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Quick answer
Message three to five people you have actually worked with, remind them of one specific project, and make it easy to say yes. AI drafts the ask; you send it personally.
At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Drafts for you
Writes drafts (emails, posts, plans, replies). You review and send. Nothing goes out without you.
- Time saved (estimate)
- ~30 minutes for 5 requests
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tools needed
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Typical cost
- Free. LinkedIn recommendations cost nothing to give or receive.
Reviewed Oct 19, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate basis: assumes ~10 min of drafting and second-guessing per message by hand vs ~4 min editing a tailored draft.
What does this setup do?
Write short, personalized LinkedIn recommendation requests that name the project and the skills, so busy people can say yes fast.
Who is it for?
Job seekers, freelancers, and career changers with an empty recommendations section who keep meaning to ask.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- ChatGPT or Claude (free tier is fine)
- LinkedIn profile (Recommendations section)
- A short list of 3-5 people: managers, colleagues, clients who saw your work up close
Steps
- List 3 to 5 people who directly saw your work: a manager, a close colleague, a happy client. Not acquaintances.
- For each person, note one specific project and one skill you want highlighted.
- Ask AI for a short personalized message per person: greeting, the shared project, the specific ask, an easy out.
- Edit each message so it sounds like you. Never send LinkedIn’s default request text.
- Send from LinkedIn’s "Ask to be recommended" flow or by direct message, whichever fits the relationship.
- If no reply in a week, send one polite follow-up. Then let it go.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- 5 new reviews found: 4 positive, 1 needs a reply
- Reply draft ready for the unhappy one
- You approve every reply before it posts.
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT: ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
Write LinkedIn recommendation request messages for me. Short, warm, specific. I will send them myself.
My name: [name]
My role: [title]
Person 1:
- Name and relationship: [e.g. former manager at Acme]
- Project we worked on: [specific project]
- Skill to highlight: [e.g. leading the migration]
[repeat for each person]
Rules:
- Under 100 words per message.
- Name the specific project so they remember the work.
- Give them an easy out ("no pressure if timing is bad").
- Offer to reciprocate where it fits.
- Never use LinkedIn's generic default text.Newsletter
Get the free starter pack
Free starter pack with five beginner copy-paste prompts after you confirm, plus three sourced setups in your inbox each week. Unsubscribe anytime.
What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- Generic asks get ignored. If you would not recognize the project from the message, rewrite it.
- Do not ask people who barely know your work. A thin recommendation hurts more than none.
- LinkedIn caps how you can message non-connections. Warm relationships first.
- Never write the recommendation yourself and ask them to paste it, unless they ask you to draft one.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
Common questions
- Who should I ask for a LinkedIn recommendation?
- Managers, colleagues you worked closely with, mentors, or clients. Pick people who can name something specific you did, not people with impressive titles who barely know you.
- When is the best time to ask?
- Right after a shared win: a project ships, a contract ends well, you get promoted. The work is fresh in their mind and goodwill is high.
- What if they say yes but never write it?
- Send one gentle follow-up after a week, offering to share bullet points to make it easier. After that, drop it. Chasing burns the relationship.
What tips make it smoother?
- Specificity is the whole game. "Our Q3 rollout" beats "my work" and gets you a better recommendation back.
- Ask right after a win: project shipped, promotion landed, contract wrapped. Memories are fresh.
- Offer to write one for them first. Reciprocity is the fastest yes.
- Quality beats quantity. Three detailed recommendations beat twelve vague ones.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read The Muse’s write-up (www.themuse.com)
The Muse: Personalize the ask, name the skills, offer to reciprocate; templates by relationship.
- Read Management.org’s write-up (management.org)
Management.org: Structure of an effective request: greeting, shared context, specific ask, gratitude.
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