LinkedIn Connection Message Generator
Write LinkedIn connection notes, follow-ups and InMails from templates. Free, no signup.
How to write a LinkedIn connection message in 3 steps
Every template is hand-written for one goal. You add the two details that make it yours.
1. Pick your goal and fill in two fields
Choose sales, recruiting, networking, agency, event or a follow-up after they accept. Then say who you work with and what about.
2. Press Write my messages and compare A and B
Each note shows its longest variant against the 200-character limit, and how it reads for a sample lead.
3. Copy a note into the invitation
On LinkedIn, open the profile, choose Connect, then Add a note, and paste. Fill in the name if you copied the template.
What to say in a LinkedIn connection request
Say why you're connecting, in one or two sentences, and stop. The note's job is the accept, not the sale.
Leave the pitch for the first message after they accept. A note that asks for a call reads like an ad, and people decline ads.
Every template here follows that shape. Note A leads with who you are, note B with a question, so you can see which one your list prefers.
A note that gets accepted has four parts:
- Their name, so it's clearly written to them.
- One real reason: a post they wrote, an event you both went to, work you have in common.
- Who you are, in a few words, so the reason makes sense.
- A light close: happy to connect. No link, no calendar, no ask.
LinkedIn connection request character limit
A connection note holds 200 characters on a free account and 300 on Premium. Write to 200 and it fits either.
| What you're writing | Limit |
|---|---|
| Connection note, free account | 200 charactersSources disagree |
| Connection note, Premium | 300 charactersSources disagree |
| Notes per month, free account | 3 per monthSources disagree |
| InMail subject | 200 charactersLinkedIn, official |
| InMail body | 1,900 charactersSources disagree |
The generator counts the longest version of each note, with a sample lead's name and company filled in. A free account can add a note to about 3 invitations a month, so save notes for the people where you have a real reason.
LinkedIn connection limits covers the weekly pace and what happens when you hit a limit.
LinkedIn connection message templates by goal
Six goals, each with its own reason to connect and its own follow-up. Pick the one closest to yours.
| Goal | The note's reason | The follow-up asks |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | Shared problem | Is it live for them? |
| Recruiting | A role that fits | A 15-minute call |
| Networking | A shared interest | Their one lesson |
| Agency | Your service, no pitch | Who handles it now? |
| Event | The same event | Their main takeaway |
| Follow-up after accept | Something useful | A last, easy no |
Each one gives you note A, note B, a follow-up and an InMail version. Switch spintax on and every note carries a few {word|word} options, so no two invitations read exactly alike.
First message after connecting on LinkedIn
Thank them, then ask one question they can answer in a line. Send it within a day or two of the accept.
The follow-up in each template does exactly that. It names the topic from your note, so the person remembers why they said yes, and it leaves room for a no.
If there's no reply after about a week, one short bump is enough. The Follow-up after accept goal writes that bump for you.
Sending the same follow-up to a whole list by hand is slow. LinkedIn message automation sends it from your own account once each person accepts.
LinkedIn InMail template
An InMail reaches people you're not connected to. You get 200 characters for the subject and 1,900 for the body, but short still wins.
Each goal's InMail version has a subject, a greeting, the reason in one line, one ask and an easy way out. It runs about 60 words, well inside the limit.
Use InMail for people who won't see an invitation, such as senior buyers or candidates who don't accept strangers. Each one spends a credit, unless the person has an Open Profile.
LinkedIn InMail credits explains how many you get on each plan and when they come back.
Why LinkedIn connection requests don't get accepted
Most ignored invitations fail on the note or the profile behind it. Each fix below takes a minute.
The note opens with a pitch
Move the ask to the first message after they accept. The note only gives the reason.
It could be sent to anyone
Name one specific thing: their post, their company's news, or an event you both went to.
The note is cut off
Keep the longest variant under 200 characters. The counter above checks every version.
Your profile says something else
People read your headline before they accept. Make it say what your note says you do.
Many invitations go out at once
Send a steady number each weekday instead of a burst, and withdraw invitations nobody answers.
How to A/B test a LinkedIn connection note
Send note A to half your list and note B to the other half, then keep the winner.
- Change one thing
Test one difference
A and B differ in their opening: who you are versus a question. Keep everything else the same, or you won't know what won.
- Same list
Split one list
Send both notes to the same kind of people in the same week. A list of VPs and a list of interns won't tell you anything.
- Wait
Count accepts after a week
Give each note the same week before you compare accept rates. Then keep the winner and write a new B to beat it.
Frequently asked questions
1) Is the connection message generator free?
2) Does this generator use AI?
3) Can you write a longer connection note with LinkedIn Premium?
4) How do you message someone on LinkedIn that you are not connected with?
5) Should you send a LinkedIn connection request without a note?
More free LinkedIn tools
LinkedIn Boolean Search Builder
Expand one job title into every synonym and paste the string into any LinkedIn search.Build my searchLinkedIn Connections Exporter
Read your Connections.csv, filter it by job title and download the matches.Filter my connectionsLinkedIn URL Format Cleaner
Paste a messy column of profile links and get unique /in/ URLs back.Clean my list
Get 3x more meetings booked weekly
Send your notes and follow-ups on autopilot