Can You Reply to LinkedIn Messages via Email?

Yes, it is possible to reply to LinkedIn messages via email. LinkedIn gives users the option to connect their LinkedIn account to an email account. Once connected, users can respond to LinkedIn messages directly from their email inbox. This allows for quicker and more convenient responses without having to log in to LinkedIn.

How to connect LinkedIn to email

To enable LinkedIn messaging via email, users first need to connect their LinkedIn account to an email account. Here are the steps:

1. Log in to your LinkedIn account on the website (not the mobile app)
2. Go to your account settings (click on the profile icon at the top right and select “Settings & Privacy”)
3. Select “Communications” from the left sidebar
4. Under “Messages and alerts,” toggle on “Send me messages to my inbox”
5. Enter your preferred email address and select “Add Email”
6. Check your email inbox for a confirmation email from LinkedIn and click the confirmation link

Once you’ve completed the email confirmation, your LinkedIn messages will start being forwarded to your designated email address. Any messages you receive in your email from LinkedIn will have a reply option that lets you respond directly from email.

Replying to LinkedIn messages from email

When you receive a LinkedIn message in your email inbox, it will come from the address “[email protected]” with the subject line “You have a new message on LinkedIn.”

Opening the email, you’ll see the full message text and profile details of the sender. At the bottom, there are two options:

• “Reply” – Lets you respond directly back to the sender’s LinkedIn inbox from your email
• “View on LinkedIn” – Takes you to the message thread on LinkedIn to respond

To reply by email, simply click “Reply” and compose your response as you would to any other email. The recipient will get your reply in their LinkedIn Messages inbox.

A few things to note about replying by email:

• Only plain text replies are supported. You cannot format text or include attachments.
• There is no option to reply to all recipients – only the original sender.
• Your email reply will not be visible in the LinkedIn message thread.

Replying directly from email is great for quick responses when you don’t need formatting or to include others. For more detailed replies, it’s better to use LinkedIn’s messaging interface.

Turning off LinkedIn messaging via email

If you decide you no longer want to get LinkedIn messages forwarded to your email, you can disconnect the integration in your account settings:

1. Go to LinkedIn Settings > Communications
2. Under “Messages and alerts,” toggle off “Send me messages to my inbox”
3. Remove any email addresses listed if you want

Once disabled, your LinkedIn messages will stop being forwarded to your email. You’ll have to log in to LinkedIn to view and reply to messages.

Pros of replying to LinkedIn messages via email

Replying to LinkedIn messages from your email has some potential benefits:

• Faster responses – You can reply immediately without logging in to LinkedIn.
• Email tracking – Messages are synced between your email and LinkedIn. You can track replies from your familiar email interface.
• Notifications – Depending on your email settings, you may get notifications when receiving LinkedIn messages.
• Simple interface – For short replies, email may provide quicker options than LinkedIn messaging.

The convenience of responding from your email inbox can help you have more timely and productive conversations.

Cons of replying to LinkedIn messages via email

However, there are also some downsides to consider with email replies:

• Limited features – You lose LinkedIn messaging tools like formatting, attachments, profiles, etc.
• No thread visibility – Your email replies don’t appear in the message history on LinkedIn.
• No group replies – You can only reply to the original sender’s email address.
• Miscommunication risks – Nuances could get lost without message threads for context.

Depending on the situation, the lack of LinkedIn messaging features may make responses through email less effective.

Tips for replying to LinkedIn messages via email

To get the most out of responding to LinkedIn messages through email, keep these tips in mind:

• Use email replies for short, simple responses – longer or more complex messages are better suited for LinkedIn messaging.
• Make sure your email replies are still professional and reflect well on you.
• Follow up on email if needed by logging in to LinkedIn to continue the conversation with more context.
• Double check who you are replying to before hitting send.
• If you need features like attachments or formatting, respond on LinkedIn instead.

With good judgment, you can take advantage of the convenience of email replies while still having meaningful conversations.

Is replying to LinkedIn messages by email right for you?

Replying to LinkedIn messages from your email inbox can be a great timesaver – but also has limitations. Consider if it aligns with your messaging needs:

• If you want quick conversations, email replies get the job done.
• If you message with detailed formatting, email may not suffice.
• If you message many people at once, LinkedIn messaging is better.
• If you forget to check LinkedIn often, connecting email helps.

Evaluate your own communication habits and needs. For some, email replies will streamline conversations and improve response time. For others, the lack of LinkedIn features may be too restrictive.

You can always try out the email integration and disable it if it’s not working for your messaging workflow.

Conclusion

LinkedIn offers users the ability to connect their account messaging to an email address. This allows receiving, reading, and replying to LinkedIn messages right from your regular email inbox.

While the email reply functionality has advantages like faster responses, it also lacks some key features only available on LinkedIn messaging. Users should weigh the pros and cons to decide if replying by email fits their particular messaging needs.

With the right expectations set, replying to LinkedIn messages via email can be a handy option to streamline conversations and connectivity.