LinkedIn Guide · 7 min read · Updated 2026

How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation (With Examples & Templates)

A LinkedIn recommendation is one of the few parts of a profile that someone else writes. That makes it the most credible signal on the entire page — a third party vouching for the work a candidate claims they did. Recruiters know this, which is why they read the recommendations section when deciding whether to reach out.

But most recommendations are generic, forgettable, and add nothing. This guide covers the formula behind a recommendation that actually helps someone get hired, five copy-paste templates by relationship, and how to ask for one yourself. For the receiving side, see our companion guide on how to ask for LinkedIn recommendations.

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Why LinkedIn recommendations matter

Your profile tells recruiters what you did. Recommendations tell them someone else agrees. In a sea of self-reported achievements, a specific recommendation from a credible source — a former manager, a client, a senior peer — is the closest thing to proof a profile can offer. Profiles with 3 to 5 strong recommendations consistently look more trustworthy than those with none.

Recommendations also feed profile strength and visibility. A profile that receives and gives recommendations signals an active, well-connected professional, which the LinkedIn algorithm weighs lightly but positively.

The 4-part recommendation formula

Every strong recommendation hits four beats. Skip any one and the recommendation loses force:

Context. State your relationship and how long you worked together. This tells the reader whether your opinion is informed.
Specific example. Name one thing the person did — a project, a decision, a moment. Vague praise (\"great team player\") is invisible; a concrete story is memorable.
Impact. What happened because of what they did? A metric, a deadline met, a problem solved. This is the part recruiters care about most.
Personal quality. Close with the trait that drove the result — judgment, calm under pressure, intellectual honesty. This is what makes the recommendation feel human.

Quick tip

Write the recommendation you would want to receive. If you cannot point to a specific thing the person did, you do not know them well enough to write a useful one yet — wait until you can.

5 copy-paste recommendation templates

Adapt these to the real details. Replace the bracketed text with specifics — the more concrete, the stronger.

1. For a manager (written by a report)

I reported to [Name] for [length of time] at [Company]. She is the kind of manager who makes the whole team better. When we were [specific situation, e.g. facing a tight product launch deadline], she [specific action, e.g. reorganized our sprint priorities and shielded the team from scope creep]. The result was [concrete outcome, e.g. we shipped on time with zero rollback]. What sets [Name] apart is her [personal quality, e.g. calm, decisive judgment under pressure] — she gives clear direction without micromanaging, and she backs the team when it counts.

2. For a direct report (written by a manager)

[Name] worked on my team at [Company] for [length of time], owning [area of responsibility]. In that time he [specific achievement, e.g. rebuilt our onboarding flow and cut time-to-first-value by 40%]. He does not wait to be told what to do — he spots the problem, proposes a solution, and executes. I would hire [Name] again in a second.

3. For a colleague (written by a peer)

I worked alongside [Name] at [Company] for [length of time]. We collaborated closely on [project or initiative], and she was the person you wanted in the room when things got complicated. She [specific contribution, e.g. untangled a data pipeline no one else could debug], which let the rest of us keep moving. [Name] is rigorous, generous with her knowledge, and genuinely easy to work with.

4. For a client or vendor

[Name] partnered with us at [Your Company] on [project or engagement] over [length of time]. He [specific outcome, e.g. delivered the integration two weeks ahead of schedule and caught a compliance issue our team had missed]. Working with [Name] was straightforward from the first call — clear communication, no surprises, and he genuinely cared about the result.

5. For a student or mentee

I mentored [Name] during [program or timeframe] while she was [context, e.g. completing her bootcamp capstone]. She [specific achievement, e.g. shipped a full-stack app in four weeks and presented it more clearly than most junior engineers I have hired]. [Name] asks the right questions, takes feedback without defensiveness, and learns fast. She will be an asset to any team that values curiosity and follow-through.

Quick action plan

Pick three people you genuinely respect and write them an unprompted recommendation this week. Use the formula above, fill in the specifics, and keep it to 4 to 6 sentences. Then make sure your own profile is strong enough to deserve one back — get your free visibility score to see where you stand.

What to avoid

Generic praise. \"Hard worker, great team player\" tells a recruiter nothing. Replace every adjective with a specific example.
Reciprocal-only recommendations. The pattern where two people post identical recommendations for each other on the same day is obvious and undercuts credibility for both.
Overly long. A recommendation should be read in 20 seconds. If it runs past 200 words, cut the weakest example.
Writing for someone you barely know. A weak recommendation from a distant contact is worse than no recommendation — it signals the candidate could not find anyone closer to vouch for them.

How to write and post a recommendation

Go to the person's LinkedIn profile.
Click the More button below their headline.
Select Recommend.
Write your recommendation using the 4-part formula above.
Click Send. The person will be notified and can choose to display it on their profile.

Writing recommendations is also a networking investment. The people you vouch for remember it, and many will return the favor unprompted. Pair it with strong connection requests and thoughtful networking messages and your network compounds. For more on the credibility side, see our guide to LinkedIn endorsements.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a LinkedIn recommendation be?

A strong LinkedIn recommendation is 3 to 6 sentences — roughly 100 to 200 words. Long enough to include a specific example and a concrete outcome, short enough that a recruiter reading the profile will actually finish it. Recommendations that are one line long (“Great to work with!”) add almost no credibility, and ones that run multiple paragraphs get skipped.

What should I include in a LinkedIn recommendation?

Include three things: the specific role or context in which you worked with the person, one concrete example of something they did well, and the impact it had. Avoid generic praise like “hard worker” or “team player” without a story attached. The most useful recommendations name a project, a result, and a personal quality that drove the result.

Do LinkedIn recommendations help someone get a job?

Yes. Recruiters read the recommendations section when evaluating a candidate, and specific, well-written recommendations from credible people (managers, clients, senior colleagues) provide third-party validation that a profile cannot give itself. A profile with 3 to 5 strong recommendations consistently ranks as more trustworthy than one with none.

Should I write a LinkedIn recommendation before being asked?

Writing a recommendation unprompted is one of the strongest networking moves you can make. The person will receive a notification, feel genuinely valued, and often reciprocate. It is especially powerful for former managers, colleagues, and clients you want to stay warm with. Just make sure it is specific and sincere — a generic one can read as transactional.

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