# LinkedIn connection requests

Why Victoria AI connection requests go out blank by default, how much that lifts acceptance, and what a note should say if you add one.

## The job of a LinkedIn connection request

A connection request has one job: get accepted. Acceptance puts the lead on the **Yes** path, where LinkedIn messages can reach them. Don't pitch in the request; a pitch gets ignored or declined.

## Send LinkedIn connection requests blank by default

Send the invite with no message. In our testing, requests with no note were accepted 10% to 30% more often than requests with one.

The likely reason: a blank request doesn't start the relationship on an angle or an ask. A note, however friendly, tells the prospect you want something. A blank request is just one professional connecting with another.

The Copilot leaves the note empty unless you ask for one, and the built-in **Email + LinkedIn** and **LinkedIn Only** templates send a blank request. In the Sequence editor the note is marked **(optional)**, and an empty note is a valid step.

## Your profile does the work on a blank LinkedIn request

With no note, the prospect decides from your photo, your name and your headline. A clear, professional headshot and a short headline about who you help do more for acceptance than any note. See [Optimize your LinkedIn profile](https://docs.versionseven.ai/playbook/linkedin-profile).

## If you add a LinkedIn connection note, keep it neutral

If you'd rather send a message, make it a neutral peer note: no pitch, no ask, and a personalization field so it reads as written for them.

```text
Hey {first_name}, I'm looking to connect with fellow podcast hosts. Would be great to chat sometime.
```

```text
Hey {first_name}, I'm connecting with other founders in [your market], and {company} came up. Would be good to know each other.
```

The first is an example from our own outreach. Swap "podcast hosts" and "founders" for the group you and the prospect both belong to.

## LinkedIn connection note rules

- Up to 300 characters, counted after variables are filled in. Long company names or titles can push a note over, and LinkedIn refuses it.
- Use only standard and custom fields, such as `{first_name}`, `{company}` or a column from your CSV. Don't put AI Personalization fields in a connection note; the editor doesn't offer them there.
- No product, no company pitch, no link.
- Avoid LinkedIn's default text and anything that reads like a template.

## Make the No path count

Some leads never accept. In an Email + LinkedIn sequence, put emails on the **No** path so they're still reached. See [Choosing a sequence shape](https://docs.versionseven.ai/playbook/choosing-a-sequence-shape).