As a LinkedIn member, you are given a limited number of InMail credits to start conversations with other members that you are not directly connected to. The default for a free account is 5 credits that can be used per month. This limit is in place for a few key reasons.
Preventing Spam and Abuse
The primary reason for limiting the number of InMails is to prevent spamming and abuse of the messaging system. If every member could send unlimited InMails, many people would utilize them for marketing purposes, recruiting at scale, spreading scams/phishing attempts, etc. By restricting accounts to 5 credits, it helps reduce the spread of unwanted solicitations and protects the LinkedIn community.
With only 5 InMails, you are forced to be more selective and thoughtful about who you reach out to. You cannot blanket the platform with messages, but rather must target specific individuals where that initial outreach makes the most sense.
Building a Trusted Professional Network
LinkedIn aims to be a trusted ecosystem for professional networking and engagement. Maintaining that level of trust means limiting unsolicited outreach and communications. The limited InMail credits per month contributes to building a community based on relevant conversations, rather than allowing unchecked messaging at scale.
Quality Over Quantity
The monthly limit placed on InMail credits encourages quality conversations over mass communication. You only have a fixed number of opportunities to start new conversations, so you are incentivized to make those initial outreaches count.
This helps elevate the level of discourse and meaningful connections on the platform overall.
Upgrading for More Credits
If the default 5 InMail credits per month is too limited for your needs on LinkedIn, there are a couple options to upgrade for more credits:
Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn Premium career subscriptions offer more InMail credits as one of many additional benefits. The various Premium tiers offer:
| Premium Tier | InMail Credits per Month |
|---|---|
| Premium Career | 15 |
| Premium Career Plus | 25 |
| Premium Hiring | 175 |
| Premium Business | 150 |
| Premium Sales | 175 |
As you can see, Premium Career subscriptions lift the limit to 15-25 credits, while the sales and hiring focused tiers provide up to 175 InMails per month. The Premium options provide more flexibility for communicating at scale while maintaining guardrails to prevent true spam/abuse levels.
Purchasing Additional InMail Credits
If a Premium subscription is not ideal for your needs and budget, you can simply purchase additional InMail credits à la carte. This allows you to lift the limits on your free account incrementally rather than paying a monthly subscription fee.
You can purchase packs of 10, 25, 50, 100, or 200 InMail credits. The per unit price per InMail credit decreases at the higher quantities. You can then selectively use these for targeted outreach when needed.
Managing InMail Limits with Workaround Strategies
Even working within the 5 credits per month limit, there are some strategies you can use to maximize your ability to connect with your target audience and minimize restrictions:
Leverage Your 1st Degree Network
Remember, InMail credits are only needed to message members outside of your 1st degree connections. You can communicate freely and unlimited with your direct network. Tap into shared connections and introductions to cover a lot of ground before needing to dip into your limited InMails.
Connect with Targets Before Messaging
Rather than using InMail as the initial outreach, send connection requests first. If they accept, you can then message freely without needing to use a credit. This takes more patience, but can help you conserve InMail limits for only when truly needed.
Optimize Your Profile and Content
The more compelling and professional your own profile is, the more likely potential contacts will be to accept connection requests and respond to your outreach. Invest time in an optimized LinkedIn presence to cut through the noise.
Conclusion
The 5 InMail credit per month limit is purposefully imposed by LinkedIn to maintain a professional community and prevent spam-like activity. But for those needing more messaging capabilities, options exist to purchase additional credits or upgrade to Premium subscriptions with higher allowances. With the right strategies, you can also maximize connection building within the constraints of the freeaccount limits.
The key is making every InMail count by targeting recipients carefully and personalizing the outreach. With only 5 credits to start, you are forced to be more selective and deliberate, rather than blanketing the platform with generic messages. While frustrating at times, the enforced scarcity ultimately raises the quality of communication.