Warming up
Every account now comes with a free mailbox — warmed automatically, no domain to buy. See how it works
Prospecting
Email infrastructure
Every account now comes with a free mailbox — warmed automatically, no domain to buy. See how it works
The connection request is the gate. If it's not accepted, nothing else in your outreach matters. Here's how to write ones that get a yes.
Everything in LinkedIn outreach starts with a connection being accepted. A high acceptance rate compounds through the rest of your sequence; a low one starves it. The good news: small changes to your request move acceptance rates a lot.
Both work, for different audiences. A short, relevant note helps when your reason for connecting is genuinely about the person. For some senior audiences, a clean request with no note actually gets accepted more often — because a note that smells like sales lowers acceptance. Test both with your ICP.
Generic version: "Hi Marcus, I work with revenue teams to help them automate outbound prospecting and increase pipeline. Would love to add you to my network."
Better version: "Hi Marcus, saw the new SDR hires at Vantix this month — curious how you're structuring outbound as the team scales. Connecting either way."
Another good version: "Hi Dana, your comment on the roadmap-prioritization thread last week matched something we're rebuilding right now. Would value your take if you're open to it."
If your acceptance rate is low, the problem is usually who you're contacting, not the wording. Tighten your list before you rewrite your note.
| Situation | Lean toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You have a true, specific reason tied to the person | A short note | The detail proves you looked, and it is easy to accept |
| Senior executive who gets pitched constantly | No note, or one very short line | Any note that sounds like sales lowers acceptance |
| Peer or mid-level role in your own field | A short note about shared interest | Peers respond to relevance and shared context |
| Mutual connection who can vouch for you | A note naming the mutual connection | Borrowed trust is the strongest reason to accept |
| You only have a title and a company | No note | A generic note is worse than none |
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Low acceptance across the board | Targeting or a weak profile | Tighten the list and rewrite the headline before touching the note |
| Notes underperform no-note requests | The notes read as salesy | Strip any product language and test a single line about them |
| One segment accepts, another does not | Relevance differs by segment | Keep the segment that works and write a new angle for the other |
| Acceptance drops after a volume increase | Volume reached people who are a poorer fit | Return to the lower volume and rebuild the list |
| Pending requests pile up unanswered | Ignored requests count against a healthy ratio | Withdraw very old pending requests and stop re-sending to the same people |
LinkedIn does not publish exact connection request limits, and they vary by account. The figures on this page are cautious habits, not official numbers. If you see a warning, stop sending and let the account recover.
It depends on your audience. Test both. A relevant, non-salesy note tends to help with peers and mid-level roles; a clean no-note request often performs better with senior executives who are wary of pitches.
300 characters. Aim to use far fewer — the most effective notes are one or two sentences that reference something specific about the person.
Keep it conservative and ramped — around 20 a day for an established account, fewer for a new one. Sending too many, too fast is the most common cause of restrictions. See our guide to LinkedIn outreach limits.
Acceptance rate on a cold LinkedIn connection request usually sits between 20% and 35% when you send generic notes, and between 45% and 60% when the note references something specific and true about the recipient.
Leave it alone. Do not resend the same request or send a second one with a different note. You can engage with their posts for a while, or reach them by email instead. Old pending requests are worth withdrawing so they do not pile up.
Follow when there is no Connect button, or when the person is a public figure who accepts few requests. Engage with a few posts first so your name is familiar, then send a request that mentions something you actually engaged with.
You can reuse the shape, but the detail should change for each person. A note that is identical across a batch reads as a mail-merge and sending identical requests in bursts is one of the behaviors that puts accounts at risk.
Run a free deliverability check on your sending domain — SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and spam-trap risk — before you send another outreach sequence.
Summarize with AI
Warmerly helps you target the right people and keep your account healthy while you scale. Start free.
