In short: a note does not make many more people accept a LinkedIn connection request. The published studies disagree, but none shows a clear gap in acceptance. Replies depend mostly on the message you send afterwards. By default, send without a note, then write once the connection is made. Keep the note for a real link with the person.
How many notes does LinkedIn let you add?
It depends on your subscription. On a free account, LinkedIn's help page says you can send up to five personalized invitations, each limited to 200 characters. With Premium, notes are unlimited and can reach 300 characters (LinkedIn Help, consulted on 7 October 2026).
Another help page says three personalized invitations per month for a free account (LinkedIn Help, consulted on 7 October 2026). The two pages do not agree. Remember that the allowance is small, and keep it for people who matter.
Does a note make people accept more often?
Not in any clear way. Overloop relays a Belkins study: more than 20 million outreach attempts across about 13,000 accounts. It measures 26.42% acceptance with a note and 26.37% without (Overloop, consulted on 7 October 2026). The gap is five hundredths of a point.
The same article cites a Botdog study of 16,492 requests, 66% of them sent without a note: the blank requests were accepted more often there. La Growth Machine tested three versions on 9,000 marketing leaders. Acceptance was 31% with no message, 29% with a frank sales message and 32% with a vague message (La Growth Machine, 12 March 2026, consulted on 7 October 2026).
One exception stands out. In Expandi's report, the average of 240 single-request campaigns is 30.2% acceptance, and the best notes reach 61% to 81%. The strongest ones cite an existing link. "Thanks for the follow" gets 81.1% on 435 people. "Thanks for joining my group" gets 63.6% on 2,106 people (Expandi, State of LinkedIn Outreach H2 2026, consulted on 7 October 2026). The link makes the difference, not the note itself.
Does a note make people reply more?
The sources disagree, and their authors sell automation tools, so read the numbers with that in mind. Belkins measures 9.36% replies with a note against 5.44% without. Expandi paints a different picture: replies to a connection note fell to 2.2% in April 2026, from 3.5% in May 2025. Replies to the message sent after acceptance stayed at 10.4% (Expandi, 2026 benchmarks, consulted on 7 October 2026).
The La Growth Machine test gives a third answer. Measured in qualified calls, the frank sales message reaches 6.62%, the vague one 5.1% and no message 3.77%. According to its authors, the note acts as a filter: only people interested in the offer accept. That test targeted heavily solicited marketing leaders, a specific audience.
Overall, the numbers do not settle the question for your market. They suggest the conversation is won in the message that follows.
When is adding a note worth it?
In three cases. You have a real link: a shared group, a post of theirs that you read, an event you both attended. You target people who are heavily solicited and distrust a blank request. Or you want to filter from the start by saying clearly what you do.
Here is an example note under 200 characters, built on a real link:
Hello Claire, I read your post on e-invoicing. I work on the same topic with accounting firms. Happy to connect.
Avoid two traps. A note that already sells your product reads like an ad. A vague note ("I'd like to add you to my network") says nothing and wastes a useful sentence. Our invitation note generator offers drafts under 200 characters.
Is there a risk in sending without a note?
The risk comes less from the note than from the targeting. LinkedIn lists as reasons for restriction many invitations sent in a short time, and many invitations ignored, left pending or marked as spam (LinkedIn Help, consulted on 7 October 2026). A person who does not see why you are writing can ignore the request, with or without a note.
Your profile acts as the note: photo, headline and summary say who you are. Polish them before writing to anyone, then save your best sentence for the first message. Our LinkedIn prospecting message templates and our guide to the first message cover what comes next.
What does Sales Farmer do about invitations?
In Automatic mode, the invitation goes out without a note. After acceptance, the first message cites a specific fact about the person, then asks a question. You approve the messages before they go out, and the sequence stops as soon as the person replies. Automatic mode comes with the Growth plan and during the 14-day trial.
In Manual mode, available from the Starter plan, you write the sequence step by step and decide whether to add a note. The tool runs as a Chrome extension, with your own account. LinkedIn's terms forbid robots and extensions that automate activity: no tool, ours included, removes the risk to your account. See the LinkedIn limits 2026 page and our article on limits and automation.
How do you test this on your own list?
Split your list into two comparable groups of at least 300 people each, same job and same company size. That is La Growth Machine's rule for making differences meaningful. Send the first group no note and the second a short note.
Count the replies and meetings you get, not only acceptances. A higher acceptance rate that brings no conversation is of no use. If you are just starting out, see what a good acceptance and reply rate looks like.
FAQ
Can you send a LinkedIn connection request without a note?
Yes. LinkedIn sends the request with no text, and most people decide by looking at your profile. The studies we read do not show a clear drop in acceptance without a note.
How many characters can a LinkedIn connection note have?
200 characters on a free account, 300 with Premium, according to LinkedIn's help. Aim for less: one sentence on the link, one on the reason.
Does a note improve the acceptance rate?
Not reliably: Belkins measures 26.42% with a note against 26.37% without. A note built on an existing link (group, follow, event) does better, according to Expandi.
What should you put in a note when you write one?
A real link with the person, then the reason for your approach in one sentence. Do not sell anything, and add no link or attachment.
Try it without commitment
Sales Farmer's 14-day trial needs no credit card: you test Automatic mode, then plans start at $15 a month.