What InMail is
On LinkedIn you can only message first-degree connections for free. InMail is the paid exception: a message delivered to someone's LinkedIn inbox without a connection, marked as InMail so the recipient knows it came from outside their network.
It is available on the paid plans, it costs one credit per message, and LinkedIn returns the credit if the recipient accepts, declines or replies within 90 days, which is the platform's way of rewarding messages that people actually answer.
Because the recipient sees the InMail label, the message carries a default assumption: someone is selling or recruiting. That assumption is the reason most InMail goes unanswered, and the reason the rest of this guide is about when not to use it.
Credits and plans
Each paid plan comes with a monthly allowance of InMail credits, from a handful on the entry plans to several dozen on Sales Navigator and Recruiter.
Credits roll over for a limited time and the exact counts change, so the number to trust is the one on LinkedIn's plan page for your account, not a figure in a blog post.
What does not change: one message costs one credit, an accept, decline or reply inside 90 days returns it, and you cannot send more than the credits you hold.
If you regularly run out of credits, the problem is targeting, not the plan. Credits come back on accepts, declines and replies, so a list of people who answer costs almost nothing to work.
Limits
An InMail has a subject line of up to 200 characters. For the body, Sales Navigator and Recruiter Help say 1,900 characters and the general InMail FAQ says 2,000, so 1,900 is the safe ceiling. Messages that use the full body read as a pitch; our LinkedIn character counter checks yours.
Open profiles (accounts that have enabled the Open Profile setting) can receive InMail from anyone, free of credits, which is worth checking before you spend one.
When InMail beats a plain message
Two cases. First, the person is outside your network and a connection request would sit unanswered for weeks; an executive who accepts few requests is the typical example.
Second, you have one specific, time-bound reason to write and the message stands on its own without a relationship.
In every other case, a connection request with a short note followed by a normal message costs nothing, reads as less salesy, and starts a relationship you can use again.
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect accepts most requests | Connection request, then message | Free, reads as a person, builds a first-degree connection you can reuse |
| Executive who rarely accepts requests | InMail | Reaches the inbox now; the credit returns if they accept, decline or reply |
| One time-bound reason (event, hiring, news) | InMail | The reason carries the message without a relationship |
| Open Profile enabled | Free InMail | No credit spent; still write it like a message, not a pitch |
| Prospect already replied to an email | Plain message after connecting | You have a thread; InMail would restart it as a stranger |
How to send an InMail that gets a reply
Check whether you are already connected
If the person is a first-degree connection, send a normal message. InMail to a connection wastes a credit and looks automated.
Write a subject line that names the reason
Under 200 characters, specific to the person: their post, their hire, their event. No company name in the subject, no "quick question".
Keep the body to one question
Under 400 characters. One question the person can answer in a line. Offer something concrete either way, so a no still gets a reply.
Do not follow up with a second InMail
LinkedIn Help is explicit: if the recipient declines or does not respond, more InMails are not permitted. Follow up by email or on another channel instead, and save the credit.
The template
This is the InMail used as touch 2 in the 10-day cadence when the prospect is outside the network. Placeholders are marked; the note below says when it backfires.
Subject: Your post on SDR ramp, one question Hi {{firstName}}, Your post on onboarding was the clearest thing I have read on ramp this year. One question: are you ramping new SDRs this quarter, or fixing ramp for the current team? Happy to send the 30-day checklist we use either way, no call needed. {{senderName}}
The post you reference is older than a month, or was written by the company page rather than the person. Then the compliment reads as scraped and the credit is gone. Check the author and the date before sending.
