How-To Guide · 2026

How to Write LinkedIn Recommendations with Claude - specific enough to be believed.

LinkedIn recommendations that say "Sarah is a rockstar who goes above and beyond" are worthless. The ones that work describe a specific situation, a specific behavior, and a specific outcome - and they read like a person wrote them, not a performance review template. Claude can help you get there in 15 minutes.

The Short Version

Give Claude one specific story about the person (a project, a moment, a decision), what skill it demonstrates, and how you want to frame them for their next role. Ask Claude to write a 150–200 word recommendation that leads with the story and builds to the endorsement. Read it out loud - if it doesn't sound like you, have Claude adjust the tone before you submit.

Why most LinkedIn recommendations fail

Recruiters and hiring managers read LinkedIn recommendations looking for signal. Generic praise ("hardworking," "great team player," "highly recommended") provides no signal - it could describe anyone. The recommendations that actually influence decisions are the ones that answer: What specific thing did this person do that made a difference? What did I observe that I can personally vouch for?

Claude's job is to structure your specific memories into clear, readable prose. But it can't supply the specifics - you have to bring the story.

The brief: what to gather before prompting

Your relationship: how long, in what context, what was your working dynamic
One specific story: a project, a crisis, a decision, a result - something you actually witnessed
The skill or quality you want to highlight: not a list, pick one or two
What outcome resulted: what happened because of what they did
Their next role or context: what kind of position are they seeking? This helps Claude frame the recommendation toward where they're going, not just where they've been
Your writing tone: how formal or casual you typically communicate

The recommendation system prompt

You are writing a LinkedIn recommendation on behalf of [Your Name]. Write in their voice - [describe voice: direct and warm / formal and precise / casual and enthusiastic]. The recommendation should: - Open with a specific situation or project, not a generic statement about the person - Lead to the quality or skill being endorsed through that story - End with a clear, unhedged statement of endorsement - Be 150–200 words (LinkedIn recommendations that are too long don't get read) - Sound like it was written by a real person, not by a committee DO NOT use: rockstar, ninja, guru, above and beyond, goes the extra mile, team player, passionate, dynamic, results-driven PERSON: [Name and their role/title] RELATIONSHIP: [How you know them, how long, in what context] THE STORY: [Describe the specific situation, what they did, what happened] SKILL TO HIGHLIGHT: [1–2 specific skills or qualities] THEIR NEXT ROLE: [What kind of work or position they're moving toward] YOUR VOICE NOTES: [Anything specific about how you write or communicate]

After the draft: the read-aloud test

Read the recommendation out loud before submitting. Ask yourself: does this sound like something I would actually say? Are there phrases that feel formal or corporate in a way I never speak? Does it feel genuine?

If anything sounds off, tell Claude: "The phrase 'demonstrated exceptional leadership acumen' sounds too corporate for how I write. Rewrite that sentence in a more conversational way." Be specific about what to fix rather than asking it to "make it sound more natural" - that prompt often produces something more generic, not more genuine.

When someone asks you to recommend them

A common situation: someone you worked with asks if you'd write a recommendation, and they offer to "send you some talking points." This is normal - and the talking points they send are actually useful Claude inputs. When you receive them, add your own specific story on top of their self-description. The combination of their framing (what they want to be known for) and your specific corroborating story produces the most convincing result.

Time savings

Writing a LinkedIn recommendation from scratch typically takes 20–40 minutes for most people - not because it's hard, but because staring at a blank text box trying to be both genuine and coherent is cognitively taxing. With this workflow: 5 minutes to gather your inputs, 2 minutes of generation, 5–10 minutes of editing and reading out loud. Total: 15–20 minutes for a recommendation that's actually going to help the person.