How long should a LinkedIn connection request be?

Short. LinkedIn limits the note to a few hundred characters, and two or three sentences is plenty. If it needs scrolling on a phone, it is too long.

Should I pitch in a LinkedIn connection request?

No. A pitch in the first message reads like spam and gets ignored. Connect first, be useful, and only bring up work when there is a real reason to.

Is it OK to connect on LinkedIn without a note?

Yes, especially with people you have met. For strangers, a short note with a specific reason makes it much clearer why you are reaching out.

Outreach

LinkedIn Connection Request Messages That Don’t Sound Like a Pitch

By Aetisam · 1 October 2026 · 3 min read

The short answerA good LinkedIn connection request is short, about them, and asks for nothing. Say why you noticed them, mention one thing you have in common, and stop. Save the pitch for later, if it comes at all.

Everyone has received the message. "Hi! I help businesses like yours scale with done-for-you solutions. Open to a quick call?" Sent four seconds after connecting. You ignored it. So did everyone else. The fix is not a cleverer pitch. It is no pitch at all, at least not yet.

Why most connection requests get ignored

What gets ignored vs what gets accepted

Gets ignored

A pitch in the first message
Copy-paste lines with their name swapped in
"I’d love to pick your brain"
A paragraph about you and your services

Gets accepted

One specific reason you noticed them
Something you actually have in common
Under 300 characters
No ask, no link, no calendar

The 3-part formula

A connection request in three lines

1The hookWhy them? A post they wrote, a talk they gave, a company you both know.
2The common groundSame industry, same city, same problem, same tool. One line.
3The soft close"Would be good to be connected." That is the whole close.

6 examples you can adapt

Connection request examples

linkedin-connection-requests.txt

After a post you liked

Hi Priya, your post on cutting onboarding to one call was the most useful thing I read this week. I run a small agency and we’re fixing the same problem. Would be good to be connected.

Same industry

Hi Marcus, fellow bookkeeper here, also working mostly with trades businesses. Always good to know people who get the January rush. Happy to connect.

Met at an event

Hi Lena, we were both at the Shopify meetup on Thursday. I was the one asking about returns. Would be good to stay in touch.

Mutual connection

Hi Tom, I saw you work with Sarah Kim too. She speaks highly of your team. Would be good to be connected.

Potential partner

Hi Ade, I build websites for dentists and you do their ads. Feels like we keep meeting the same clients. Worth being connected?

Simple and honest

Hi Jo, I’m building out my network in the HR software space and your work keeps showing up in my feed. Would be good to connect.

What to send after they accept

Nothing, for a day or two. Then a short thank-you that adds something: a resource, a thought on their post, a question about their work. If a real reason to talk comes up later, you now have a relationship to start from instead of a cold pitch.

A calm follow-up rhythm

Step 1Day 0Connection request, no pitch
Step 2Day 2Thank-you that adds something useful
Step 3Week 2Comment on a post of theirs, for real
Step 4When it fitsAsk if a quick chat makes sense

Keep track or it falls apart

Ten conversations is fine in your head. Fifty is not. Keep a simple list of who you contacted, when, and what the next step is. It is the difference between outreach and spam.