InMail against the alternatives
Before spending a credit, check whether a cheaper channel reaches the same person. The table compares the four ways to message someone you are not connected to, and the one that costs nothing is usually the right first move.
| Channel | Cost | Reaches | Length | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InMail | One credit per message, returned if they accept, decline or reply within 90 days | Anyone on LinkedIn | 200-character subject, 1,900-character body (2,000 in LinkedIn's general FAQ) | Senior people who ignore requests, with a time-bound reason |
| Connection request with a note | Free | Anyone who accepts | 200 characters | The first touch for almost everyone. Starts a connection, not just a message |
| Message to an Open Profile | Free, no credit used | Members with Open Profile enabled | Same as InMail | Always check before sending an InMail to the same person |
| Free | Anyone whose address you have verified | No limit; keep it under 120 words | The main channel of the cadence. LinkedIn touches support it |
Subject: Quick question
Hi {{firstName}}, I came across your profile and was really impressed by your background. We work with sales leaders at companies like yours to help them hit pipeline targets faster. Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week? Happy to send over some case studies as well.
Subject: Your post on SDR ramp time
Hi {{firstName}}, your post last week on cutting SDR ramp from 90 to 60 days matched something we see with teams your size.
One question: did the shorter ramp come from the list or from the messaging? If it is the second, I have a checklist that fits. A one-line reply is plenty, and no is fine.
Mistakes that burn credits
- Pitching in the first InMail. The label already says "sales". Adding a pitch confirms it.
- Using the full 1,900 characters. Length signals a template. The reply rate drops with every paragraph.
- Sending InMail to people who accept requests. A free request with a note does the same job and starts a connection.
- No follow-up path. If the InMail is the whole plan, one silence ends the sequence. Have the email touch ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is InMail free on LinkedIn?
No. It needs a paid plan and costs one credit per message. The exception is Open Profile members, who can receive InMail from anyone without a credit being spent.
What is the difference between InMail and a message?
A message goes to a first-degree connection and is free. An InMail goes to someone outside your network, needs a paid plan, uses a credit, and is labeled as InMail in the recipient's inbox.
Do InMail credits expire?
Unused credits roll over for a limited time, then expire. The current rollover period is on LinkedIn's plan page for your account.
Can I get InMail credits back?
Yes. If the recipient accepts, declines or replies within 90 days, the credit is returned, whether the answer is a yes or a no. An InMail that gets no response at all keeps the credit spent.
How long can an InMail be?
The subject can be up to 200 characters. The body is 1,900 characters in Sales Navigator and Recruiter Help and 2,000 in the general InMail FAQ, so write to 1,900. Messages under 400 characters get more replies.
Does InMail work for prospecting?
Sparingly. It works for people who do not accept connection requests and for time-bound reasons. For everyone else, a connection request with a note followed by a normal message does the same job for free.
Is there an InMail limit per day?
The practical limit is your credit balance. Sending many InMails in a short time can also trigger a review of the account, so spread them out.
Can I send InMail with a free LinkedIn account?
No, with one exception. A free account cannot send InMail, but it can message members who have Open Profile enabled, and that message is delivered like an InMail without a credit. For everyone else, a free account sends a connection request.
Should I write the InMail subject like an email subject?
Shorter. The subject shows in the notification, so it should name the specific thing you are writing about, such as their post or their hire, in five or six words. "Quick question" and "Introduction" are the two subjects that get ignored most.
What is a good InMail response rate?
It depends on the list and the message, so any single number is misleading. Track your own rate per sequence and compare it with your connection request path; if InMail is not clearly better, stop paying for it.
- LinkedIn Help: InMail messages overview, InMail credit policy and message limits, checked Sep 13, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, InMail message credits and renewal process, for credits returned when an InMail is accepted, declined or answered within 90 days, checked Oct 1, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, InMail Messages FAQ, for the 200 character subject and the 2,000 character body, checked Oct 1, 2026.
- Sales Navigator Help, Send an InMail message in Sales Navigator, for the 200 character subject, the 1,900 character body and the 150 character signature, checked Oct 1, 2026.
- LinkedIn Help, InMail character limits, for the 1,900 character body in the LinkedIn and Recruiter help centers, checked Oct 1, 2026.
- Jeluvi entries this guide builds on: InMail (glossary), LinkedIn prospecting, sales cadence, LinkedIn message templates.
- No response-rate benchmarks are quoted; the rate to trust is the one in your own sequence report.