How many LinkedIn connection requests should you send a day?

It's one of the first questions people ask us. The short answer: fewer than you think.

Our rule of thumb

Start at 20 to 25 a day, and aim for around 150 a week at most. If you're very active on LinkedIn, posting and messaging most days, you can go a little higher. If you rarely use it, start lower, around 15 a day, and build up.

LinkedIn doesn't publish an exact limit, and what it tolerates can change. So err on the side of caution.

Why fewer is better

• Your acceptance rate matters. If lots of people ignore your requests, it's a sign you're reaching the wrong people.
• You can only follow up properly with so many. Every accepted request deserves a real reply from you, and 150 a week is already a lot of conversations.
• Quality beats volume. Twenty requests to people who really fit will do more than a hundred to people who don't.

Look like a person, because you are one

The tools that get accounts into trouble are the ones that send on autopilot, all day, from servers you don't control. That's not how we built Truffle Hound. You press send on every connection, from your own browser, at a daily limit you set.

A simple weekly rhythm

• Send requests in small batches across the week, not all on Monday morning.
• Reply to everyone who accepts within a day or two.
• If not many people are accepting, tighten your list before you send more.

Want a shortlist of people worth sending those requests to? Sign up for early access on the homepage.