# How to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, step by step, with message templates

> How to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn: prepare your profile, pick the right people, send a personal request with context, then follow up and thank them.

Source: https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-ask-for-recommendation-on-linkedin · Updated: 2026-11-12

## Key takeaways

- LinkedIn's own data shows profiles with recommendations get up to 14 times more views.
- 79% of recruiters say recommendations influence their view of a candidate.
- The best recommenders are people who saw your work up close: managers, peers, clients and mentors.
- A personal request that names a project and a skill gets far better results than a one-click request.
- Three to five specific recommendations from different kinds of people are a good target.

To ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, pick someone who saw your work closely, send a short personal message that reminds them of a project you shared and names the skill you would like them to mention, and make it easy for them to say yes. Pressing the Request button with no context is the quickest way to get a vague recommendation or none at all.

## Why do LinkedIn recommendations matter for your career?

![Hands typing on a laptop keyboard while a LinkedIn profile page is open on screen](https://linkedinlikes.com/img/content/blog/0b16954b15250adcc03c.jpg)

Recommendations are more than a small extra on your profile. They are direct social proof from other people, and they back up your skills and work habits in a way your resume or a list of achievements cannot.

Recruiters and hiring managers who open your profile read the recommendations. They want a sense of your character, how you work with others and how you perform outside a job description. A profile with several detailed, specific recommendations earns trust quickly and can be what puts your name on the short list.

### Why does a third-party account count for so much?

Each recommendation is a short story told by someone who worked next to you. These outside accounts give your profile texture and credibility, and they support what you claim in your Experience and About sections.

They also help you [build a strong personal brand online](https://brandxdash.com/how-to-build-a-personal-brand-online/), because they describe your contribution from the outside. Calling yourself a great team player is easy. A former manager describing how you pulled the team together to meet a tight deadline is proof you cannot write for yourself.

> A good recommendation describes your effect on the work. It tells a recruiter what they always wonder and rarely ask: what this person is like to work with. That outside view is often what finally convinces them to get in touch.

The figures support this. Many recruiters say recommendations influence them when they assess candidates, and LinkedIn's own data shows that profiles with recommendations receive up to **14 times more views**.

### What do strong recommendations change on your profile?

Here is how good recommendations affect the way your profile performs and the opportunities that come from it.

| What changes | The figure behind it |
| --- | --- |
| **More profile views** | Profiles with recommendations get up to **14x more views**. |
| **More trust from recruiters** | **79% of recruiters** call recommendations an influential factor. |
| **More credibility** | An outside account of your work that a resume cannot give. |
| **More visibility in your network** | New recommendations show up as updates to your network. |

Recommendations keep working while you sleep, building trust with people before you ever meet them.

### How can a new recommendation reach more people?

When you receive a recommendation, LinkedIn shares it as an update with your network. Likes and comments that arrive quickly tell the algorithm the update matters, which helps it reach more people.

If you write a post about the new recommendation, you can add that post's link to [LinkedInLikes](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin/like), where members react to and comment on each other's posts by hand from their own accounts. For more on getting your profile seen, read [how to get more profile views on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-get-more-profile-views-on-linkedin).

## How should you prepare your profile before you ask?

![Person at a laptop reviewing a finished LinkedIn profile before sending requests](https://linkedinlikes.com/img/content/blog/b491bdc81790150a1c65.jpg)

Treat the request like inviting a guest home: you tidy up first. Your profile is where people meet you professionally, and a well-kept one makes it far easier for someone to write a warm recommendation.

Look at it from the writer's side. A complete, current profile reminds them of your career and your biggest results. It brings back the context of your work together and gives them material for a detailed recommendation that carries weight.

### What should your profile show first?

Before you press Request, get the profile in order. A sharp, professional photo, a headline that says what you do and a clear About section are the minimum. It pays to [tune up your LinkedIn profile](https://getviews.ai/blog/how-to-optimise-your-linkedin-profile) so the first impression is a good one.

