How to Ask for LinkedIn Recommendations: 6 Copy-and-Paste Templates

LinkedIn recommendations can help visitors understand what it is like to work with you. A thoughtful recommendation adds context to your experience, highlighting your strengths through the perspective of a manager, client, colleague, or mentor.

The hard part is often not writing a recommendation—it is asking someone to write one. You may worry about sounding awkward, creating extra work, or asking at the wrong time.

This guide explains whom to ask, when to ask, how to make the request easy, and how to follow up politely. It also includes six LinkedIn recommendation request templates you can personalize and send.

Quick principle: Ask people who have firsthand experience of your work, and make it easy for them to write something specific and truthful. A relevant recommendation is more useful than a generic compliment from someone with an impressive title.

What Are LinkedIn Recommendations, and Why Do They Matter?

LinkedIn recommendations are written statements that another member can provide about your professional abilities and working relationship. They differ from endorsements, which let people recognize listed skills with a simpler interaction.

A recommendation can explain how you work, what you contributed to a project, how you handled a challenge, or what it was like to collaborate with you. This context can support the claims in your profile and give recruiters, prospective clients, and professional contacts another perspective on your experience.

Avoid relying on unsupported statistics about recommendations generating a particular number of profile views or recruiter responses. Results vary by industry, profile, network, and hiring context. Recommendations are best treated as one part of a complete professional profile—not a guarantee of more views, interviews, or job offers.

For best results, choose recommendations that complement your headline, About section, experience, and skills. For more profile improvements, explore LinkForge's LinkedIn tools.

Who Should You Ask for a LinkedIn Recommendation?

Choose people who can describe your work from direct experience. Their ability to give a concrete example matters more than their job title.

1. Former or Current Managers

Managers may be able to discuss your reliability, decision-making, communication, technical ability, or contribution to team goals. Ask them to focus on work they personally observed.

2. Clients

Clients can explain how you handled a project, communicated during delivery, solved problems, or supported their goals. These recommendations can be especially useful for freelancers, consultants, and agency professionals.

3. Cross-Functional Partners and Colleagues

People from other teams can speak to collaboration, adaptability, and how you work across different responsibilities.

4. People You Have Managed

Former or current direct reports may be able to describe your leadership, coaching, communication, and support for their development. Make it clear that the request is optional, especially if you still have authority over their work.

5. Peers and Project Collaborators

Peers can highlight teamwork, shared problem-solving, and the practical contributions you made to a project.

6. Professors, Mentors, or Internship Supervisors

If you are a student, graduate, or early-career professional, a professor or mentor may be able to discuss your projects, learning, initiative, or potential—provided they know your work well enough to be specific.

How Many LinkedIn Recommendations Do You Need?

There is no universal ideal number. Start with a small, relevant set that reflects your current career goals. For example, a job seeker might prioritize a manager, a project collaborator, and a client or mentor. Someone moving into leadership may want perspectives that show both leadership and collaboration.

Do not chase a particular number simply because an online guide recommends it. Three detailed recommendations from people who know your work can be more persuasive than many vague statements. Review your profile periodically and seek recommendations that fill a genuine gap.

When Is the Best Time to Ask?

The request often feels more natural when the work is still fresh in both people's minds.

Good moments to ask include:

• After successfully completing a project together.
• Soon after receiving positive feedback on your contribution.
• At the end of a contract or consulting engagement.
• After a performance review or a meaningful team milestone.
• Before leaving a role, while you and your colleagues can still easily recall shared work.
• After a mentor has helped you complete a meaningful project or reach a milestone.

Pause before asking when:

• You have had little or no contact for a long time and have not re-established the relationship.
• The person is dealing with a demanding deadline or difficult situation.
• You did not work closely enough for them to give an informed account.
• The request could create pressure because of a reporting relationship.
• You are asking someone to make claims they cannot personally verify.

