to an invitation to connect, shown to the recipient next to the request so they can decide whether to accept. In sales, the connection request message is the first touch with a prospect on LinkedIn, and its only job is to get the request accepted.
The LinkedIn connection request message is different from a direct message. A direct message goes to someone who is already a first-degree connection and has room for a longer conversation. The invitation note travels with the request itself, before any relationship exists, which is why LinkedIn keeps it short. For where this first touch fits in the wider prospecting process, see our guide to what prospecting is.
LinkedIn connection request note character limit
The LinkedIn connection request note is limited to 200 characters per message. LinkedIn's Help Center article "Personalize invitations to connect", which we checked on 8 November 2026, caps personalised notes at three connection requests a month on a free account and lets Premium members personalise every invitation, though connection request limits can still apply.
| Account type | Personalised notes per month | Characters per note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free LinkedIn account | Up to 3 | Up to 200 | LinkedIn Help, consulted 8 Nov 2026 |
| LinkedIn Premium | Unlimited | The page gives 200 per message and no separate figure for Premium | LinkedIn Help, consulted 8 Nov 2026 |
Writing every note under 200 characters keeps one template valid on both account types. In practice, two or three short sentences fit in 200 characters, while a note that adds a greeting, a compliment and a pitch does not.
What to write in a LinkedIn connection request: a three-part structure
A LinkedIn connection request note that gets accepted has three parts: why you, why now and a close that asks for nothing. LinkedIn Help gives the same advice in its own words, "Keep your message short and specific", and lists what a good invitation usually includes: how you found the person or what you share, why you want to connect now and a clear, polite tone.
- Why you: the shared context, such as an event both of you attended, a mutual connection, the same industry or a post the prospect published.
- Why now: the trigger that makes the request timely, such as a new role, a job opening at their company or a topic they are working on this quarter.
- No ask: a close like "happy to connect" instead of a meeting request, because the prospect has not yet agreed to talk.
The three parts add up to two or three short sentences, which is what fits in 200 characters.
LinkedIn connection request message examples for sales
The nine LinkedIn connection request templates below are written for an SDR who sells dock scheduling software to Heads of Operations at Amsterdam logistics firms in LinkedIn's 51-200 employee size band. Each note is under 200 characters, counted with spaces and with the placeholders filled by a short name and company, and uses only the first name, company and job title as variables.
| Situation | What the note refers to | Best moment to send it |
|---|---|---|
| Event | A session or trade fair both of you attended | Within a week of the event |
| Job change | The prospect's new role | In the first months in the role |
| Hiring | An opening on the prospect's team | While the job posting is live |
| Same industry | A topic both of you work on | Any time, with a specific topic |
| Shared connection | A person you both know | After asking that person first |
| Published post | A post the prospect wrote | Within a few days of the post |
Connection request notes after an event or with shared context
A note after an event, sent within a week:
Hi [first name], we were both at the logistics fair in Rotterdam last week. I work with operations leads on dock scheduling and would like to connect.
A note for a prospect in your own industry:
Hi [first name], I spend my week with logistics teams in Amsterdam working on dock and yard planning. Would be good to connect and swap notes.
A note that names a shared connection, once that person has agreed:
Hi [first name], [mutual connection] suggested I reach out. I work with operations teams at logistics companies on dock scheduling. Glad to connect.
Connection request notes for a job change or a hiring signal
A note for a prospect who started a new role in the last few months:
Congrats on the new role at [company], [first name]. I work with operations leads at Dutch logistics firms on dock scheduling. Would like to connect.
A note for a company with an open role on the prospect's team, a signal covered in our guide to finding companies that are hiring:
Hi [first name], saw [company] is hiring shift leads for the warehouse. I work on dock scheduling with teams that are growing. Happy to connect.
A note for a senior title, kept to one line about their priorities:
Hi [first name], as [job title] at [company] you likely see every peak week. I work on dock scheduling for logistics teams in Amsterdam. Keen to connect.
Notes to a CEO or a founder need a sharper reason to connect than notes to a head of department; see our guide to building a list of company CEOs for how to approach the top of the company.
Connection request notes about a post the prospect published
A note that refers to a specific post:
Hi [first name], your post on loading bays during peak season was spot on. I work on dock scheduling with logistics teams. Would like to follow your updates.
A note that refers to a comment thread:
Hi [first name], I liked your point about carrier no-shows in the thread on warehouse planning. I work on the same problem. Happy to connect.
A note for a prospect who shared a report or a guide:
Hi [first name], the guide you shared on yard planning was useful for my own work with logistics teams in Amsterdam. Would be glad to connect.
When to send a LinkedIn connection request without a note
A LinkedIn connection request without a note makes sense when the free account has already used its three personalised notes for the month, or when the prospect already knows you from a meeting, a call or a recent email thread. In those cases the request reads as a natural next step and the context is already clear.
A request without a note works less well with strangers. The LinkedIn Help page on connecting with other members recommends adding a personal note that briefly explains how you know the person and why you want to connect. For cold prospects, the better plan on a free account is to save the three notes for the accounts that matter most and send blank requests only to people who already know your name.
How HappySales sends LinkedIn connection requests in a campaign
HappySales starts a LinkedIn campaign with a connection request that can carry a note, or with a direct message when the contact is already a connection. The note uses variables for the contact's name, company and job title, the same three fields used in the templates above, so one template becomes a personal note for every prospect on the list.
The HappySales campaign then handles the steps that come after the connection request:
- Follow-ups after acceptance: between 1 and 5 follow-up messages after the prospect accepts, with a gap of 0 to 30 days between them.
- Stop on reply: a reply from the prospect stops the sequence for that person.
- Sending windows: each LinkedIn account sends within its own time zone, weekdays and hours, with a random delay, daily and hourly caps on invitations and messages, and an automatic pause if LinkedIn restricts the account.
- Job change filter: the contact search in HappySales can filter by recent job change, which feeds the new-role template directly.
HappySales works as a connector inside Claude or ChatGPT, and our walkthrough of outbound campaigns in Claude and ChatGPT shows the full flow with prompts. Two things HappySales leaves out: InMail, and CRM work, so once a prospect replies the deal moves to the CRM your team already uses.