Aim for one consistent story. Every section, from the headline to the Experience entries, should support the others and show how your skills grew. That makes it simple for the person writing about you to name specific contributions and write something memorable.

LinkedIn now has more than **1.1 billion members**, so blending in costs you. Your profile competes for attention in a huge network where many recruiters are looking for talent right now, and a clear profile built around results gives you an advantage.

### How do you make your achievements easy to mention?

Your Experience section should show what changed because of you, and a list of duties does not do that. Write each bullet around a result and put a number on everything you can.

- **Grew sales:** say by what percentage.
- **Ran a project:** give the budget and the size of the team.
- **Fixed a process:** state how much time or money it saved.

Details like these help the person writing about you. They bring back specific projects and outcomes, so the recommendation contains concrete examples in place of vague praise.

> A clear profile works as a crib sheet for the person writing about you. When your biggest results are easy to find, you steer them toward the skills and stories you want mentioned, and the recommendation comes out stronger.

Once the profile is updated, help people find it. Posts that get saved keep reaching people in your network, and on [LinkedInLikes](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin/save) members save each other's posts by hand, which puts your updated profile in front of more readers.

## Who should you ask for a LinkedIn recommendation?

The person you ask decides the quality of the recommendation more than anything else. A senior title matters less than someone who can describe your work honestly, with concrete examples.

Aim for a set of recommendations that together tell a full, convincing story about you as a professional. One vague line from an executive you met once is worth much less than a detailed account from a manager who watched you rescue a failing project.

### Who belongs on your shortlist?

Plan it. Five recommendations that all say the same thing add little. A balanced profile carries several voices that each describe a different strength, which gives readers a fuller picture of what you can do.

Think about these groups:

- **Managers or supervisors:** the most trusted voice. They can describe your performance, your growth and your reliability, and recruiters often treat their view as the most credible.
- **Colleagues and peers:** the people who worked alongside you every day. They can speak to teamwork, cooperation and how you solve everyday problems.
- **Clients or customers:** social proof in its plainest form. A client's recommendation shows you deliver results and manage relationships well.
- **Mentors:** they see you from a different angle and can describe your ambition, how you take feedback and where you could go in the long run.

A mix of these voices turns a flat profile into a rounded one. Once you have a few recommendations and a solid network, read [how to get more followers on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-get-more-followers-on-linkedin) to widen your reach.

### Which recommender fits which skill?

Match the person to the skill you want described. Each relationship produces a different kind of story: a manager sees your larger contributions, while a peer sees the daily teamwork.

This table shows who is best placed to describe each part of your work.

| Who writes it | What they can describe | What it proves best |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Manager / supervisor** | Leading projects, hitting targets, overall performance, reliability, professional growth. | Readiness to lead, accountability and delivering on goals. |
| **Colleague / peer** | Teamwork, cooperation, communication style, solving problems as a team. | Being a good team player who works well with others. |
| **Client / customer** | Service, results delivered, communication, managing the relationship, the effect on their business. | Client-facing skills, the return clients got on the work, and building strong outside partnerships. |
| **Mentor / advisor** | How coachable you are, ambition, strategic thinking, long-term vision, willingness to learn. | Your motivation, room to grow and dedication to your career. |

Use the table to choose deliberately, so that each new recommendation adds something the others do not cover.

### How do you match recommenders to your goals?

Before you type anyone's name into the search bar, decide which story you want your profile to tell.

If you want a leadership role, you need a former manager whose recommendation clearly mentions project management and team leadership. If you are moving into sales, a warm recommendation from a satisfied client will do more than anything else. The relationship matters most.

Ask people with whom you have a real, positive connection. Someone who likes and respects you will gladly write something strong. A half-hearted request to a distant acquaintance usually brings a generic reply, or silence.

> A good recommendation tells the story of what you changed, and a list of skills does not. Ask the people who watched that story happen and can tell it with real enthusiasm and specific detail.

When a strong recommendation arrives, help people see it. A post about it can go on [LinkedInLikes](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin/comment), where members read it and leave comments in their own words.