If you have not spoken recently, reconnect first. Ask how they are doing, mention a genuine shared experience, and give them room to decline without embarrassment.

Six LinkedIn Recommendation Request Templates

Use these messages as starting points, not scripts to send unchanged. Replace the placeholders, mention a real example, and adjust the tone to suit your relationship.

Template 1: Former or Current Manager

Best for: Highlighting performance, ownership, problem-solving, or professional growth.

Hi [Name],

I really valued working with you at [Company], especially on [project or responsibility]. I'm updating my LinkedIn profile and wanted to ask whether you'd feel comfortable writing a brief recommendation about our work together.

If useful, you could mention [specific skill, contribution, or result you personally observed]. Even a few sentences would mean a lot. No pressure at all if your schedule is full.

Thanks again for the opportunity to work with you!

Template 2: Client

Best for: Freelancers, consultants, agency professionals, and service providers.

Hi [Name],

I enjoyed working with you on [project]. I'm refreshing my LinkedIn profile and wondered whether you'd be comfortable writing a short recommendation about our collaboration.

If it helps, you could mention your experience working with me on [specific part of the project] or how I approached [communication, delivery, or problem-solving]. Please only include what reflects your experience.

Thanks for considering it, and I appreciate the opportunity to have worked together.

Template 3: Colleague or Project Partner

Best for: Demonstrating teamwork, communication, and collaboration.

Hey [Name],

I enjoyed working with you on [project/team] at [Company]. I'm updating my LinkedIn profile and wanted to see if you'd be open to writing a short recommendation about our collaboration.

You could mention [specific contribution or shared challenge] if that feels relevant. I'd also be happy to write an honest recommendation based on our work together if that would be useful to you.

Thanks, and I hope things are going well!

Template 4: Former or Current Direct Report

Best for: Showing leadership, mentoring, and team development.

Hi [Name],

I've appreciated working with you and seeing your progress in [specific area]. I'm updating my LinkedIn profile and wondered whether you'd feel comfortable sharing a recommendation about your experience working with me.

If you choose to write one, you could mention [a real example of coaching, collaboration, or team support]. Please don't feel any pressure to do so—it's completely optional.

Thank you for the work we've done together.

Important: When asking someone you manage or previously managed, make the voluntary nature of the request especially clear. Never tie a recommendation to performance reviews, opportunities, or workplace treatment.

Template 5: Professor, Mentor, or Internship Supervisor

Best for: Students, recent graduates, interns, and career changers.

Hi [Name],

I hope you're doing well. Your guidance during [class, internship, project, or mentoring experience] helped me develop my understanding of [specific subject or skill].

I'm building out my LinkedIn profile and wanted to ask whether you'd be comfortable writing a brief recommendation based on that experience. If helpful, you could mention [project, contribution, or quality you directly observed].

Thank you for your time and for the guidance you've given me.

Template 6: Former Colleague You Have Not Contacted Recently

Best for: Reconnecting with a previous coworker before making a request.

Hi [Name],

I hope you've been well! I was thinking about our time at [Company] and remembered working together on [specific project or challenge]. I enjoyed collaborating with you.

I'm refreshing my LinkedIn profile and wondered whether you'd be comfortable writing a short recommendation about our work together. No worries at all if now isn't a good time.

I'd love to hear how things are going at [Company/current role], too.

For an old contact, consider sending a friendly reconnection message first and making the recommendation request in a later conversation.

How to Make It Easy for Someone to Write Your Recommendation

A little context can make the request easier to answer without dictating what the person should say.

1. Name the shared work. Mention a project, responsibility, or period when you worked together.
2. Suggest one or two topics. For example, ask whether they could discuss your communication, reliability, technical contribution, or leadership.
3. Offer useful context. If appropriate, share a short list of responsibilities or outcomes to help refresh their memory.
4. Keep the request modest. A brief, specific recommendation is a reasonable starting point; do not demand a particular length.
5. Make declining easy. Explicitly tell the person there is no pressure.
6. Allow them to use their own words. Suggestions should help them remember the work, not push them to make claims they do not believe.
7. Send the request through an appropriate channel. A personal message or email can work well; use LinkedIn's recommendation feature if that is convenient for both of you.

