LinkedIn recommendations: the 4 types, the 5-step request process, what LinkedIn permits, and how to display them

Your customer Sarah wrote you a LinkedIn recommendation in 2024. It sits on her profile. The text is excellent: specific outcomes, named attribution, professional tone. You cannot use it on your homepage because LinkedIn owns the recommendation. Sarah would be happy to share it elsewhere. You just never asked. You are sitting on a testimonial asset you cannot leverage.

This guide covers what a LinkedIn recommendation is, the 4 types, how to ask for one, what LinkedIn permits and prohibits, the 4 places to display them on your own site, and the conversion impact. For the broader social source landscape, see importing from social platforms.

What a LinkedIn recommendation is (and is not)

A LinkedIn recommendation is a written endorsement a LinkedIn user writes for another user. The recommendation appears on the recipient’s profile. The recipient can see it but cannot edit it. The recommender retains the right to remove it.

A LinkedIn recommendation is not a LinkedIn post. Posts are public content visible in feeds. Recommendations are private endorsements visible on profiles only. The visibility is narrower.

A LinkedIn recommendation is also not a review. Reviews are tied to specific products or services and appear on third-party platforms. Recommendations are tied to people and appear on LinkedIn profiles.

A LinkedIn recommendation is also not a testimonial you collect directly. The recommendation was written for the customer, not for you. The customer may not realize it can be repurposed. Permission is required.

The 4 types of LinkedIn recommendations

LinkedIn recommendations come in 4 types. Each type serves a different purpose.

Type 1: Work recommendations. The customer writes about working with the recipient at a previous job. The recommendation focuses on professional performance. Most common type.

Type 2: Service recommendations. The customer writes about a service engagement (consulting, agency work, project collaboration). The recommendation focuses on the engagement outcome.

Type 3: Vendor recommendations. The customer writes about a product or service the recipient provided. The recommendation focuses on the product quality and the relationship.

Type 4: Mentor recommendations. The customer writes about a mentoring relationship. The recommendation focuses on growth and development.

The 4 types produce different testimonial value. Type 3 (vendor recommendations) is the most directly usable as a testimonial. Type 1 and 2 require more interpretation but still produce usable content.

How to ask for a LinkedIn recommendation

The ask for a LinkedIn recommendation differs from a regular testimonial ask. The 5-step process below produces a recommendation within 2 weeks.

Step 1: Choose the right moment. The right moment is after a positive interaction. A successful project, a delivered outcome, a positive support interaction. The customer is feeling good about you. The conversion rate is 20-35%.

Step 2: Ask via LinkedIn. Send a LinkedIn message (not email). The ask happens where the recommendation will be written. The customer does not have to switch contexts.

Step 3: Provide prompts. The customer may not know what to write. Provide 3 prompts: what was the project, what was the outcome, what would you tell a peer. The customer picks one or combines them.

Step 4: Make it easy. Send the direct LinkedIn recommendation link. The customer clicks and lands directly on the recommendation form. No navigation needed.

Step 5: Thank them and offer reciprocal value. After they write it, thank them. Offer to write one for them in return. Most customers appreciate the reciprocity and will accept.

The 5-step process produces a recommendation within 2 weeks for most customers who are willing. The conversion rate is 30-50% when the moment is right. For the broader ask pattern, see how to ask for a testimonial.

What LinkedIn permits and prohibits

LinkedIn has terms of service around recommendations. The 4 rules below are the baseline.

Rule 1: Recommendations must be honest. LinkedIn prohibits fake or paid recommendations. Recommendations must reflect the customer’s actual experience. Paid recommendations violate LinkedIn’s TOS and risk removal.

Rule 2: Recommendations cannot be edited by the recipient. The recipient sees what the recommender wrote. The recipient cannot change the wording. The recipient can hide the recommendation from their profile but cannot edit the text.

Rule 3: Recommendations are permanent (until removed). LinkedIn does not expire recommendations. A 2024 recommendation is still visible in 2030. The longevity is a feature for testimonial use.

Rule 4: You cannot use the recommendation without permission. Posting the recommendation text on your own site or marketing requires the customer’s permission. LinkedIn owns the recommendation. The customer owns the redistribution rights.

The 4 rules are the legal baseline. Violating them creates trust issues and risks the customer’s profile.

How to display LinkedIn recommendations on your own site

Once you have permission, the 4 placements below maximize the conversion impact.

Placement 1: The testimonials page. A dedicated section for LinkedIn-sourced testimonials. The header says “From LinkedIn” or shows the LinkedIn logo. Each testimonial includes the customer’s LinkedIn profile photo.

Placement 2: The about / trust page. A long-form testimonial collection, mixing testimonials from various sources. The LinkedIn-sourced ones add visual credibility through the LinkedIn logo and photo.

