LinkedIn Connection Request Copy That Converts (2026)

The single biggest determinant of connection acceptance rate is whether you reference a specific signal in the first sentence. "Saw your comment on X's post" beats "We share an industry" by 3-4×.

The 4 components of a high-converting request

1. Specific signal in line 1 (where they came from, why now)
2. Light value or curiosity in line 2 (what's interesting to you about them)
3. Soft CTA in line 3 ("Open to connecting?")
4. Under 200 characters total

The 7 templates with measured acceptance rates

1. Post commenter (35-40% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, saw your comment on {Author}'s post about {topic}. Curious how you're approaching {pain} at {company}. Open to connecting?

2. Event attendee (28-35% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, saw you're registered for {event}. Will be there too. What are you hoping to take away?

3. Mutual connection (35-50% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, we're both connected to {mutualName}. She speaks highly of your work on {project}. Would be great to be in your network.

4. Job change (25-35% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, congrats on the new role at {company}. Always like to connect with new {role}s in our space.

5. Conference speaker (25-30% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, saw you spoke at {event} on {topic}. Brilliant point about {specific takeaway}. Would love to connect.

6. Asking for advice (12-18% acceptance, founders especially)

Hi {firstName}, building a tool for {role} like yourself. Would love your perspective on what's broken in {workflow} today. No pitch, just curious.

7. Group member (15-22% acceptance)

Hi {firstName}, fellow {group} member. Your recent post in the group about {topic} stood out. Would love to connect.

What kills acceptance rates

• Pitching in the request ("We help companies like yours scale outbound by 3×")
• Generic praise ("Love your work")
• Industry buzzwords stuffed in
• Going over 250 characters
• No specific signal at all