LinkedIn has become an invaluable platform for networking and making professional connections. With over 850 million members worldwide, it’s no surprise that LinkedIn messaging has become a popular way for people to communicate. But one frustrating thing about LinkedIn messaging is not knowing if the recipient has read your message or not. So how can you tell if someone has read your LinkedIn message?
Does LinkedIn have read receipts?
Unlike platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn does not have read receipts that show if your message has been read. So there’s no definitive way to know if the recipient has opened your LinkedIn message.
LinkedIn previously tested read receipts in 2017, but decided not to roll them out as a permanent feature. Their reasoning was that read receipts could lead to unnecessary pressure in professional conversations. For example, seeing that someone read your message but didn’t reply could create awkward dynamics.
The lack of read receipts is frustrating if you’re awaiting a timely response. But it also takes off some of the pressure to instantly reply, giving people more space to respond thoughtfully. Overall, LinkedIn seems to have prioritized giving their users a calmer messaging experience by not including read receipts.
Strategies to tell if someone read your LinkedIn message
While you can’t know for certain, there are some strategies that can give you clues about whether your LinkedIn message has been seen:
Check if they’re active on LinkedIn
See if the person has been active on LinkedIn since you sent your message. Some signs they may have been active and seen your message include:
- Their profile picture or work information was updated
- They shared a new post, article, or comment
- They liked or commented on someone else’s activity
- They connected with new people
Of course, they could be active without necessarily seeing your message. But if they’re clearly using LinkedIn, there’s a good chance they’re checking messages too.
Look to see if they opened your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn shows you when another member views your profile. If the person you messaged looks at your profile after you sent the message, they likely saw the notification about your message and were checking out your profile before responding.
That said, profile views don’t notify you about who exactly looked at your profile. So this strategy only works if you have a pretty good guess who the profile viewer might be based on timing.
See if they respond in another way
Sometimes instead of replying directly, the recipient may indirectly respond to your message:
- They accept your connection request
- They share, like, or comment on your posts
- They send you a new message about a different topic
- They respond by connecting on another platform
Any of these actions after you message them imply they saw your message and are responding positively in an indirect way.
Check their LinkedIn activity level
Beyond individual signals, also consider how active the recipient is overall on LinkedIn. Some LinkedIn users rarely check messages or engage with connections. Others are very active networkers who try to stay on top of their LinkedIn activity.
If the person tends to use LinkedIn consistently, it’s more probable your message caught their eye versus someone who infrequently logs in.
Other limitations to keep in mind
While the above strategies can give clues, there are also some general limitations to consider:
People can have notifications turned off
Under account settings, LinkedIn users can turn off email, push, and in-app notifications. This means they’d only see your message if manually checking messages.
People can miss seeing your message
It’s possible for even active LinkedIn users to miss specific messages in their busy feed. Unless you directly @ mention them, your message could get lost in their notifications.
Receiving vs. reading messages are different
LinkedIn shows when a recipient receives your message. But receiving a message doesn’t mean they’ve opened and read it yet. So don’t assume a received message has been read.
Conversations can get lost
LinkedIn organizes messages into conversations. If someone gets a lot of messages, yours could get buried and overlooked.
Connect with recipients in other ways
Because LinkedIn doesn’t have read receipts, it’s best not to rely solely on messages for important communications. Some other ways to get responses include:
Comment on their posts and articles
Proactively engaging with their content can start meaningful conversations.
Ask to schedule a call or meeting
Directly requesting a chat via phone or video conference can be effective for more urgent matters.
Find ways to add value
Don’t just ask for something – offer to help them in some way first. Reciprocity can motivate responses.
Connect with them off LinkedIn
Use email, phone numbers, or other platforms you have contact info for to follow up.
Follow up with reminders
If it’s a critical request, politely following up can nudge them to respond.
When to send a LinkedIn reminder message
If you haven’t gotten a response within a week or two, it may be appropriate to send a polite reminder. Some best practices include:
- Acknowledge they may have missed your original message in their feed.
- Recap your request or reason for connecting in 1-2 sentences.
- Be gracious and don’t show annoyance they haven’t replied yet.
- Only follow up again if absolutely necessary.
However, don’t bombard someone with constant reminders if they don’t respond – take the hint and move on if needed.
Tools that notify you when LinkedIn messages are read
While LinkedIn doesn’t have built-in read receipts, there are some software tools that can give you read notifications by tracking when your message is opened:
| Tool | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Mixmax | Email add-on that enables read receipts for LinkedIn messages sent through Gmail |
| Yesware | For Gmail and Outlook, provides delivery and read receipts for LinkedIn messages |
| Streak | CRM for Gmail that tracks LinkedIn message opens and interactions |
| SalesHandy | Chrome extension that tracks LinkedIn messaging and follows up on unanswered messages |
| Reply | AI tool for Gmail, Slack, LinkedIn that provides deliverability and read data |
The limitation is you and the recipient would both need to use the same tool. But they can provide helpful insights compared to LinkedIn alone.
Is a LinkedIn read receipt really necessary?
While read receipts would satisfy people’s curiosity, they aren’t essential for having effective communications on LinkedIn. Focusing too much on the read status can lead to overanalyzing interactions.
It’s better to find a balance between diligently following up on important messages and avoiding being pushy or pestering someone incessantly. If you don’t hear back right away, be patient and use other strategies for friendly reminders or to make your message stand out.
Conclusion
The lack of read receipts on LinkedIn can certainly be annoying. While there is no foolproof way to know if someone read your particular message, you can use strategies like looking for indirect responses and signs of LinkedIn activity. Third-party tools also exist that can notify you when LinkedIn messages are read by integrating with other platforms.
But at the end of the day, it’s about finding the right balance and not relying on read receipts. Focus on relationship-building with quality conversations, providing value, and friendly reminders when needed. With those principles, you can have fruitful LinkedIn communications whether the person has read your message yet or not.