## How do you write the recommendation request?

![Person typing a LinkedIn recommendation request on a smartphone](https://linkedinlikes.com/img/content/blog/bfb27f992a2deee8e12a.jpg)

How you ask matters as much as who you ask. The aim is to make it very easy for the other person to agree and to write something that helps you.

Everyone has received the generic one-click request. It looks lazy and is easy to ignore. A thoughtful, personal message is much harder to turn down.

Keep the structure short and direct. Open politely, remind them of a specific project or period you worked together, then suggest the skills you would like them to mention. That context removes the guesswork and helps them write a strong recommendation.

### Why does a personal message work better?

A copy-and-paste message reads as careless. To get a yes, add something personal: show that you value their view and their time. It is a small step that raises your chances of a good reply a lot.

The numbers back this up. Direct messages on LinkedIn get a **10.3% reply rate**, more than double that of typical email outreach, and personalised messages can lift connection acceptance rates to **20-25%**. A little effort goes a long way.

> Treat the request as the start of a conversation, and avoid making it sound like an assignment. Mention a specific project, a win you shared or a funny moment from the office. That personal detail makes them want to help.

### Which message templates can you use?

Below are templates for two common cases. Replace everything in brackets with real, specific details and make the wording your own.

**Template for a former manager**

> "Hi [Manager's name], I hope things are going well. I'm updating my LinkedIn profile and wondered if you'd be willing to write a short recommendation about our time at [Company name]. Your guidance on [Project name] meant a lot to me, and if you could mention my work on [specific skill, such as data analysis or client management], it would help a great deal. Thank you for considering it."

**Template for a colleague**

> "Hi [Colleague's name], I hope your week is going well. I really enjoyed working with you on [Project name] and learned a lot from the way you handled [specific area]. I'm building up my LinkedIn profile and would be grateful if you could write a recommendation about how we worked together. I'd be glad to write one for you as well."

For more ideas on starting conversations, see our guide on [how to get more comments on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-get-more-comments-on-linkedin).

## How do you make sure people see your new recommendation?

Getting a great recommendation is a win, but the work is not over when it appears on your profile. The next step is making sure people notice it.

When a new recommendation goes live, LinkedIn marks it as an update and shows it in your network's feed. That opens a short window. Likes and comments that come in right away tell the algorithm the update matters and help it travel past your closest contacts.

### Why does the first hour matter?

Social media practitioners often talk about the first hour after something goes live. Reactions and comments during that hour are a strong signal to the algorithm that the content is worth showing.

A quick wave of activity tells LinkedIn that people care, which can widen the audience for the update considerably. Agencies use the same approach to get their clients' content seen by more people.

### How does LinkedInLikes fit in?

LinkedInLikes is a free community where LinkedIn members support each other's posts by hand: likes, comments, reposts, saves, follows and connection requests. You sign up with email, get 100 starter points for your own posts, paste a post link and choose the action. Comments are written by members in their own words, and nobody asks for your LinkedIn password.

> The same first-hour approach works for other content. Our guide on [how to get more reposts on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-get-more-reposts-on-linkedin) shows how to apply it.

## How do you follow up and say thank you?

![Person at a laptop smiling while sending a thank-you message](https://linkedinlikes.com/img/content/blog/ac75d075950904c553d4.jpg)

The recommendation is live on your profile, but you still have one step left.

The follow-up and the thank-you turn a one-off request into a real professional relationship. This person took time out of their day to vouch for you publicly, and that deserves acknowledgement.

### Why should you offer one in return?

The best way to thank someone for their time is to offer yours. It is a simple gesture that people remember.

In your thank-you message, offer clearly to write a recommendation for them. That turns a one-sided favour into an exchange and shows you give as well as take, which makes you a good person to have in a network.

> A good network runs on support in both directions. Offering a recommendation in return is a thank-you and also an investment in a stronger working relationship for years to come.

### What if they don't reply?

You sent the request and heard nothing. That happens often. People are busy, inboxes overflow, and even well-meaning people let things slide.

