What Is LinkedIn InMail? Credits, Cost, Limits, Examples & InMail vs Messages (2026)

TL;DR: What is InMail on LinkedIn? LinkedIn InMail is a paid direct message you can send to LinkedIn members you're not connected to, without sending a connection request first. It has a subject line of up to 200 characters and a body of up to 1,900 characters. You need a Premium, Sales Navigator or Recruiter plan, and each InMail uses one credit: 5 a month on Premium Career, 15 on Premium Business, 30 on Recruiter Lite and 50 on every Sales Navigator plan. Unused credits roll over for 90 days, and you get a credit back when the recipient responds within 90 days. Regular messages to 1st-degree connections, and messages to members with Open Profile turned on, don't use credits.

What Is LinkedIn InMail?

LinkedIn InMail is LinkedIn's paid direct message for reaching people outside your network. A normal LinkedIn message only works with your 1st-degree connections. InMail lets you message 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections and people outside your network without sending a connection request first.

Every InMail has a subject line (up to 200 characters) and a message body (up to 1,900 characters), and it lands in the recipient's LinkedIn inbox marked as InMail. Sending one costs an InMail credit, which comes with a paid LinkedIn subscription. Free LinkedIn accounts don't get InMail credits.

One exception: members who turn on Open Profile can receive messages from people they aren't connected to, and those messages don't use an InMail credit. More on that in the Open Profile section below.

The Problem InMail Solves (and the One It Creates)

Without InMail, the only way to reach a stranger on LinkedIn is a connection request, and that means waiting for them to accept before you can say anything useful. For sellers and recruiters working a target list, that wait is the bottleneck.

InMail removes the wait, but it adds a budget. Credits are limited, they expire, and every message sent to someone who ignores it is gone for good. So the real question isn't whether InMail works. It's who is worth one of your credits.

How InMail Credits Work

Credits by plan

All three Sales Navigator tiers include the same 50 credits a month, so upgrading from Core to Advanced doesn't buy you more InMail. For plan-by-plan prices, see our breakdown of LinkedIn Sales Navigator pricing.

Rollover and expiration

Unused credits carry over to the next month, but each credit expires 90 days after it was issued. That's why balances top out at a few months' worth of credits. If you cancel your subscription, your remaining InMail balance goes to zero.

Getting credits back

LinkedIn returns the credit when the recipient responds to your InMail within 90 days, including when they accept or decline it. A credit stays spent when the message is ignored or goes unanswered for more than 90 days. In practice, well-targeted InMail costs far less than the sticker math suggests, and poorly targeted InMail costs full price.

Can you buy more InMail credits?

Not on Premium or Sales Navigator. InMail credits come with your plan's monthly allowance, so the way to get more is a plan with a bigger allowance, a refunded credit from a reply, or messages to Open Profile members that don't use credits at all.

LinkedIn InMail Cost: What Each Credit Costs

LinkedIn doesn't sell InMail on its own, but you can work out what each credit costs by dividing the plan's list price by its monthly allowance. These are LinkedIn's US list prices per seat.

This assumes you use every credit and none come back. Each reply returns a credit, so a high response rate lowers your real cost per conversation. And you're not really paying for credits alone: the plan also includes search, lists and other features. Still, the math is a useful gut check. Every InMail you send to someone who isn't a fit is a few dollars of budget that could have gone to a real buyer.

LinkedIn InMail vs Message: What's the Difference?

The short version: if you're connected, send a message. If you're not connected and the person is a strong fit, InMail skips the connection request.

What Is Sponsored InMail?

Sponsored InMail was LinkedIn's name for paid messages sent to an ad audience. LinkedIn renamed it Message Ads in December 2019, and the format works the same way: you build and pay for it as an ad campaign in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Message Ads run on ad spend, not on the InMail credits in your Premium or Sales Navigator plan, so they're a marketing channel rather than one-to-one outreach. For how LinkedIn's ad formats and costs compare, see our guide to LinkedIn ads.

LinkedIn Open Profile: Message Without Using a Credit

Open Profile is a setting for LinkedIn Premium subscribers. When a member turns it on, any LinkedIn member can message them for free, even without a connection, and the message doesn't use an InMail credit. It's the only way to reach someone outside your network on LinkedIn without spending a credit or sending a connection request.

That makes Open Profile worth checking before you spend a credit. If a prospect has it turned on, send the message for free and save your InMail balance for people who don't. If you're on Premium yourself, turning it on makes it easier for buyers, partners and recruiters to reach you.

How to Send InMail on LinkedIn

1. Get a plan that includes InMail. Premium, Sales Navigator and Recruiter plans come with monthly credits; free accounts don't.

2. Open the person's profile. In LinkedIn, select Message on the profile of someone you're not connected to (on some profiles it's under More). In Sales Navigator, open the lead page and select Message.

3. Write a specific subject line. You have up to 200 characters, but short and specific reads better. Reference why you're reaching out to this person now. For InMail subject lines that get opened, our list of LinkedIn cold message subject lines has formulas to start from.

4. Keep the body short and about them. The limit is 1,900 characters, but you rarely need more than a few sentences: one clear reason for reaching out, one relevant point of value, one easy question.

5. Send and track. Sending uses one credit unless the recipient has Open Profile. If they respond within 90 days, the credit comes back.

InMail Character Limit and Response Rate

LinkedIn doesn't publish one official average InMail response rate, but its own analysis of InMails sent on its recruiting platform (LinkedIn Talent Solutions, 2021) shows what moves it:

• Shorter is better. InMails under 400 characters had a response rate 22% higher than average, while InMails over 1,200 characters came in 11% below average.

• One-to-one beats bulk. InMails sent individually got responses roughly 15% more often than InMails sent in bulk.

