LinkedIn is a popular professional social networking platform used by over 700 million members worldwide. On LinkedIn, users can connect with other professionals, join groups, follow companies, and search for jobs. One of the key features of LinkedIn is messaging – members can send direct messages to connect with other members. However, sometimes users may want to edit or update a message after it has already been sent. Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not have a built-in feature to edit sent messages. Once a message has been sent on LinkedIn, it cannot be edited or deleted. So how can you edit or update a message that has already been delivered? Here are some tips and workarounds.
Why Would You Want to Edit a Sent Message?
There are a few common scenarios where editing a sent LinkedIn message could come in handy:
– Typos or grammatical errors – We all make typos! If you notice an embarrassing typo in a message you’ve already sent, you’ll probably want to correct it.
– Adding or clarifying information – You may realize after sending a message that you forgot to include an important detail or link. Editing would allow you to add that extra context.
– Changing meeting details – If you need to modify the date, time, or location of a meeting proposed in a sent message, editing would let you update those details.
– Softening tone – Upon re-reading a sent message, you may feel that your tone came across as overly harsh or blunt. Editing would allow you to rephrase things more diplomatically.
– Following up on requests – If you don’t receive a response to an initial request message, being able to edit the original message to politely follow up could be useful.
Workarounds to Edit a Sent LinkedIn Message
While LinkedIn itself does not allow editing sent messages, there are a few creative workarounds:
Send a follow-up message clarifying your changes
The simplest option is to send a new message clarifying or correcting anything from your previous message. For minor typos or adding extra details, a quick follow-up message should suffice. Say something like “Sorry, just wanted to clarify my previous message…” and make your corrections.
However, this method won’t work as well for substantially updating meeting details or softening your tone throughout a long message. Too many follow-up messages could also become annoying to the recipient.
Delete the message then send it again
If you catch your mistake shortly after sending, you can delete the LinkedIn message from your Sent folder before the recipient has seen it. Then simply rewrite the message and send it again. Just keep in mind this will only work if the recipient hasn’t already viewed the original message.
Copy the recipient on your message edit
Another workaround is to copy and paste the original sent message into a new message draft. Make your edits to the text within the new draft. Before re-sending, add the original recipient’s name back in so they can see the revised version.
The downside is the recipient will then see two versions of the message – your original and the edited copy. So this method only makes sense if you’re comfortable with them seeing the before and after.
Export the message text and copy it into a new message
Similar to the previous tip, you can export the text of an already sent LinkedIn message into another document. For example, copy and paste the text into a Word doc. Make your edits to the text in Word, then copy and paste the revised text into a new LinkedIn message to the same recipient.
Again, the recipient would end up seeing both versions of the message this way. But at least you’ll have the ability to thoroughly revise the wording outside of LinkedIn’s messaging window.
Use LinkedIn’s “Remind” feature
LinkedIn’s messaging feature has a “Remind” function to follow up if you haven’t received a response. When reminding, you have the option to revise the original message text.
So after sending your initial message, use “Remind” to edit your original text before sending the follow-up. This allows you to modify typos, tone, or meeting details seamlessly in one message chain. Just keep in mind you can only make edits when specifically using the Remind feature.
Export the conversation and re-send as an attachment
LinkedIn allows exporting full conversations as PDF files. So after realizing you need to revise a sent message, you could export the conversation PDF. Open the PDF in Word or another editor, make your text changes, and save.
Then attach the edited PDF conversation back into a new LinkedIn message to the recipient. This way, your revised message is visible in the context of the full back-and-forth conversation.
Best Practices When Editing Sent LinkedIn Messages
If you do need to edit a sent LinkedIn message, keep these best practices in mind:
– Edit quickly – Make your revisions as soon as possible after sending the original message, before the recipient has likely seen it. This avoids confusion.
– Be transparent – If editing after someone has already seen the original message, explain up front that you are revising or clarifying your previous text. Don’t try to sneak edits without the recipient noticing.
– Limit edits – Only make essential changes. Don’t completely rewrite the entire message or revert the meaning. Stick to fixing typos, adding small clarifications, or politely rephrasing tone. Substantial message changes should be new messages.
– Proofread carefully – When making edits, double check that your changes say exactly what you intend. Re-proofread the revised text before sending to avoid repeating your editing process!
– Keep a copy – Before sending your edited message, copy and paste the original into a Word doc or save the LinkedIn conversation PDF. This preserves a record of what was originally said.
– Follow up politely – If editing meeting details or an important request, follow up verbally as well to confirm the recipient got your changes. Don’t just assume they re-read your revised message.
Why Doesn’t LinkedIn Allow Editing Sent Messages?
Many users wonder why LinkedIn doesn’t offer native editing capabilities for sent messages, a feature available on some other platforms. There are a few potential reasons why LinkedIn may not allow editing sent messages:
– Promotes thoughtfulness – Not being able to edit forces users to proofread and carefully consider their messages before sending. This results in more professional communication.
– Avoids confusion – Editing could create confusion or miscommunication if recipients don’t notice changes. LinkedIn aims to keep messaging clear and seamless.
– Authenticity – Editing erases the record of original messages. LinkedIn wants conversations to be authentic and tamper-proof.
– Technical limitations – Storing message edit histories and versions may pose technical challenges on LinkedIn’s backend.
– Feature not prioritized – LinkedIn may not view sent message editing as a must-have feature versus other product developments.
Overall, while some users would find editing useful, LinkedIn likely views the potential downsides as outweighing the benefits for their professional audience and use cases. Lacking this feature encourages more thoughtful communication.
Other Workarounds for LinkedIn Message Mistakes
Beyond the inability to edit sent messages, there are a few other common issues users face with LinkedIn messaging:
Accidental messages: Sending a message to the wrong person or group is a mortifying mistake on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, there is no way to delete a misdirected message after sending. The best damage control is to immediately send a follow-up apologizing for and explaining the mistake before the recipient sees it.
Misinterpreted tone: LinkedIn communication tends towards professionalism. If your message comes across as too casual, aggressive, or scattered, follow up clarifying your intended tone. Explain you didn’t mean to offend and aim to find the right balance going forward.
Request ignored: If your LinkedIn requests go unanswered, resist the urge to call out the lack of response. Instead, politely follow up saying you want to make sure they received your initial message and ask if they need any clarification from you.
Shared too soon: When sending long LinkedIn messages, it’s easy to mistakenly hit send mid-draft. If you shared incomplete thoughts, quickly send a follow-up with your intended full message. Apologize for the premature send.
Conclusion
While a built-in edit feature would offer more flexibility, there are tactics to update or clarify LinkedIn messages even after sending them. The best approach depends on the specific situation. Minor typos or add-ons may only require a quick follow-up message. But bigger edits like changing meeting details or softening tone call for more creative workarounds like deleting and resending, exporting as PDFs, or using LinkedIn’s Remind feature. With the right techniques, you can amend sent messages when needed. Just be sure to edit transparently and thoughtfully. And when in doubt, revising your communication approach going forward may be better than editing previous messages.