How to Ask for a Recommendation on LinkedIn (Steps and Wording)

The steps take a minute. The part that decides whether you get a recommendation, and a good one, is the message you send with it.

Below are the desktop and app steps, the rules LinkedIn sets, a message you can adapt, and what to do when the recommendation lands. It's all from LinkedIn Help, read in October 2026.

How to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn on desktop

1. Click My Network at the top of your homepage, then Connections.
2. Search for the connection by name and open their profile.
3. Click the More icon in the top section of their profile.
4. Select Request a recommendation.
5. Fill in Relationship and Position at the time.
6. Edit the message to make it personal, then click Send.

You can also start from your own profile: click Me, then View profile, scroll to Recommendations, click the plus icon and choose Ask for recommendation. LinkedIn notes that this section only shows once you've given or received a recommendation that isn't hidden, so most first timers use the profile route above.

How to ask for a recommendation on the LinkedIn app

1. Tap My Network, then Manage my network, then Connections.
2. Tap Search and select the connection.
3. Tap the More icon in the top section of their profile.
4. Tap Request a recommendation.
5. Add Relationship, Position at the time and a personal message, then tap Send.

LinkedIn's rules for recommendation requests

Rule	What LinkedIn says
Who you can ask	1st degree connections you work with or have worked with
Requests at once	One request to a connection at a time
Total limit	No limit on how many you can request or receive
Per position	One recommendation per position, per member
Language	Only in your primary profile language
Removing a connection	Recommendations between you are withdrawn and not restored

The language rule trips people up. If your profile's primary language is English and you've added a second language, you can only request recommendations in English, and you'd need to switch your primary language to ask in another. My guide on adding languages on LinkedIn explains how the two profiles work.

What to write in your request

LinkedIn fills the box with a generic line, and you can change it. Change it. A busy person writes a far better recommendation when you tell them what to focus on. Here's a structure that works:

• Remind them of the project or role you shared, with a date.
• Name the one or two strengths you'd love them to mention.
• Say why you're asking now, such as a new role or your own business launch.
• Make it easy to say no.

For example: "Hi Sam, I loved working with you on the spring launch last year. I'm building up my profile as I go freelance, and a short recommendation about how I managed the client side would mean a lot. No pressure at all if you're busy." If you'd like to offer one back first, my guide on writing a LinkedIn recommendation shows how to write one people read.

What happens after you ask

They're not obliged to answer. LinkedIn says the person can decline the request and isn't required to respond. If they write one, you get it as a message, and you choose what to do with it:

• Add to profile: it appears in your Recommendations section and an update goes out to your network.
• Ask for revision: send a note asking for changes. You'll get a message when they've revised it.
• Dismiss: be careful, because LinkedIn says a dismissed recommendation can't be retrieved, and the recommender has to delete it before you can request a new one.

Once you've accepted one, you can still hide it later. LinkedIn also says recommendations show in chronological order and can't currently be reordered, so you can't pin a favourite to the top.

If you need to fix a request you've sent

You can't edit the relationship once a request has gone. LinkedIn's advice is to ask the person to delete the request so you can send a fresh one. Ask for an edit early rather than accepting a recommendation that describes the wrong role.

Who to ask first

• A former manager who saw your results first hand.
• A client you delivered a clear win for, ideally recently.
• A colleague who worked alongside you on a named project.
• Not a friend who's never seen you work, because readers can tell.

Is it worth asking at all?

For anyone who sells a service, yes. A recommendation is social proof that sits on your profile for good, written in a client's own words. I've written about what I learned from mine in whether LinkedIn recommendations are worth asking for.

My verdict

Asking for a recommendation on LinkedIn is quick: profile, More, Request a recommendation, fill in the details, Send. Ask people who know your work well, one at a time, in your primary profile language, and always replace the default message with a specific nudge about what to mention. And think twice before tapping Dismiss, because it's permanent.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn?

Open the connection's profile, click More, select Request a recommendation, fill in your relationship and position at the time, add a personal message and click Send.

Who can I ask for a LinkedIn recommendation?

LinkedIn says you can request recommendations from 1st degree connections you work with or have worked with.

How many recommendations can I ask for on LinkedIn?

There's no limit on the total, but LinkedIn says you can only request one recommendation from a connection at a time.

Why can't I request a recommendation in another language?

LinkedIn says recommendations can only be requested in your primary profile language. Switch your primary language to ask in another.

Can I edit a LinkedIn recommendation request after sending it?

LinkedIn says you can't change the relationship after sending. Ask the person to delete the request, then send a new one.

What happens if I dismiss a LinkedIn recommendation?

LinkedIn says a dismissed recommendation can't be retrieved. The person who wrote it must delete it before you can request a new one.