LinkedIn imposes a limit on the number of messages you can send per month. The default limit is 300 messages, though you may be able to increase this by upgrading to a premium account. If you frequently need to message LinkedIn members beyond this limit, here are some workarounds you can try to bypass the message cap:
Use an alternate LinkedIn account
The easiest workaround is to simply use a second LinkedIn account to continue messaging once you hit the limit on your primary account. You can create a second free LinkedIn account using a different email address. Just be sure both accounts clearly identify you to avoid confusion or perception of spamming.
Upgrade to a premium LinkedIn account
With a premium Career, Business Plus, or Sales Navigator account on LinkedIn, you can increase your monthly allotment of InMail messages. The expanded messaging limits for premium accounts are:
- Career – 500 messages per month
- Business Plus – 1,500 messages per month
- Sales Navigator Pro – 1,500 messages per month
- Sales Navigator Team – 2,500 messages per month
Upgrading your account is the most direct way to lift message caps. Just be aware premium accounts carry a monthly or annual subscription fee.
Connect with recipients before messaging
When messaging connections in your LinkedIn network, those messages will not count toward your monthly allowance. So before reaching out cold to new prospects, try sending a connection invite first. If they accept, you can then message freely without impacting limits.
That said, take care not to spam connection requests. Send invites thoughtfully and only to relevant prospects. Quality connections are better than quantity when building your network.
Use LinkedIn Groups for messaging
Participating in LinkedIn Groups allows you to message fellow group members without consuming your allotted messages. When messaging within a shared Group, those messages do not count against your monthly cap.
Join Groups related to your industry or interests to expand your reach. Contribute thoughtful, value-driven content to establish your expertise. Then leverage Groups to connect with members and bypass messaging limits.
Export connections and message outside LinkedIn
With a premium LinkedIn account, you can export your network connections to an Excel spreadsheet. This allows you to message those connections outside of LinkedIn through another medium like email.
Use caution exporting data this way, as it may violate LinkedIn’s terms of service if used excessively for messaging. But infrequent external outreach can be an option for staying in touch beyond LinkedIn’s limits.
Use an alternate professional networking site
Sites like XING, Viadeo and PitchBook offer similar networking and messaging capabilities to LinkedIn. If messaging limits are hindering your outreach, explore whether prospects are present on these other sites.
Building a presence across multiple networks takes more effort but gives you more messaging avenues. Just be sure to tailor messages to each site and respect limits imposed on those platforms as well.
Automate messages through LinkedIn bots or extensions
Various third-party apps like Dux-Soup, LinkedHelper and Mixmax offer LinkedIn automation capabilities. Some tools can auto-connect to prospects, send canned messages, or sequence drips over time.
Use caution with automation as excessive bot activity can get accounts flagged or banned by LinkedIn. But limited automated messaging through reputable tools may provide more reach.
Collaborate with colleagues to share messaging efforts
If part of a team or company with multiple LinkedIn accounts, collaborate messaging prospects across accounts. Split up outreach efforts to expand total messages available.
Make sure messaging approaches are coordinated and consistent. Prospects should not receive duplicate or contradictory messages from your team.
Request a messaging limit increase from LinkedIn
In some cases, you may be able to proactively contact LinkedIn support and request a messaging limit increase if you can demonstrate a business need.
This approach is not guaranteed to work, as LinkedIn wants to limit spam and bots. But for legitimate high-volume messaging needs, a special limit boost may be possible in some situations.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s message caps aim to reduce spam and promote quality interactions. But power users can employ various tactics to sustain wider engagement, such as using multiple accounts, upgrading to premium, connecting with members, collaborating with colleagues, exporting data, or utilizing automation judiciously. Whenever attempting to bypass messaging limits, ensure your outreach is adding value and aligns with LinkedIn’s terms of service.