When you send a message to someone on LinkedIn, the status of that message can tell you important information about whether your message was seen and read. Understanding the different LinkedIn message statuses can help you know if your messages are getting through and being opened.
What the Different LinkedIn Message Statuses Mean
Here are the main message statuses you may see on LinkedIn and what they indicate:
- Sent – This means you have sent the message and it is currently pending/unopened by the recipient.
- Delivered – The message has been delivered to the recipient’s LinkedIn inbox. But they have not yet opened or read it.
- Read – The recipient has opened the message and saw the content. This status will display after the message has been read.
- Undelivered – LinkedIn was unable to deliver the message. This usually occurs when you message someone you are not connected to.
Seeing Message Statuses
You can see the status of messages you have sent by going to your LinkedIn inbox. The inbox shows all your message threads, with the current status displayed below each one.
For example, you may see “Delivered” under a message thread. This lets you know the recipient has received but not yet read your message.
To see the status of a specific message, click into the message thread. The status will be shown below your message.
Reasons You May See “Undelivered”
If you try to send a LinkedIn message to someone you are not connected to, the status may show as “Undelivered.” There are a few reasons this can happen:
- You do not have any existing 1st-degree connections in common with the recipient.
- The recipient has their message settings restricted to only allow messages from people in their network.
- The recipient’s inbox is full so LinkedIn cannot deliver new messages.
In these cases, your message will not be sent to the intended recipient. You will need to connect with them first before messaging, or have them adjust their settings to allow messages from outside connections.
No Status Showing?
If you do not see any message status displayed in your sent messages, here are some possible reasons:
- You have not refreshed the page since sending the message. Try reloading the inbox view.
- You sent the message very recently. It can take some time for the status to populate.
- You are viewing your inbox from a different LinkedIn platform (mobile app vs. desktop site). The statuses may be different.
Give it a few minutes and try refreshing if you do not see an initial status on your sent messages. The status should appear shortly after sending.
What If a Message Status Stays “Sent”?
If your message status continues to show as “Sent” even after some time has passed, here are some things that could be going on:
- The recipient has not checked their LinkedIn messages yet to receive it.
- Your message ended up in the recipient’s “Other” filtered inbox rather than primary.
- The recipient is ignoring your message.
- There is a technical issue preventing delivery of your message.
If a status stays “Sent” for an extended period, it is a good idea to follow up with another message or connection request. Or you can try contacting the recipient through another method outside of LinkedIn messaging.
Following Up on LinkedIn Messages
If you have not received a response to your initial LinkedIn message, follow these tips on when and how to follow up:
- Wait at least 3-5 business days before your first follow up message.
- Be sure the recipient has read your previous message before following up again.
- Keep your follow up short, acknowledge the previous message, and add a question or call to action.
- Do not send more than 2-3 follow up messages without a response.
Following up shows you are interested in connecting with the recipient. But avoid pestering them with constant messages if they do not respond.
Is the Recipient Active on LinkedIn?
Before concluding that your LinkedIn messages are being ignored or going unread, check to see if the recipient is actively using LinkedIn at all currently. Here are signs they may not be checking messages:
- Their profile has not been updated in a long time.
- They have not posted or engaged with content recently.
- Your shared connections say they changed jobs/roles.
If the recipient seems inactive on LinkedIn, try reaching out to them through a different method like email or phone. Don’t assume they are deliberately ignoring your messages on an platform they no longer use actively.
Possible Reasons LinkedIn Messages Go Unanswered
There are many reasons that your carefully crafted LinkedIn messages may go unanswered by the recipient. Here are some of the most common:
- They received too many messages to respond to all of them.
- They did not see enough value in connecting or responding to you specifically.
- Your message got lost amongst their other notifications.
- You messaged them at a busy time and your message got forgotten.
- Your message went to the wrong inbox folder.
Don’t take an unanswered message personally. Follow up when appropriate, then move on if they continue not to respond. Keep networking and messaging others on LinkedIn who may be more responsive.
Adjusting Your LinkedIn Message Settings
As a recipient, you can adjust your LinkedIn messaging settings to control which messages end up as “Undelivered.” Here are the settings to check:
- Only allow messages from people in your network. – Turn this on to block non-connections.
- Filter low-quality messages. – Enable this to send certain messages to “Other” inbox.
- Pause messages. – Use this to temporarily stop receiving new messages if your inbox is overwhelmed.
Adjust these based on the volume and quality of messages you want to receive. But keep in mind, overly strict settings may block messages from people you want to connect with.
Troubleshooting LinkedIn Message Issues
If you experience ongoing problems with LinkedIn messaging, try these tips to troubleshoot:
- Check your account settings and make sure messages are enabled.
- Confirm you have the latest version of the LinkedIn mobile app.
- Try logging out and back into LinkedIn on the affected platform.
- Clear cache/cookies and restart your web browser if on desktop.
- Contact LinkedIn customer support for additional help.
Most LinkedIn messaging issues can be resolved quickly. But if problems persist, reach out to LinkedIn support to investigate further based on any error messages you are seeing.
Key Takeaways
- Pay attention to LinkedIn message statuses so you know if your messages are being delivered and read.
- Follow up if you don’t get a response, but don’t overdo it with constant messages.
- Adjust your settings if you want to limit who can message you on LinkedIn.
- Don’t take lack of responses personally – many factors can cause your messages to be ignored.
- Troubleshoot any ongoing message errors or problems you encounter.
Understanding and properly using LinkedIn messaging features takes some practice. But with the right strategies, you can have productive conversations that build your professional network and opportunities.