There are a few reasons why you may not be able to send messages to someone on LinkedIn. Here are some of the most common issues and how to resolve them:
You Aren’t Connected
On LinkedIn, you can only send private messages to people you are connected with. If you try to message someone you are not connected to, you’ll get an error saying you need to connect first.
To send a connection request, go to their profile and click “Connect” next to their photo. If they accept your request, you will then be connected on LinkedIn and able to message each other.
Their Settings Don’t Allow Messages
Some LinkedIn members change their settings so they can only receive messages from people they are connected to. If you try to message someone you’re not connected to who has this setting enabled, it will fail.
To fix this, you need to send them a connection request first. Once they accept, you’ll be able to message them.
You are Blocked
If someone has blocked you on LinkedIn, you won’t be able to send them messages. When you try, you’ll get an error saying you “can’t send messages to this recipient.”
There’s no way to override this or send them messages unless they choose to unblock you. The only option is to try connecting with them from a different account if you need to get in touch.
They Closed Their Account
If someone closed their LinkedIn account, any messages you try to send will fail with an error that the account no longer exists.
Unfortunately there is no way around this. You won’t be able to contact them on LinkedIn unless they reactivate their account.
You are Temporarily Restricted
If you send too many unsolicited connection requests or messages, LinkedIn may temporarily restrict your account. This means you won’t be able to send messages to new people for a period of time.
The only way to restore your messaging abilities is to wait out the restriction period, which is usually 1-7 days. Avoid spamming people to prevent this from happening.
Their InMail is Full
LinkedIn InMail is a special messaging system that lets you contact anyone, even if you’re not connected. But each account has a limit on how many InMails they can receive.
If you try to message someone who is out of InMails, it will fail. They need to either connect with you directly or wait until their InMail capacity resets after a month in order for you to contact them.
You are Banned
If you violate LinkedIn’s terms of service, such as sending spam or harassing messages, your account can be banned entirely. Banned accounts are unable to send any messages on LinkedIn.
To regain messaging abilities after being banned, you would need to appeal to LinkedIn support and have them remove the ban – but this is unlikely unless it was applied in error.
Their Account is Too New
LinkedIn places restrictions on brand new accounts, such as not being able to send messages. If someone you’re trying to contact just created their account, that could be why.
Have them confirm their email address and use LinkedIn for a couple weeks to remove the new account restrictions. After that initial period, they’ll be able to receive messages normally.
You are Flagged for Spam
If LinkedIn’s automated filters detect high levels of spam signals coming from your account, you may be flagged as a likely spammer/scammer. This prevents you from being able to message new people.
To get unflagged, make your account seem more legitimate by adding connections, a profile photo, and posting updates. Legitimate activity will convince LinkedIn you are not a spammer and restore messaging.
LinkedIn is Down
Like any website or app, LinkedIn experiences occasional downtime and technical issues. When the servers are down or overloaded, messaging may fail temporarily.
Check LinkedIn’s status page to see if there are any identified problems with the platform. If so, wait for LinkedIn engineers to resolve the outage and try messaging again later.
Conclusion
In most cases, not being able to message someone on LinkedIn indicates you are not properly connected, one of your accounts has restrictions, or there is a technical issue. By understanding the various reasons messaging could fail, you can troubleshoot the problem and find ways to reestablish contact.
Reason | Solution |
---|---|
Not connected | Send connection request |
Their settings disallow | Connect first, then message |
You are blocked | Wait for them to unblock you |
Account closed | Wait for them to reactivate account |
Temporary restriction | Wait out restriction period |
InMail full | Connect directly or wait for reset |
Banned account | Appeal ban to LinkedIn |
New account restrictions | Have them confirm email and wait |
Flagged for spam | Improve legitimacy of account |
LinkedIn downtime | Wait for outage resolution |
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some general tips for troubleshooting LinkedIn messaging issues:
- Make sure you and the recipient have active, non-restricted accounts
- Try connecting directly if messaging fails due to lack of connection
- If connected, check that your messaging privileges haven’t been revoked
- Test messaging other contacts to see if it’s an account-specific or general issue
- Check LinkedIn’s status page for platform problems during an outage
- On mobile, force close and re-open the app to refresh the connection
- Desktop users can try clearing cache and cookies to eliminate browsing conflicts
- Double check spelling of the exact profile name and URL of the account you want to message
When to Contact LinkedIn Support
If you’ve tried the troubleshooting tips above and still can’t send messages, it’s time to contact LinkedIn support directly. Some cases where you’ll need assistance include:
- Account has been banned and you want to appeal
- Profile is restricted and you want the limits removed
- Believe your account has been incorrectly flagged for spam
- See an error message that states to contact support
- Persistent technical or bug-related messaging failures
- Recipient claims to have received no messages from you
LinkedIn’s Help Center has forms to submit for general issues or account access problems. Provide detailed information and screenshots when opening a ticket.
Preventing LinkedIn Messaging Problems
You can avoid many LinkedIn messaging roadblocks by following best practices:
- Only message people relevant to your industry or interests
- Personalize connection requests instead of spamming everyone
- Be thoughtful and professional in your messaging tone
- Honor requests to stop messaging if asked
- Use LinkedIn for legitimate relationship-building, not spam
- Check your account status regularly for restrictions
- Don’t automate messaging or send bulk mail blasts
Following LinkedIn’s guidelines for respectful messaging will keep your account in good standing. You’ll be able to easily troubleshoot any rare hiccups that occur.
Key Takeaways
- Direct connection is required for messaging someone who has limited settings
- Blocking and bans prevent any further contact unless reversed
- New, inactive, and spam-flagged accounts have messaging limitations
- Technical issues cause temporary disruptions to LinkedIn messaging
- Troubleshoot specific issues by checking account status and settings
- For complex problems, reach out to official LinkedIn customer support
- Mindful messaging habits reduce the risk of restrictions on your account