Ask someone who saw your work up close, remind them of one specific project you shared, and name the one or two strengths you hope they mention. Keep the request to a few sentences, give them an easy way to decline, and thank them whether they write it or not.
That is the whole method. What changes is the situation you are in, because asking a former boss while you job hunt is not the same as asking a client the week a project ships. So instead of a list of rules, here are five situations people actually find themselves in, the message we would send in each, and why it is worded that way. If you want to write one for someone else while you wait, the free LinkedIn Recommendation Writer turns a few notes into a first draft you can edit.
Situation 1: You are job hunting and your profile has none
You have started applying, and you notice your profile has zero recommendations. Recruiters will look. Two or three short, specific ones from people who managed you would help more than anything else you could add this week.
Start with a former manager who saw a project from start to finish. Managers can speak to reliability and results, and that is what a hiring manager wants a second opinion on.
Hi Morgan, I hope things are good at Northwind. I am looking for my next role and would be grateful for a short LinkedIn recommendation from you. You saw the billing migration from start to finish, so a line on how I handled the vendor deadlines and kept the team in the loop would mean a lot. No pressure if your schedule is packed right now.
Why it is written this way: it says what the recommendation is for, so Morgan knows the audience. It names a single project, which saves Morgan from digging through memory. And it suggests two concrete things to mention without dictating sentences. Mentioning the job search is optional. Some people prefer not to, especially if the manager is at a company they still have ties to. Leave it out if it feels wrong.
Situation 2: A project just wrapped and it went well
This is the easiest moment to ask, and most people miss it. The work is fresh, everyone is in a good mood, and the details are still in their head. A peer who sat next to you through the launch is a good choice here.
Hi Dana, working with you on the spring launch was one of the best parts of my year. Would you be open to writing a quick LinkedIn recommendation? I would love it if you mentioned how we split the research and the design work. Happy to write one for you too.
Offering to write one back is fine between peers, as long as you both actually saw each other’s work. If you do, write it promptly. A swap where only one side delivers is awkward for months.
Situation 3: You freelance and need proof from clients
For freelancers, consultants and anyone who sells a service, a client recommendation is often the most persuasive thing on the profile. A prospect reading it is thinking “would this person do the same for me?”, and a past client is the only one who can answer that.
Ask at the end of the engagement, when the results are visible but before the relationship goes quiet.
Hi Priya, now that the new onboarding flow is live at Lumen Health, thank you again for a great project. Would you be willing to write a short LinkedIn recommendation about working together? A sentence or two on what changed for your team would be ideal. Totally fine if now is not a good time.
Notice the ask is about what changed for them, not about you. Clients are often happy to describe their own results. They find it harder to write praise about a vendor from a blank page.
Situation 4: You mentored someone and they just got promoted
If you want a team lead or management role, a recommendation from someone you supported says something your own description cannot. The timing is natural when the person has a reason to feel grateful, like a new title.
Hi Sam, it has been great to watch you grow into the team lead role. If you have a few minutes, I would really value a LinkedIn recommendation about our mentoring sessions, especially anything that helped you prepare for the promotion. No rush at all.
Keep the tone warm and the pressure low. You held some authority over this person, so make it very clear that saying no costs nothing.
Situation 5: It has been years since you worked together
Sometimes the best witness to your work is someone you have not spoken to in three years. Asking cold can feel transactional, so reconnect first, and add the request in the same message only if the history is strong.
Hi Jordan, it has been a while since we worked together on the Northwind partner program. I saw your new role and wanted to say congratulations. I am also updating my profile, and if you remember that project well, a short recommendation would mean a lot. Completely understand if it has been too long.
The last sentence matters. People forget details, and giving them permission to pass is kinder than making them fake a memory. If the relationship was thin, send only the congratulations now and ask a few weeks later.
What every one of these requests has in common
Strip away the situations and each message has the same five parts:
- A personal opening with their name and a line that could only be sent to them.
- A clear ask, using the words “LinkedIn recommendation” so there is no confusion.
- The context: one project, team or period you worked together.
- A suggested focus of one to three strengths or results. This is the part most people skip, and it is what turns “great to work with” into something a reader believes.
- An easy out, like “no worries if you are busy.”
Keep the whole thing short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. If yours runs longer than five sentences, cut the backstory first.
Use the built-in request or a normal message?
LinkedIn has a “request a recommendation” option on your profile, which lets you pick the relationship and the role you shared. It works, but on its own it can feel formal, a little like a form letter.
What tends to work better is a short personal message first, then the built-in request once they say yes, so it lands in the right place on your profile. Either way, write the note yourself. Do not send the default text.
When they reply “Sure, what should I write?”
This happens a lot, and it is a good sign. Make it easy without writing it for them. Send three short notes they can use as raw material:
- The project name and roughly when it happened
- One thing you did that they saw, such as “rebuilt the vendor schedule after the March delay”
- One outcome, if you have a real one
Then let them write it in their own words. A finished recommendation pasted in by the recipient almost always reads like the recipient wrote it, and visitors can tell. If they insist on a draft, keep it plain and short so they can make it theirs.
Following up when it goes quiet
People often say yes and then forget. That is normal, not a snub. After about a week with no recommendation, send one light reminder:
Hi Morgan, just a gentle nudge on the recommendation in case it slipped through. Totally fine if you are swamped. Thanks either way!
If nothing comes after that, let it go and ask someone else. One reminder is polite. A second starts to feel like pressure, and you want this person to remember you kindly. Our guide on how to follow up on LinkedIn covers timing in other situations too.
When the recommendation arrives
You will get a notification before it shows on your profile. You can display it, ask for a change or keep it hidden. If there is a factual error, like the wrong title or project name, ask for a fix politely. Do not ask someone to rewrite accurate praise just because it is not quite what you hoped for. That is a fast way to lose goodwill.
Then do three things: thank them personally, write theirs if you offered, and check which recommendations show first on your profile so the most relevant ones are easy to find.
Requests that usually go nowhere
The same template sent to fifty people gets few replies and generic results. Asking someone who never saw your work puts them in an awkward spot, and their recommendation will be vague. “Can you write me a recommendation?” with no context leaves all the work to them, so it often waits forever. And swapping recommendations with people who never worked with you can make the whole section look less trustworthy, not more.
Return the favor while you wait
Pick one person from the situations above and send the request today. Then write one for a colleague who deserves it, using the free LinkedIn Recommendation Writer, or start from our recommendation templates. For the rest of your profile, work through the LinkedIn profile checklist and our profile guides.