What are the specs for InMail?

InMail is LinkedIn’s internal messaging system that allows LinkedIn members to directly contact other members without sharing their email addresses. As an important communication tool on the platform, InMail has specific features and limitations that determine how it can be used.

How Many InMails Can You Send?

The number of InMails you can send depends on your LinkedIn account type. Here are the InMail sending limits:

• Basic accounts: 0 InMails per month
• Premium Business accounts: 10 InMails per month
• Sales Navigator Team accounts: 10 – 25 InMails per month depending on plan
• Recruiter accounts: 25 – 50 InMails per month depending on plan
• Job Seeker accounts: 5 InMails per month

As you can see, the number of InMails varies based on which LinkedIn product you have. Upgrading to a premium account gives you more ability to directly contact people through InMail.

Who Can You Send InMails To?

You can only send InMails to LinkedIn members who are not in your network. For 1st-degree connections, you must use the regular LinkedIn messaging system instead of InMail.

Essentially, InMail works for initiating contact with new people outside your existing network. You cannot InMail connect with connections since you already have a relationship established.

Are There Limits on InMail Recipients?

Yes, there are some rules about who you can and cannot send InMails to:

• You can only InMail people who have shared their public profile and made it visible to others.
• You cannot send InMails to members who have opted out of receiving them.
• Members can block you if you send too many InMails, which prevents you from contacting them.
• There are also banned lists that block InMails to people like LinkedIn employees.

So while InMail provides direct access to new professional contacts, you cannot use it to spam or annoy people. LinkedIn enforces rules to maintain the professional nature of communications.

What Happens When You Send an InMail?

Here is the process when you send an InMail to another member:

1. You write an InMail message and include a compelling subject line.
2. LinkedIn checks that you have available InMails and that the recipient accepts them.
3. The InMail appears in the recipient’s LinkedIn inbox with your name and profile photo.
4. They can read a preview of your message without opening it.
5. If they want to view the full message, they click on it to open the InMail.

So InMails work much like email in terms of an inbox system. The key difference is that recipients have the chance to preview your InMail before fully opening it.

How Long are InMails Valid For?

InMails expire and become invalid if the recipient does not open them within 7 days. After 7 days without being opened, the InMail disappears from their inbox.

This time limit encourages the sender to make their InMail subjects and previews compelling. It also keeps inboxes clutter-free of old messages.

Can You Retract an InMail?

Yes, you have the ability to retract an InMail within 7 days of sending it. Here is how it works:

• Click the “Retract” link within your sent messages.
• Confirm that you want to retract the InMail.
• The InMail is removed from the recipient’s inbox if it was unopened.
• If the recipient already opened it, retraction just removes it from their list of messages.

So retraction essentially allows you to undo sending the InMail. But it only works if the recipient has not already seen the full message.

Can You Save InMail Drafts?

Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow you to save InMail drafts. If you start writing an InMail but don’t send it, the message will be discarded.

The rationale is that InMail is meant for sending important messages that warrant full, crafted letters. Drafts also complicate the allowed InMail sending limits.

For these reasons, you have to fully compose and send the InMail in one session. Saving drafts is not possible like in normal email clients.

Is There an InMail Character or Word Limit?

InMails have a maximum length of 3,000 characters including spaces. This allows senders adequate space to write long, detailed messages.

However, it is still best practice to keep InMails concise and compelling. Messages with less than 100 words have higher open rates on LinkedIn.

Can You Format Text in InMails?

Yes, InMails support text formatting options to make your messages visually appealing:

• Bold ()
• Italics ()
• Strikethrough ()
• Bullets
• Numbered lists
• Hyperlinks

Use formatting in moderation to highlight key points and relevant links. Avoid overusing it since blocks of bold or italic text are hard to read.

Can You Include Images and Attachments?

InMails do not support including external images or file attachments. You can only include text content with formatting.

This focuses the message on your written pitch. Recipients would likely ignore or delete InMails with mystery attachments anyways due to security concerns.

Are InMails Integrated with Other Tools?

You can integrate InMail with sales tools like Salesforce to track your sending activity and results. Here are some of the capabilities:

• View InMail analytics like open and response rates.
• See send status and receipts confirming delivery.
• Log InMails as associated with leads and accounts in your CRM.
• Apply tags to categorize different InMail campaigns.

So while InMail is directly on LinkedIn, business users can connect it with their broader sales software and workflows.

Can Members Reply to InMails?

Yes, recipients of your InMail can send a reply directly back to you. Replying works the same as normal email correspondence.

The reply shows up in your LinkedIn inbox like a normal message. You can then continue the conversation with the InMail sender.

This back and forth messaging facilitates follow-up discussions with new contacts made through InMail outreach.

Is There an InMail Spam Filter?

LinkedIn does have an algorithmic spam filter that detects inappropriate InMail activity. Here are some things that trigger the spam detection:

• Sending high volumes of InMail from your account
• InMail content that includes spammy words or phrases
• Receiving increased abuse reports from InMail recipients
• Using bots or automation software to send InMails

If you trigger the spam filters, LinkedIn may limit your ability to send InMails temporarily. Make sure to send relevant, thoughtful, one-to-one messages.

Does LinkedIn Recommend Any InMail Best Practices?

Yes, LinkedIn recommends several tips for making your InMail outreach more successful:

• Personalize each message with the recipient’s name and profile specifics.
• Craft a compelling subject line that makes them want to open it.
• Focus on short paragraphs and simple language.
• Highlight common connections you share.
• Explain clearly how you can help them.
• Use InMail for follow-ups after meeting people.

Following these best practices helps ensure your InMails feel relevant rather than robotic. Personalized messages drive much higher response rates.

Conclusion

In summary, InMail provides a directly way to initiate important conversations and relationships on LinkedIn. But there are limits in place to prevent spammy behavior. Follow LinkedIn’s best practices to maximize your InMail open and response rates. Integrate with your CRM to track InMail analytics and effectiveness.