LinkedIn connection request templates for recruiters

A LinkedIn connection request note is the one place recruiters get to say something before a stranger decides whether to accept, and LinkedIn caps it at 200 characters. That is roughly two short sentences: not enough for a pitch, enough for one specific reason you are reaching out. Below are templates for the situations recruiters actually face — cold sourcing, a referral, a passive candidate, a hiring manager, a past applicant — each written to fit the limit with characters to spare, plus what LinkedIn's own limits mean for how you use them.

For the fuller message once someone accepts, or for reaching people you have InMail credits for instead, see LinkedIn InMail templates for recruiters. To find the right people first, see how to source candidates on LinkedIn and Boolean search strings for recruiters.

LinkedIn's limits on connection requests

These figures are from LinkedIn's own help pages, as of September 2026. LinkedIn changes them, so check before you build a process around them.

The three-a-month limit on free accounts changes how you should plan, not just how you should write. If you only get three personalized notes this month, spend them on the three candidates where a note is most likely to change the outcome — a passive candidate who does not know you, or someone you have a genuine, specific reason to mention — and send the rest of your requests with no note at all rather than a generic one that adds little over a blank request.

Templates by scenario

Each is written to land under 200 characters with a typical name and detail filled in. Recount after you fill in your own brackets, since longer names and company names use up the limit fast.

1. Cold outreach, no prior contact

Hi [name] — I recruit [function] roles in [city/industry]. Your work
on [specific project] caught my eye. Hiring for a [title] now — open
to connecting?

About 165 characters with a short name and title.

2. Referral-based

Hi [name], [referrer name] suggested I reach out. I'm hiring a
[title], [location/remote], $[range]. Thought you'd be a strong fit —
open to a quick chat?

3. Passive candidate (not actively looking)

Hi [name] — not sure if you're looking, but I'm hiring a [title] at
[Company] and your background in [specific area] stood out. No
pressure either way, happy to connect.

4. Hiring manager reaching out directly

Hi [name], I lead [team] at [Company]. We're hiring a [title] and
your experience with [specific thing] is close to what we need.
Open to connecting?

5. Met at an event or conference

Hi [name], great meeting you at [event]. I'm hiring a [title] at
[Company] and thought of our conversation about [topic]. Would love
to stay in touch.

6. Past applicant or silver medalist

Hi [name], you interviewed with us for [role] last year. We have a
new opening that's closer to what you were looking for — worth
reconnecting?

7. Alumni or shared connection, no specific role yet

Hi [name], noticed we're both [Company/school] alumni. I recruit
[function] roles and would like to stay connected for when
something relevant opens up.

A filled example with the count shown

Notice what the note leaves out: no pay range, no full job description, no ask beyond connecting. Those come after acceptance, in a first message that does not have a 200-character ceiling. Trying to fit a full pitch into the note usually means cutting the one detail that actually made it personal — the specific project or skill — to make room for generic filler that could apply to anyone.

What to send after they accept

Acceptance is not the end of the outreach, it is permission to send the real message. Do it within a day or two of acceptance, while the reason you reached out is still fresh to them:

Thanks for connecting, [name]. To follow up on my note — I'm hiring a
[title] at [Company], [location/remote], $[range]. The core of the
role: [one sentence]. Open to a 15-minute call this week? If the
timing's off, no worries at all.

[Your name]

This message has no 200-character ceiling, so it can carry what the note could not: the pay range, the actual scope of the role, and a specific ask. If you have InMail credits and want a longer, structured message instead of a regular connection message, the templates in LinkedIn InMail templates for recruiters are built for that.

Deciding between a connection request and an InMail

Writing within 200 characters without sounding cut off

• Cut the greeting formality, not the specific detail. "Hi [name]" is enough; the project or skill you mention is what makes the note personal, so protect that phrase first when trimming.
• One ask, not two. "Open to connecting?" is enough. Adding "and would you also consider a call this week?" tries to do the first message's job inside the note.
• Drop the company pitch. "We're an exciting, fast-growing company" is filler that costs characters and says nothing specific; candidates can see your company on your profile already.
• Write it outside the compose box first. A plain document with a character counter lets you edit calmly; trimming inside LinkedIn's box under the countdown produces worse cuts.

Mistakes and the fix

Tracking what works

Log three things for every batch of connection requests you send: the scenario template used, the acceptance rate, and the reply rate to the follow-up message after acceptance. A template with a high acceptance rate but a low reply rate afterward is getting people through the door on curiosity but not converting that into a conversation, which usually means the follow-up message, not the note, needs the rewrite. Review this monthly rather than per-candidate; a single note's outcome tells you about that one person, not about the template.

Platform rules to keep in mind

LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits scraping the service and using bots or other unauthorized automated tools to send connection requests or messages. Send these by hand or through LinkedIn's own Recruiter or Sales Navigator tools, not through unapproved automation, which risks restrictions on your account regardless of how well the message itself is written.