• Day of week matters a little. Monday was the best day to send; Friday was 4% below average and Saturday 8% below.

The data comes from recruiter InMails, but the pattern holds for sales outreach too: a short, personal message to the right person beats a long template sent to many.

LinkedIn InMail Examples and Templates

These three examples use fictional people and companies. Swap in your own details and keep the structure: a specific reason, one point of value, one easy question.

1. After a buying signal

Subject: Your comment on SDR ramp time

Hi Dana, you commented on Priya's post this week about new SDRs taking months to ramp. We help sales teams cut that time by sending reps leads who are already engaging with their market. Would it be useful if I shared how two teams your size set it up?

2. After a trigger event

Subject: Congrats on the new VP role

Hi Marcus, congratulations on moving to VP of Sales at Northwind. New sales leaders often review pipeline sources in their first 90 days, and that's where we usually help. Open to a 15-minute call next week to compare notes?

3. Shared context

Subject: Fellow speaker at RevOps Summit

Hi Lena, I saw we're both speaking at RevOps Summit next month. Your session on lead routing caught my eye because we work on the same problem from the signal side. Would you be up for a quick chat before the event?

Each example names the reason in the first sentence and asks for something small. That's what makes an InMail feel like a message from a person rather than a sequence.

When an InMail Is Worth a Credit: A 5-Point Checklist

1. They match your ICP. Right role, seniority, company size and industry. If they'd never buy, don't spend the credit.

2. You have a reason to reach out now. A recent post, a comment on a topic you cover, a new role or a company change gives your message context.

3. They're active on LinkedIn. People who post, comment and react are far more likely to see and answer an InMail than dormant profiles.

4. A connection request isn't the better move. If you already share connections or they've engaged with your content, a personalized connection request may cost nothing and work just as well. See our guide to LinkedIn connection acceptance rates.

5. You can check Open Profile first. If they accept messages from anyone, you can reach them without spending a credit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is InMail on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn InMail is a paid message that lets you contact LinkedIn members you're not connected to, without sending a connection request first. It includes a subject line and uses one InMail credit, which comes with Premium, Sales Navigator and Recruiter plans.

What is the LinkedIn InMail character limit?

An InMail subject line can be up to 200 characters and the message body up to 1,900 characters. LinkedIn's own data shows InMails under 400 characters get a response rate 22% higher than average, so most good InMails use a fraction of the limit.

How much does LinkedIn InMail cost?

LinkedIn doesn't sell InMail credits on their own; they come with your plan. Dividing list price by monthly credits gives roughly $4.67 per credit on Premium Business (from $69.99/month for 15 credits) and about $2.40 on Sales Navigator Core ($119.99/month for 50 credits). Every reply within 90 days returns the credit, which lowers the real cost.

What is LinkedIn Open Profile?

Open Profile is a setting for LinkedIn Premium subscribers that lets any LinkedIn member message them for free, even without a connection. Messages to an Open Profile don't use an InMail credit.

What is Sponsored InMail?

Sponsored InMail is the former name of LinkedIn Message Ads, renamed in December 2019. It's an ad format bought through LinkedIn Campaign Manager and paid for with ad spend, not with the InMail credits in your subscription.

What is a good InMail response rate?

LinkedIn doesn't publish a single benchmark, so compare against your own average. LinkedIn's data shows the levers: short InMails (under 400 characters) get 22% more responses than average, and individually sent InMails about 15% more than bulk sends.

How many InMail credits do you get on LinkedIn?

Premium Career includes 5 InMail credits a month, Premium Business 15, Recruiter Lite 30, and every Sales Navigator plan (Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus) 50. Free LinkedIn accounts don't include InMail credits.

Do LinkedIn InMail credits roll over?

Yes, for a limited time. Unused credits carry over, but each credit expires 90 days after it was issued, so balances cap at roughly three months of credits: 15 on Premium Career, 45 on Premium Business, 150 on Sales Navigator and 120 on Recruiter Lite. Cancelling your plan resets the balance to zero.

What is the difference between LinkedIn InMail and a message?

A regular LinkedIn message is free but only works with your 1st-degree connections. InMail reaches members you're not connected to, includes a subject line, and uses one credit from a paid plan. Messages to members with Open Profile turned on don't use a credit.

How do you send an InMail on LinkedIn?

With a Premium, Sales Navigator or Recruiter plan, open the profile of someone you're not connected to and select Message (on some profiles it's under More). Add a subject line of up to 200 characters, write your message and send. In Sales Navigator, start from the lead page and select Message.

Do you get InMail credits back?

Yes. LinkedIn returns the credit when the recipient responds within 90 days, including accepting or declining your InMail. Credits for messages that are ignored or go unanswered past 90 days aren't returned.

The Bottom Line

LinkedIn InMail is the fastest way to reach someone outside your network, but it runs on a small, expiring budget: 50 credits a month at most on Sales Navigator, and a few dollars of plan cost behind every one. The teams that get the most from InMail don't send more of it. They spend credits only on ICP-fit people who are active and showing interest right now, and they send regular messages or connection requests to everyone else. That's the targeting problem traxy solves: its discovery agent scans LinkedIn every hour for people in your ICP who are engaging with your market, enriches them with contact data and routes them to your workflow, so your InMail credits go to buyers who are already paying attention. Plans start at $149/month with a 7-day free trial, no LinkedIn login required.

Related reading:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator Pricing (2026): Core vs Advanced vs Advanced Plus

• 15 LinkedIn Cold Message Subject Lines That Work

• LinkedIn Ads for B2B: Cost, Ad Formats & Lead Gen Forms

• traxy vs Sales Navigator: Which to Use?

• How to Increase LinkedIn Connection Acceptance Rate

• Complete Guide to LinkedIn Lead Generation in 2026