Trying to send a message to a recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn but getting an error message can be frustrating. Here are some common reasons why you may be seeing this error and steps you can take to resolve it.
Verify your LinkedIn account is in good standing
The first thing to check is whether your LinkedIn account is currently in good standing. LinkedIn may restrict certain account activities, including sending messages, if they detect suspicious or abusive behavior from your account. Some things that may trigger restrictions include:
- Sending too many connection requests or messages in a short time period
- Receiving abuse reports from other members
- Violating LinkedIn’s terms of service or professional community policies in any way
If your account is restricted, you may see error messages when trying to send messages. Check your account status by going to your settings and looking for any active restrictions or bans. You may need to wait for a restriction to expire or appeal the restriction before being able to message again.
Make sure you are connected
On LinkedIn, you can only directly message other members if you are connected to them in your network. Trying to message someone you are not connected to will result in an error.
To resolve this, send a connection request to the recruiter or hiring manager you want to message. Most users on LinkedIn are open to connecting with relevant professionals in their industry.
Once your connection request is accepted, you should then be able to message them directly without issue.
Check if the recruiter has messaging turned off
Some recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn selectively turn off the ability for people to message them directly. This is to avoid getting overwhelmed by incoming messages.
You can check if messaging is turned off by going to their profile and looking for a message icon next to the “Connect” button. If there’s no message icon displayed, that means messaging has been disabled.
In this case, your only option is to send the recruiter a connection request first and hope that they accept it. Once connected, messaging may be enabled.
Verify you did not block the recruiter
Similarly, if you previously blocked the recruiter or hiring manager you are trying to message, LinkedIn will prevent you from sending them messages again.
Go to your account settings and see if the person you are trying to reach is on your blocked member list. If so, you will need to unblock them before being able to message them again.
Check LinkedIn inbox limits
LinkedIn places limits on how many unread messages users can have in their inbox at one time. For recruiters who get very high volumes of incoming messages, it’s possible they may have hit this limit.
In this case, your message will fail to send and you’ll see an error that their inbox is full. The best option is to wait a day or two for the recruiter to clear out some messages from their inbox. Then try sending your message again.
Ensure you have InMail credits
On LinkedIn, regular members can only directly message other members who they are connected to. To message non-connections, you need to purchase InMail credits.
If you try to message someone you are not connected to without having any available InMails, you’ll get an error when trying to send the message.
To resolve this, you need to purchase InMail credits from LinkedIn. Packages start at around $10 for 5 credits. Once you have credits available in your account, you should then be able to message non-connections.
Try messaging from a computer
Some users have reported issues sending LinkedIn messages from the mobile app but no issues when messaging from a desktop browser. If you keep getting errors on mobile, try sending from your computer instead.
LinkedIn’s mobile apps occasionally have bugs that cause messages to fail sending properly. The desktop experience is generally more stable, so try that if mobile isn’t working.
Wait and try again later
In some cases, the error sending a LinkedIn message may be due to a temporary technical issue on LinkedIn’s end.
Their servers may be overloaded or experiencing an outage, which can result in messages failing to deliver. The best option is to simply wait an hour or two and try sending your message again later.
If the issue was due to a temporary glitch, sending your message again later will likely succeed without issue.
Contact LinkedIn support
If you’ve tried all other troubleshooting tips and are still unable to send messages, your last resort is to contact LinkedIn customer support directly.
Explain the error you are seeing and steps you have already tried to resolve it. The LinkedIn support team may be able to diagnose the problem and either fix it or recommend next steps.
Some examples of when you may need to contact support include:
- Account restriction due to accidental violation of policies
- Bug preventing messaging specific individuals
- Technical issues sending messages in general
LinkedIn support will likely request examples and details around the error before investigating further. With their help, the messaging issue can usually be resolved or explained.
Key Takeaways
Some key takeaways to keep in mind when troubleshooting LinkedIn messaging errors:
- Make sure your account is in good standing and not restricted
- Connect with the recipient first before trying to message
- Check if the recipient has messaging turned off
- Ensure you did not block the recipient
- Watch for inbox limits and purchase InMail credits if needed
- Try messaging from desktop instead of mobile
- If issues persist, contact LinkedIn support
With some diligent troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve most LinkedIn messaging errors. Direct messaging is an important way to communicate and build relationships on the platform.