You can also offer to write a recommendation for the other person, but do so only if you can genuinely describe their work. Avoid treating recommendations as an automatic exchange.

Should You Follow Up if They Do Not Respond?

Yes, one polite follow-up can be reasonable if enough time has passed. Wait around a week or two, consider the person's workload, and keep the message brief. There is no need to keep asking if they do not respond.

Follow-up template:

Hi [Name], just a quick follow-up on my message about a LinkedIn recommendation. I know things get busy, so please don't worry if you haven't had time or would prefer not to. Thanks again!

If they decline, thank them and move on graciously. Protecting the relationship is more important than securing a recommendation.

How to Write a Strong LinkedIn Recommendation for Someone Else

When someone asks you for a recommendation, write about what you actually observed. A useful structure is:

1. Explain the relationship: How and when you worked together.
2. Identify a strength: Name a skill or quality you personally saw.
3. Give an example: Describe a project, contribution, or challenge.
4. Explain the impact: State the outcome if you know it and can accurately describe it.
5. Close with a measured endorsement: Explain the kind of work or team for which you believe the person would be a good fit.

Simple Recommendation Example

I worked with [Name] at [Company] on [project]. They consistently demonstrated [specific strength], particularly when they [concrete example]. Their contribution helped our team [accurate outcome or impact]. I appreciated their [additional relevant quality] and would be glad to work with them again.

Avoid generic praise such as "great person" without supporting detail. Do not invent metrics, exaggerate results, or disclose confidential information about a client, employer, or project.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Asking everyone you know: Prioritize people who can speak meaningfully about your work.
• Sending the same generic message to everyone: Personalize each request with a shared experience.
• Demanding a recommendation: The other person should be free to decline.
• Writing the person's opinion for them: Offer context, but let them decide what they can honestly endorse.
• Making unsupported claims: Recommendations should reflect real work and verifiable experiences.
• Forgetting to say thank you: A short thank-you message is good professional etiquette.
• Expecting guaranteed career results: Recommendations can add context to your profile, but they cannot guarantee interviews, offers, or increased visibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ask a former manager for a LinkedIn recommendation?

Yes. A former manager can be a useful person to ask if they directly observed your work. Mention a project or responsibility you shared to help them remember the details.

Should I ask for a recommendation before leaving my job?

It can be a convenient time because your shared work is still fresh. Ask professionally and voluntarily, and follow your employer's policies about confidential information.

Is it okay to ask a client for a recommendation?

Yes, if you had a genuine working relationship and the client can speak to the work. Respect confidentiality agreements and ask them not to disclose sensitive business information.

What if I am a student with no work experience?

Consider a professor, internship supervisor, mentor, volunteer coordinator, or project teammate who has directly observed your skills. Focus on real projects, initiative, collaboration, and learning.

Can I suggest what someone should write?

You can suggest topics or share helpful context, but the person should write only what they genuinely believe and can support from experience.

Do LinkedIn recommendations guarantee more profile views or job offers?

No. Recommendations may provide useful context and credibility, but there is no guaranteed result. Keep your profile accurate, relevant, and aligned with your career goals.

Key Takeaways

• Ask people who have firsthand knowledge of your work.
• Choose a moment when a shared project or achievement is easy to recall.
• Personalize the request and suggest relevant topics without dictating the response.
• Make the request optional and follow up only once if needed.
• Thank people who help, and write genuine recommendations for others when you can.
• Prioritize specific, honest recommendations over a particular target number.

Ready to make the request easier? Use the free LinkForge Recommendation Request tool to draft a personalized message, then review it and add the details that make your relationship unique.

For LinkedIn's current instructions and feature details, consult the official LinkedIn Help Center.