LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform used by millions of people around the world. One of LinkedIn’s key features is messaging, which allows you to communicate privately with your connections. A common question many LinkedIn users have is whether there is a read message feature that shows if your messages have been read by the recipient. Here is a look at whether LinkedIn has read receipts for messages.
LinkedIn Message Read Receipts
Unlike platforms like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, LinkedIn does not have a built-in read receipt feature for messages. When you send a message to a connection on LinkedIn, you cannot see if they have opened or read your message. The platform does not provide any message read status indicators or notifications when your messages are opened by recipients.
Some of the reasons why LinkedIn does not have read receipts include:
- Maintaining privacy – Read receipts can infringe on privacy expectations, so LinkedIn avoids them.
- Reducing distractions – Read receipts can lead to obsessive checking. LinkedIn aims to reduce this.
- Professional focus – As a professional platform, LinkedIn discourages constant messaging so users focus on work.
The lack of read receipts places the focus on the professional content being shared rather than the real-time messaging. It also gives users more privacy over who they interact with.
Indicators a LinkedIn Message Was Read
While there are no definitive read receipts, there are some signs that can indicate your LinkedIn messages have been seen by the recipient:
- Profile photo indicates “Active now” – If the user’s profile photo has a green dot, it means they are currently active on LinkedIn.
- They respond to your message – A response is a clear sign they have read your message.
- They view your profile – You’ll get a notification if they visit your profile after receiving your message.
- They engage with your content – Liking or commenting on something you’ve shared after receiving your message indicates they’ve seen it.
However, keep in mind users can always view messages, profiles, and content without the sender being notified. So even if none of these signs are present, the recipient may have seen your message without you knowing.
How to See If Your LinkedIn Message Was Read
While LinkedIn doesn’t have an official read receipt feature, there are some workarounds you can use to try to determine if your message has been read:
Check their LinkedIn activity status
As mentioned above, if the user’s profile picture has a green dot next to it, it signals they are actively using LinkedIn at that moment. If you send them a message while they are active, chances are high they will notice and open it. However, activity status isn’t guaranteed – they could be active in another section of LinkedIn without going into their messages.
Send through LinkedIn’s InMail system
With LinkedIn InMail, you can pay to directly message someone you aren’t connected with. InMail messages will show if the message was read and if the recipient clicked any of the links you included. This gives you definitive insight into if it was opened and engaged with. However, you have to pay per InMail message, so it may not be practical for regular communication.
Try third party browser extensions
There are some third party browser extensions and apps, like MessageRead for LinkedIn, that claim to provide read receipt functionality for LinkedIn messages. However, LinkedIn does not authorize or recommend using these, as they violate LinkedIn’s User Agreement. Proceed with caution as these may not be fully verified or could stop working if LinkedIn blocks them.
LinkedIn Read Message Workarounds
While LinkedIn limits message tracking currently, there are some workarounds you can potentially try to see if a LinkedIn message was read:
| Workaround | How it works | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Ask a direct question in your message | If the recipient answers your question, they clearly read it | They may not always respond, even if they read it |
| Include a call-to-action | e.g. “Let me know you saw this by connecting on [another platform]” | Recipient may choose not to complete your CTA |
| Follow up with another message | Send a follow up message to see if it gets a response | Multiple messages may come across as pushy |
However, these workarounds have limitations and are not guaranteed. The only foolproof method is if LinkedIn adds an official read receipt feature in the future.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn currently does not have a native read receipt feature or message read indicators. While you can try workarounds, there is no guaranteed way to know if a LinkedIn message has been read or not. The best approach is to send your message and follow up if needed, without excessive monitoring. Focus on sending engaging messages that will provide value to the recipient when they do view it, whether immediately or later on. With its professional focus, LinkedIn aims to avoid some of the obsessive messaging habits that read receipts can encourage.