A gentle reminder after a week or two is fine. Keep the pressure low and assume good intent: you are only bringing the request back to the top of their inbox.

A simple follow-up you can reuse:

- "Hi [Name], just a quick follow-up on the recommendation request I sent last week. No pressure at all, but if you find a moment to share a few words, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again."

This keeps the tone friendly and professional. It gives them an easy way out if they are swamped and serves as a polite reminder if they simply forgot. Handling this last step well is part of knowing **how to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn** from start to finish.

## Common questions about LinkedIn recommendations

A few questions come up almost every time someone asks for a recommendation. Here are short answers.

### How many recommendations should you aim for?

Quality matters more than the count. A sensible target is **3-5 good recommendations** from a mix of people who saw you at work.

One from a manager who saw your strategic side, one from a colleague who worked beside you and one from a client who can describe results together give a much fuller and more believable picture of you as a professional.

### Is it awkward to ask someone you haven't spoken to in years?

It can be, and the right approach takes the awkwardness out. Dropping a cold request into their inbox is a reliable way to be ignored.

Warm the contact up first. Send a friendly, low-pressure message to reconnect and mention a project you both did well on or a good memory you share. Once the connection feels alive again, make your request. It feels less transactional and makes a yes much more likely.

### What if the recommendation has a typo or a mistake?

It happens. LinkedIn lets you review a recommendation before it appears on your profile, so if you see a small error or a missing detail, you can politely ask for a revision.

Thank them warmly first, then frame the change as a small suggestion, such as: "Thank you so much, this is great. If you have a moment, it would be lovely if you could also mention our work on the ABC project. No worries if not." It stays polite and leaves them an easy way out.

### Should you offer to write one back?

Yes, and you can even open with that offer. It is good manners and good networking.

Offering to return the favour shows gratitude and strengthens the relationship. Give-and-take of this kind holds a network together, and it turns a request into an exchange, which is how you want people to see you on LinkedIn.

## What should you do next?

Update your Experience section with numbers, pick three people from different parts of your career, and send each a personal request with a named project and skill. When the recommendations arrive, write a short post thanking the people involved and add it to [LinkedInLikes](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin/like) so members can react to it in the first hour.

## More ways to grow on LinkedIn

- [LinkedIn growth course](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin-growth-course)
- [How LinkedIn pods work](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin-engagement-pods)
- [Exchanging likes and comments on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin-engagement-exchange)
- [Connect for connect on LinkedIn](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin-connect-for-connect)
- [Like for like works best when you give first and post early](https://linkedinlikes.com/how-to-do-like-for-like-on-linkedin)
- [Free LinkedIn tools](https://linkedinlikes.com/linkedin-free-tools)

## More articles

- [How to grow on LinkedIn in 2026](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/how-to-grow-on-linkedin-in-2026)
- [2026 benchmarks for likes and comments on LinkedIn and how to calculate yours](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/linkedin-engagement-rate)
- [How to request a connection on LinkedIn (2026 guide)](https://linkedinlikes.com/blog/request-connection-on-linkedin)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn?

Choose someone who saw your work closely, open their profile or your own Recommendations section, and send a request with a personal note. Mention a project you shared and the skill you would like them to describe.

### Who should I ask for a LinkedIn recommendation?

A mix of people: a manager for performance and reliability, a peer for teamwork, a client for results and a mentor for growth and ambition.

### How many recommendations should I have on LinkedIn?

Three to five specific recommendations from different kinds of people are a good target. Detail matters more than the total.

### Do LinkedIn recommendations really make a difference?

LinkedIn's data shows profiles with recommendations get up to 14x more views, and 79% of recruiters say recommendations influence them.

### How long should I wait before following up on a request?

About a week or two. Send a short, low-pressure reminder that gives them an easy way out if they are busy.

### Can I ask someone to change a recommendation?

Yes. LinkedIn shows you the recommendation before it goes live, so you can thank the writer and politely suggest a small correction or an added detail.