Yes, you can press Enter in a LinkedIn message to start a new line. LinkedIn messaging allows you to send multi-line messages by pressing the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. This creates a new line within the message box, allowing you to type out longer messages broken up over multiple lines.
Pressing Enter is handy for improving readability and organization in longer LinkedIn messages. It lets you break up blocks of text over separate lines instead of having one long run-on sentence. You can press Enter anywhere within the message box to start a new line.
Here are some more details on using the Enter key for new lines in LinkedIn messaging:
New Paragraphs vs New Lines
Pressing Enter will start a new line, but it will not create a new paragraph with indentation. To start a properly indented new paragraph, you’ll need to press Enter twice.
For example:
Pressing Enter once will create a new line:
Line 1
Line 2
Pressing Enter twice will create a new paragraph:
Line 1
Line 2
So if you want to break your message into proper paragraphs, press Enter twice between each one. A single Enter will just break it over a new line.
Character Limit
LinkedIn messages allow up to 28,000 characters. This is approximately 5,600 words.
Pressing Enter for new lines does take up extra characters in your overall count. But you are unlikely to reach the 28,000 character limit from line breaks alone unless your message is already very long.
Email vs In-App Messaging
The ability to press Enter for new lines works both when sending LinkedIn messages through the website and mobile app.
However, if you use LinkedIn’s email integration to send messages to connections, pressing Enter will not work. Email messages do not allow multi-line capabilities.
So keep in mind that using the Enter key for new lines only works when messaging directly through LinkedIn, not externally via email integration.
When to Use the Enter Key in LinkedIn Messages
Pressing Enter to create multi-line LinkedIn messages can be useful in several situations:
Long Introductions
When reaching out to a new connection, you may want to take a few lines to properly introduce yourself and explain why you are messaging them. Pressing Enter after each introduction sentence can improve readability.
Instead of one long run-on sentence:
“Hello John my name is Sarah I found your profile while researching new market opportunities for my company ABC Solutions which specializes in customized enterprise reporting tools and analytics solutions for small businesses I wanted to reach out because it looks like based on your role and experience at XYZ Corp you might be able to provide some great insights into optimizing analytics strategies for customer retention.”
Break it into new lines:
“Hello John,
My name is Sarah. I found your profile while researching new market opportunities for my company, ABC Solutions, which specializes in customized enterprise reporting tools and analytics solutions for small businesses.
I wanted to reach out because it looks like based on your role and experience at XYZ Corp you might be able to provide some great insights into optimizing analytics strategies for customer retention.”
Long Bullet Point Lists
For messages containing lists of bullet points, pressing Enter after each point will make the list more readable.
Instead of:
“- Here is the agenda for our upcoming meeting: – Introductions – Old business review – New business ideas – Brainstorming innovative solutions – Next steps”
Try:
“- Here is the agenda for our upcoming meeting:
– Introductions
– Old business review
– New business ideas
– Brainstorming innovative solutions
– Next steps”
Detailed Requests
When asking for a favor or making a detailed request, separating each specific ask onto its own line can help reinforce clarity.
Instead of:
“Would you be able to provide feedback on the attached proposal draft, connect me to your contact John Smith who oversees analytics at XYZ Corp, and make an introduction to your former colleague Sarah Lee who now works at 123 Enterprises?”
Try:
“Would you be able to:
– Provide feedback on the attached proposal draft
– Connect me to your contact John Smith who oversees analytics at XYZ Corp
– Make an introduction to your former colleague Sarah Lee who now works at 123 Enterprises?”
Meeting Agendas
Pressing Enter is an easy way to format a clear meeting agenda within a message.
Instead of:
“In our meeting next week let’s plan to talk about your 2018 sales results new product strategies for 2019 ideas for cross-promotion with XYZ Corp division and new partnerships opportunities.”
Try:
“In our meeting next week let’s plan to talk about:
– Your 2018 sales results
– New product strategies for 2019
– Ideas for cross-promotion with XYZ Corp division
– New partnerships opportunities”
Content-Heavy Messages
For messages with a lot of content, like long articles or passages, press Enter to break up the text into more readable sections.
Instead of:
“Here is the 500 word blog post draft I mentioned: First paragraph text Second paragraph text Third paragraph text Fourth paragraph text Fifth paragraph text.”
Try:
“Here is the 500 word blog post draft I mentioned:
First paragraph text
Second paragraph text
Third paragraph text
Fourth paragraph text
Fifth paragraph text.”
Formatting Considerations for Multi-Line Messages
Here are some formatting tips to keep in mind when using the Enter key for LinkedIn messages spanning multiple lines:
Avoid Excessive New Lines
Be careful not to press Enter too frequently, as this can make your message look disjointed. As a rule of thumb, limit line breaks to 2-3 per paragraph max.
Use Proper Punctuation
Each new line should end with proper punctuation, like a period, comma, semicolon, etc. The only exception is breaking up bullet point lists.
Mind the Character Limit
Don’t go overboard with line breaks, or you may quickly eat up the 28,000 character limit. Use new lines judiciously to enhance readability.
Single Space Only
Unlike a Word doc, don’t press Enter twice to double space between lines. LinkedIn messaging only recognizes single spaces between each line break.
Check Mobile Readability
Review how your multi-line message looks on mobile screens. Consider limiting line length for easier mobile readability.
Conclusion
The ability to press Enter for new lines in LinkedIn messages can be a great way to improve the clarity and organization of your communications. Use this multi-line messaging technique to break up long sections of text, format bulleted lists, highlight key points, and make your overall message more readable. But be careful not to overdo it, and follow proper formatting rules for the best results. With some practice, inserting new lines in your LinkedIn messages can become a very useful messaging strategy.