LinkedIn’s inmail system allows you to directly contact other members, even if you are not connected. However, there is a character limit to inmails which you need to be aware of to ensure your messages get through.
The LinkedIn Inmail Character Limit
The character limit for LinkedIn inmails is 4000 characters. This includes spaces as well as punctuation. Once you go over 4000 characters, LinkedIn will not allow you to send the inmail.
This 4000 character limit applies to both the subject line and the body of the inmail. The subject line has a limit of 100 characters. So you have 3900 characters left for the content of your message.
Why LinkedIn Has a Character Limit
LinkedIn instituted a character limit on inmails to prevent spam and overly promotional messages. The professional network wants the quality of messages sent through inmail to be high.
With a character limit in place, senders are more likely to craft clear, concise messages that get straight to the point. This improves the inmail experience for recipients.
The limit also ensures inmails don’t get too lengthy. Extremely long messages are not ideal for the LinkedIn platform.
Tips for Staying Within the Limit
Here are some tips to help you stay within LinkedIn’s 4000 character inmail limit:
- Be concise. Get to the point quickly in your inmail.
- Cut out unnecessary words. Remove filler words and extra adjectives/adverbs.
- Break up long paragraphs. Paragraphs over 5 sentences can often be split into two.
- Use bullet points. They help condense ideas and make the message more scannable.
- Avoid over-personalization. You don’t need to use someone’s name excessively.
- Leave out unnecessary details. Stick to directly relevant info.
- Check your character count. LinkedIn shows this as you type your message.
- Use abbreviations correctly. Know when it’s appropriate to shorten words.
You want your inmail to get your message across while also being professional. Following the above tips will help you write clear inmails within the limit.
What Happens if You Go Over the Limit
If you exceed the 4000 character limit, LinkedIn will prevent you from sending the inmail. You will get an error message informing you that the message is too long.
To send the inmail, you will need to go back and edit your message to get it within the limit. This may involve removing unnecessary text, shortening sentences, or breaking up paragraphs.
There is no way around the character limit when sending inmails. LinkedIn does not allow users to send messages over 4000 characters through its system.
Exceptions to the Limit
In most cases, the 4000 character limit applies to all inmails. However, there are a couple exceptions:
- Automated InMails – Inmails sent through automated tools and services are allowed up to 15,000 characters. So if you use an automation platform like Woodpecker or Mixmax, your inmails can exceed 4000 characters.
- Longstanding Connections – If you have been connected to a member for over 90 days, your inmail character limit to them is increased to 15,000 characters.
Outside of those exceptions, plan to keep your inmails at or under 4000 characters when sending messages to LinkedIn members.
Creative Ways to Stay Under the Limit
If you are struggling to condense your inmail below 4000 characters, here are some creative tactics you can try:
- Shorten URLs using Bitly or TinyURL to lower character count.
- Replace common phrases or names with shorter abbreviations.
- Remove articles like “the”, “an”, “a” when possible.
- Eliminate unnecessary uses of “please”, “thanks”, “regards”.
- Omit needless introductory sentences.
- Use visuals like graphs or charts instead of text to represent data.
- Attach documents rather than including all details in inmail text.
You want to be careful not to sacrifice clarity or professionalism when condensing your inmail. But using shortened links, abbreviations, visuals, and attachments can help you get more mileage out of those 4000 characters.
Inmail Character Limits for LinkedIn Subscription Plans
The number of inmails you can send per month on LinkedIn depends on which account type you have. Here are the inmail allowances for each plan:
- Free Account – 0 inmails per month
- Premium Business – 15 inmails per month
- Sales Navigator Pro – 25 inmails per month
- Recruiter Lite – 30 inmails per month
- Premium Business Plus – 50 inmails per month
- Recruiter – 200 inmails per month
- Sales Navigator Team – 300 inmails per month
- Recruiter Corporate – 500 inmails per month
While the number of inmails you can send varies, the 4000 character limit applies equally across all account types whenever you send an inmail.
Maximizing Your Inmails
To make the most out of your limited inmails per month, be sure to:
- Carefully target who you send inmails to
- Personalize each message to the recipient
- Write clear, concise inmails that get to the point
- Follow up any inmail conversations in a timely manner
- Track your inmail metrics to see what works
Even though you may be restricted by the number of inmails your account allows, you can still make an impact with those you send by following best practices.
Inmail Character Limits for Other LinkedIn Messages
Beyond standard inmails, LinkedIn has character limits for other types of messages:
- Invitations to Connect – 300 characters
- Group Messages – 4000 characters
- Direct Messages – 10,000 characters
- Job Invitation Messages – 4000 characters
So whether you are messaging connections, group members, or sending job invitations, be aware of the applicable character limit for that message type.
Other LinkedIn Messaging Options
In addition to inmail, you have a few other options for messaging LinkedIn members:
- Direct messages – Send private messages to your 1st-degree connections.
- Group messages – Communicate with your shared group connections.
- Invite to connect – Include a note when requesting to connect.
- Job invitations – Send targeted messages with job postings.
While inmail works for contacting any member, the above options may work better for communicating with your existing network.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s 4000 character inmail limit encourages senders to craft clear, concise messages. By writing targeted inmails that get right to the point, you can maximize the impact of your limited messages.
Following LinkedIn’s guidelines and best practices for professional communication will ensure your inmails are well received and open up more opportunities through networking.