Placement 3: The sales deck. A single slide showing 2-3 LinkedIn-sourced testimonials with photos. The deck includes a “view profile” link that opens the customer’s LinkedIn profile in a new tab.

Placement 4: The employee or team page. If a recommendation is about a specific team member (a consultant, an account manager), display it on the team member’s bio page.

The 4 placements layer the LinkedIn-sourced testimonials across your site. Each placement reaches a different visitor segment. The combination produces the strongest impact.

How LinkedIn recommendations convert

LinkedIn recommendations convert at 1.5-2x the rate of generic testimonials. The 4 reasons below explain why.

Reason 1: Source verification. The recommendation is tied to a real LinkedIn profile. Visitors can verify the customer’s identity by clicking through. The verification signal is unique to LinkedIn-sourced content.

Reason 2: Professional context. The recommendation appears on a professional profile alongside work history, endorsements, and other recommendations. The professional context makes the content read as more credible.

Reason 3: Network visibility. LinkedIn shows recommendations to the customer’s network. The recommendation reaches people who know the customer. Those people trust the customer. The trust transfers to you.

Reason 4: AI search citation. LinkedIn recommendations often surface in AI search results. ChatGPT and Perplexity cite LinkedIn profiles for person-specific queries. The recommendation becomes a citation asset.

The 4 reasons make LinkedIn recommendations the highest-conversion source of social proof per testimonial. The investment is one ask per customer.

The 3 mistakes to avoid

The 3 mistakes below damage the value of LinkedIn-sourced testimonials.

Mistake 1: Skipping permission. Reposting the recommendation text on your own site without asking is a violation of trust. The customer did not consent. The trust impact is severe when discovered.

Mistake 2: Editing the recommendation. Changing the wording of a LinkedIn recommendation to fit your layout violates LinkedIn’s TOS. The recommendation should appear as-written or not at all.

Mistake 3: Outdated recommendations. A 2024 recommendation about an experience in 2024 may not reflect current product. Update the testimonial library annually. Remove outdated recommendations.

The 3 mistakes are easy to make. Avoiding them preserves the value of LinkedIn-sourced content.

What changes when you ship 10 LinkedIn recommendations on your site

The shift is visible in 3 metrics within 90 days of curating 10 LinkedIn-sourced testimonials.

Metric 1: Trust page conversion. The trust page with LinkedIn-sourced testimonials converts at 2-3x the rate of the trust page without them. The verification signal lifts trust.

Metric 2: Inbound inquiries. Visitors who see LinkedIn-sourced testimonials click through to the customer’s profile. The click-through is a curiosity signal. Some convert. Some share internally.

Metric 3: Sales cycle length. Buyers cite LinkedIn-sourced testimonials in their internal evaluation. The recommendations share easily in Slack and email. Sales cycles shorten.

The right LinkedIn testimonial strategy compounds. Each customer who writes a LinkedIn recommendation is a permanent trust asset. The asset lives on your site and the customer’s profile simultaneously. Testimonial platforms, including Testivo, can import the LinkedIn recommendation text (with permission) into the centralized testimonial library for use across the site, while keeping the LinkedIn profile link as the attribution source.

The 4 LinkedIn features that boost testimonial visibility

LinkedIn has 4 features that increase the visibility of recommendations. Using each feature maximizes the reach.

Feature 1: Skill endorsements. Endorse the customer’s skills on LinkedIn. The endorsement is reciprocal. The customer is more likely to write a recommendation for you if you have endorsed their skills.

Feature 2: Profile completeness. Customers with complete profiles (headline, summary, experience) write richer recommendations. Encourage the customer to complete their profile before writing.

Feature 3: Recommendation ask timing. LinkedIn prompts customers to write recommendations automatically. Ask during the same week the prompt appears. The conversion rate lifts 30-50%.

Feature 4: Recommendation visibility settings. Some customers hide recommendations from their public profile. Confirm visibility before reposting. The hidden recommendation is not visible to your audience.

The 4 features are LinkedIn mechanics that most businesses miss. Using them turns the recommendation process from 30% conversion to 50%+ conversion.

LinkedIn recommendations vs LinkedIn posts for testimonials

LinkedIn offers two channels for social proof: recommendations and posts. The 4 differences below describe which works better for which purpose.

Difference 1: Longevity. Recommendations are permanent. Posts decay as the feed scrolls. For long-term testimonial use, recommendations win.

Difference 2: Visibility. Posts reach the customer’s network and beyond (via shares and engagement). Recommendations reach only profile visitors. For reach, posts win.

Difference 3: Effort. Posts are easier to write. Recommendations require 200-400 words. For ease, posts win.

Difference 4: Authority. Recommendations read as endorsements from a specific person. Posts read as public commentary. For credibility, recommendations win.

The 4 differences suggest using both. Posts for ongoing visibility. Recommendations for durable testimonial assets. The combination covers both reach and credibility.