Glossary

What is a LinkedIn connection request?

A LinkedIn connection request is an invitation to join another member's network. It can carry a short note or none. Once the person accepts, you can message them directly. It is the usual first step of LinkedIn outreach, because most people only read messages from connections.

Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 19 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.

Should a connection request have a note?

Both work, and the choice depends on who you write to. A note gives context but it is capped in length and reads like a pitch if you push too hard. A request with no note looks like any other request and leaves the real message for after the accept. Teams that want a first message with one specific observation often send the request blank and save the words for the opener.

Whichever you choose, the invitation should be consistent with your profile. People check the profile before they accept, so a clear headline does more work than a clever note.

What happens after someone accepts?

The lead becomes a first degree connection, and you can send a normal message. Many people accept and never answer, so the accept is a start, not a result. The two numbers to watch are the share of requests accepted and the share of accepted people who reply. The first measures your targeting and profile. The second measures your opener.

What are the risks?

Sending too many requests in a day or a week.
Sending to people with no connection to your offer, which leads to "I don't know this person" responses.
Leaving many requests pending, which LinkedIn may treat as a signal of low quality.

How Sellinger handles it

Each LinkedIn agent sends invitations from your own connected account, with or without a note. Across 42 customer teams in the 90 days to 19 September 2026, about 4 in 10 invitations accepted (39% across 42 customer teams, last 90 days to 19 Sep 2026). When a person accepts, the agent writes the first message and carries the conversation on.

You connect your own LinkedIn account through a hosted login and Sellinger does not store your LinkedIn password. Each account has a daily invitation limit (default 20, varied by a few each day), a weekly invitation cap (default 150) and a quiet window with no sending (default 01:00 to 08:00 account time). No tool can guarantee that LinkedIn will never restrict an account.

An optional setting, Auto-Cleanup Stale Invitations, withdraws old pending invitations. See the help article on pending invitations.

Common questions

Is a note better than no note?

Neither wins on every list. Some teams in the case studies send most requests without a note and write a specific opener after the accept. Test both on your own audience.

How long should I wait before following up?

After an accept, the opener can go within minutes. If the request is never accepted, there is nothing to follow up on.

Can I send connection requests in bulk?

You can, but LinkedIn limits how many an account may send. Sellinger works within a daily invitation limit that you set per account, and a weekly cap.

Sources and method

Sellinger LinkedIn agent behavior and acceptance fact from the fact register (production data, last 90 days to 19 September 2026).