Create an existing connection campaign
An existing connection campaign sends messages to people you are already connected with on LinkedIn - no connection request needed. Use this when you want to reach out to your current LinkedIn network.
Before you start
· At least one LinkedIn account must be connected to this workspace
· The leads in your list must already be 1st-degree connections of the LinkedIn account running the campaign - if they are not connected, the message will not send
· Have a lead list ready with your existing connections
When to use this instead of a new connection campaign
Use new connection campaign | Use existing connection campaign |
You want to reach new people | You want to message people already in your network |
Leads are not yet connected to you | Leads are already 1st-degree connections |
You are doing cold outreach | You are following up with warm contacts, past clients, or event attendees |
Steps
The wizard is the same 5 steps as a new connection campaign, with one key difference in Step 1.
Step 1 - Campaign info
1. Click New campaign
2. Enter a campaign name
Give it a descriptive name (e.g. "Existing connections follow-up - Q2").
3. Select Existing connection campaign
Under Campaign type, select Existing connection campaign.
4. Add a description (optional)
5. Review Exclude leads and Advanced settings
Same as the new connection campaign - keep Exclude leads enabled and configure Auto-finish as needed.
6. Click Save and next
Step 2 - Messages
Because the connection already exists, there is no connect request step. You go straight to writing messages.
1. Write your first message
Merge tags let you personalise messages automatically. Type [[ to see available tags. Standard tags (shown in purple) include [[first_name]], [[last_name]], [[job_role]], and [[company_name}]]. If you imported leads from an Excel file with custom columns, those columns appear as custom merge tags (shown in orange) and work the same way.
2. Add follow-up messages (optional)
Click + Add follow-up message to add more steps with delays between them.
3. Click Next
Steps 3, 4, and 5 - Settings, Leads, Overview
These steps are identical to the new connection campaign.
· Settings: Set your message limits, active days, and active hours
· Leads: Attach your lead list (make sure leads are existing connections)
· Overview: Review everything and launch
Expected result
Your campaign appears in the Campaigns list with Active status and begins sending messages to your existing connections during the next active hours window.
The campaign detail page
Once your campaign is active, click on it from the Campaigns list to open the campaign detail page. This page has three tabs: Dashboard, Sequence, and Leads.
Dashboard
Sequence
Leads
Common mistakes
Leads are not receiving messages
The most common cause is that the leads in your list are not actually connected to the LinkedIn account running the campaign. Check the connection status of a few leads manually on LinkedIn.
Wrong campaign type selected
If you selected New connection campaign by mistake, the sequence will try to send connection requests to people you're already connected with - LinkedIn will reject these. Pause the campaign and create a new one with the correct type.
If it didn't work
Messages not sending after launch
Check that your LinkedIn account is Connected, within active hours, and that the lead list is not empty.
"Lead already contacted" skipping leads
The Exclude leads setting is working as intended - leads your account already messaged recently are being skipped to avoid duplicates.
Next step: Understand your limits and stay safe (link to article 09)
Updated on: 09/06/2026
Thank you!