Questions people ask about InMail
How is it different from a normal message?
A regular LinkedIn message only works between people who are already connected. InMail is the exception: it reaches someone outside your network without a connection request first. It lands in the same inbox, but it has a subject line and is marked so the reader knows it came from someone they are not connected with.
Do I need a paid plan?
Usually. Premium subscriptions, Sales Navigator and LinkedIn’s recruiting products come with a set number of InMail credits, and each InMail you send uses one. The exception is Open Profile: some members turn on this setting, which lets anyone message them without spending a credit. Plan details and credit rules change over time, so check LinkedIn’s current plan pages for the exact terms. Our page on LinkedIn Premium covers what else the plans include.
Can I InMail anyone?
Not quite. Members can decide in their own settings how open they are to InMail and messages from people outside their network, so some people simply are not reachable this way.
Should I send InMail or a connection request?
Try the free route first. If you share a group or a mutual connection, a connection request with a short note may get you the same conversation at no cost, and you stay in each other’s network afterward. InMail makes more sense when timing matters and you cannot connect. The InMail vs message guide compares the two in detail.
How long should it be?
A few short paragraphs. Most people read messages on a phone, and a screen-length block of text gets skimmed or saved for “later,” which often means never.
How many times should I follow up?
Once. If there is no reply after a reasonable wait, one short, polite nudge is fine. After that, move on. The free Follow-up Message Generator helps you write one that does not sound pushy.
A sample InMail
Here is an example to show the shape. The names and details are invented.
Subject: Your post on cutting onboarding docs
Hi Dana,
Your post last week about cutting new-hire onboarding from ten documents to three stuck with me. I run onboarding for a 40-person support team and we are still at seven.
Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week? I mostly want to ask how you decided which three to keep.
Either way, thanks for writing it.
[Your Name]
Why it is built this way:
- The subject line names the topic and the reason this person was picked. No “Quick question” or “Opportunity.”
- The first sentence is about her, and it is specific enough that she knows it is not a mass message.
- There is one ask, it is small, and it is easy to say no to.
- The closing line gives value back even if she declines.
Each InMail costs a credit, which is a good reason to write it as carefully as this. A careless one spends the credit and can close a door that a patient connection request would have opened.
Write yours
Draft a first version with the free Cold Message and InMail Generator, or start from our cold message templates. For the full method, read how to write a LinkedIn cold message.