InMail is LinkedIn’s paid messaging feature that lets you send a direct message to anyone on the platform, even if you’re not connected with them. With a free LinkedIn account, you can only message your 1st-degree connections (people who have accepted your connection request). InMail removes that barrier, making it a key tool for recruiters, job seekers, and salespeople who need to reach people outside their network.
How InMail Differs From Regular Messages
Standard LinkedIn messages work like any other chat: you and the other person need to be connected first. If you want to reach someone you don’t know, your only free option is to send a connection request and hope they accept. InMail skips that step entirely. You can message 2nd-degree connections (people who share a mutual connection with you) and 3rd-degree connections (people with no mutual ties) directly.
InMail messages also look slightly different in a recipient’s inbox. They include a required subject line of up to 200 characters and a message body of up to 2,000 characters. That structure makes them feel more like a brief email than a casual chat message, which can work in your favor when you’re reaching out professionally for the first time.
How Many InMails You Get Per Month
InMail is only available through a paid LinkedIn subscription, and the number of messages you can send each month depends on which plan you’re on:
- Premium Career: 5 InMail credits per month
- Premium Business: 15 InMail credits per month
- Sales Navigator Core: 50 InMail credits per month
- Recruiter Lite: 30 InMail credits per month
Each credit lets you send one InMail message. Premium Career, with its 5 monthly credits, is designed for individual job seekers who only need to reach a handful of hiring managers or recruiters. Sales Navigator’s 50 credits reflect the higher-volume outreach that sales professionals typically need.
How Credits Renew and Roll Over
You receive a fresh batch of InMail credits at the start of each billing cycle. Unused credits can roll over to the following month, but LinkedIn caps the total number you can accumulate. If you’re on Premium Career and don’t use any credits for a couple of months, you won’t keep stacking them indefinitely.
There’s also a credit recovery system. If a recipient responds to your InMail (whether they accept, decline, or simply reply), LinkedIn returns that credit to your account. This means well-targeted messages that get responses are essentially free, while messages that go ignored cost you a credit permanently. It’s a built-in incentive to write thoughtful, relevant outreach rather than blasting generic messages.
Sending InMail for Free With Open Profiles
Not every InMail costs a credit. LinkedIn Premium subscribers can turn on a setting called Open Profile, which allows anyone on the platform to message them directly for free. If the person you want to reach has Open Profile enabled, you can send them an InMail without spending a credit, even if you’re on a basic free account.
Free account holders can send a limited number of Open Profile messages each month. You won’t always know in advance whether someone has this setting turned on, but it’s common among recruiters, consultants, and others who want to be easily reachable. If you have a Premium subscription yourself, you can enable Open Profile from your settings to let others contact you the same way.
When InMail Is Worth Using
InMail is most valuable in three scenarios. Job seekers use it to contact hiring managers or recruiters at companies they’re targeting, bypassing the connection request that might sit unanswered for weeks. Recruiters use it to reach passive candidates who aren’t actively job hunting but might be open to the right opportunity. Sales professionals use it to start conversations with decision-makers at prospective clients.
The format matters here. Because InMail has a subject line, your first impression is that subject, not the opening sentence of a chat bubble. Treat it like a cold email: lead with why you’re reaching out and why the recipient should care. Generic messages like “I’d love to connect” tend to get ignored, wasting a credit you won’t get back. A specific, personalized message that references the recipient’s work or role is far more likely to earn a reply and recover your credit in the process.
InMail vs. Connection Requests
If you’re debating whether to spend an InMail credit or just send a connection request with a note, consider the context. Connection requests with a personalized note (up to 300 characters) are free and work well when you share a mutual connection, attended the same event, or have an obvious reason to connect. The downside is that many people ignore requests from strangers, and your note is limited in length.
InMail gives you more space to make your case and lands in the recipient’s messaging inbox with a subject line, making it harder to overlook. For high-priority outreach, like contacting a hiring manager at your dream company or a key prospect, spending a credit on InMail is usually the better move. For casual networking, a connection request is fine and saves your credits for when they matter most.