Yes, it is possible to forward LinkedIn messages to other contacts, but there are some limitations. LinkedIn allows users to forward conversations to connections in their network. However, there are restrictions in place to prevent spamming.
How to Forward a LinkedIn Message
Forwarding a LinkedIn message is easy. Here are the steps:
- Open the LinkedIn message you want to forward.
- Click on the three dots icon next to the message.
- Select “Forward” from the dropdown menu.
- A window will pop up allowing you to enter the name of the connection you want to forward the message to.
- Type the name of the connection and select them when they appear.
- You can enter a note to send along with the forwarded message.
- Click “Send” to forward the message.
That’s it! The original message will be sent to the connection along with any note you entered.
Limitations on Forwarding LinkedIn Messages
While LinkedIn allows forwarding messages, there are some rules and restrictions:
- You can only forward messages to 1st-degree connections.
- You cannot forward an entire conversation thread, only individual messages.
- You can only forward a message once.
- There is a limit to how many messages you can forward in a period of time to prevent spamming.
- You cannot forward messages if you are restricted from messaging contacts due to previous spam complaints.
These limitations are in place to prevent harassment and abuse of the forwarding feature. LinkedIn wants to make sure forwarded messages are going to relevant connections.
Why Forward a LinkedIn Message?
There are a few legitimate reasons to forward a LinkedIn message:
- Sharing valuable information – If you received a message with helpful career advice, job opportunities, or industry news, you may want to pass it along to connections who would also benefit from the information.
- Business opportunities – A message about potential partnerships, projects, or collaborations could be relevant to forward to other business contacts.
- Making introductions – Forwarding a message is a way to introduce two connections who may benefit from connecting directly.
- Seeking expertise – Getting a second opinion by forwarding a complex or technical message to an expert connection can provide additional context.
However, it’s important to only forward messages that contain information the receiving connection would find genuinely useful and relevant.
Ethical Usage of Forwarding
To use the forwarding tool appropriately on LinkedIn:
- Obtain permission before forwarding private messages.
- Only forward messages to direct connections.
- Consider if the message contents are appropriate and useful to the receiver.
- Do not spam connections with forwarded messages.
- Ensure you are not violating confidentiality by forwarding without permission.
Connections who receive inappropriate forwarded messages can report them to LinkedIn. So be thoughtful in how you utilize the forwarding feature.
How to Know If a LinkedIn Message Was Forwarded
When someone forwards you a message on LinkedIn, there are a couple ways to tell:
- The forwarded message will show the name of the person who sent it to you.
- There may be an additional note attached by the sender explaining why they forwarded the message.
- The formatting may look different than a typical message as it retains the original formatting.
- If you recognize the message contents from a previous conversation, it is likely a forwarded message.
Pay attention to these signs to determine if a message you received was directly sent or forwarded by another connection.
Pro Tips for Forwarding LinkedIn Messages
Follow these tips to make the most of LinkedIn’s message forwarding functionality:
- Customize the note you include when forwarding to provide context to the receiver.
- Only forward the most relevant excerpts of long conversations.
- Confirm the person you are forwarding to actually knows the sender.
- Follow up with receivers to see if the forwarded information was helpful.
- Monitor your forwarding frequency to avoid crossing into spam behavior.
- Consider if it makes more sense to start a group message rather than forwarding.
Using good judgement and following LinkedIn etiquette with your forwarded messages will lead to positive outcomes.
Troubleshooting LinkedIn Forwarding Issues
If you are having trouble forwarding a LinkedIn message, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you have an active LinkedIn Premium account. Free members cannot forward messages.
- Confirm the connection you want to forward to is a 1st-degree contact.
- Try refreshing the page or logging out and back into your account.
- You may have hit the daily forwarding limit, in which case you have to wait until the next day.
- Make sure your account is in good standing and not restricted in any way.
- On mobile, check that you have the latest version of the LinkedIn app.
- Double check that forwarding is enabled for the specific message thread by clicking the three dots.
If issues persist, you can contact LinkedIn customer support for assistance on troubleshooting forwarded messages.
LinkedIn Alternative Options
If you are unable to forward a message on LinkedIn due to restrictions, there are a couple alternative options:
- Screenshot – Take a screenshot of the message and share the image file with the connection.
- Copy and paste – Copy the text of the message and paste it into a new message to the other connection.
- Paraphrase – You can summarize the key points of the message content in your own words.
- Group chat – Add both connections to a group chat where the message can be discussed.
While not as seamless as forwarding, these workarounds allow you to communicate the relevant information from a LinkedIn message to others in your network when forwarding is not possible.
Message Forwarding on Other Platforms
On other popular social media and communication platforms, forwarding capabilities differ:
- Facebook – You can forward messages from Messenger conversations.
- WhatsApp – Messages can be forwarded easily with no restrictions.
- Instagram – There is no option to forward Direct messages.
- Twitter – Tweets and DMs cannot be forwarded, only Retweeted or screenshotted.
- SMS/text – Text messages can be forwarded seamlessly on most mobile devices.
- Email – Emails can be forwarded with full attachment support across all email platforms and clients.
LinkedIn’s approach to message forwarding aims to balance message privacy with some selective sharing capabilities.
The Future of LinkedIn Message Forwarding
It is possible that LinkedIn may adjust their restrictions or allow new functionality around forwarding messages in the future. Potential changes could include:
- Allowing 2nd-degree connections to be forwarded to
- Forwarding entire conversations rather than individual messages
- Loosening limits on how many times a message can be forwarded
- Letting users forward to groups and companies
- Adding protections so forwarded messages can only be viewed once
However, LinkedIn will likely proceed cautiously with any changes to maintain the professional nature of communications on the platform.
Conclusion
Forwarding LinkedIn messages can be a useful way to share valuable connections and information with your professional network. However, there are rules and restrictions in place to prevent harassment or spamming. With good judgement, LinkedIn message forwarding can connect you with opportunities and contacts. But be sure to use it selectively and ethically as part of your overall LinkedIn messaging strategy.