Send a LinkedIn InMail to a Non-Connection

Desired Outcome

Send a personalized, direct message to a LinkedIn member who is not in your first-degree network, with the message appearing in that person’s LinkedIn messaging inbox. Unlike a connection request, InMail does not require the recipient to accept an invitation before you can message them.

Prerequisites

• A LinkedIn account with messaging enabled.
• At least one InMail credit remaining for the current billing period. Credit allowances vary by subscription tier and change over time, so check your account’s subscription or billing page for the current quota rather than assuming a fixed number.
• The recipient’s profile is visible to you and not blocked or restricted in a way that prevents messaging.
• A web browser or the LinkedIn mobile app.

Procedure

1. Confirm the recipient’s connection degree. Open the person’s profile. If it displays “1st,” use a standard message instead; no InMail credit is required. If it displays “2nd,” “3rd,” or “+,” you need InMail or a connection request with a note, where available.
2. Check your InMail credit balance. Open LinkedIn account settings or the billing/subscription page and confirm how many credits remain. If the balance is zero, InMail will not send.
3. Open Messaging. Click the messaging icon in the top navigation bar, then click Compose or the pencil icon.
4. Select the recipient. Type the person’s name. If they are outside your network and you have credits, LinkedIn should offer an InMail option.
5. Compose the message. Keep the body under 2,000 characters. Avoid repeated promotional language or bulk-style pitches; LinkedIn may restrict accounts that send high volumes of unsolicited messages.
6. Send. Click Send. The message is queued for delivery, and one credit is typically consumed.

Diagnostic Decision Table

Expected Checks

• The compose window presents InMail as an option instead of returning a credit error.
• The message appears in your Sent folder after you click Send.
• Your InMail credit balance decreases by one.
• The recipient can see the message in their LinkedIn inbox; read receipts depend on their settings and your subscription.

Limitations

• Monthly credit caps apply. Free Basic members typically receive zero InMail credits; paid tiers receive a set number that resets each billing cycle and usually does not roll over.
• There is no reliable recall. Once an InMail is sent, you generally cannot remove it from the recipient’s inbox.
• Anti-spam enforcement may trigger temporary messaging restrictions or account warnings if you send repeated promotional messages or outreach at high frequency.
• Messages are capped at 2,000 characters.

Recovery Options

If the message fails to send:

1. Check your credit balance. If it is zero, wait for the next billing cycle or change your subscription plan.
2. Check the Drafts folder. The message may have been saved there if it did not queue.
3. Review the recipient’s profile visibility. Restricted or private profiles may not accept InMail.
4. Contact LinkedIn Support if the failure appears technical rather than credit-related.

Practical Verification

After sending, open Messaging and select Sent to confirm the thread appears with your message. Then open your account’s billing or subscription page and confirm the credit count dropped by one. If neither happens, the message likely did not send.

Rollback

Sending an InMail changes state: a credit is consumed and the message is delivered. LinkedIn does not provide a guaranteed unsend or recall for InMail. If you sent the message to the wrong person, contact LinkedIn Support immediately, but assume the delivery cannot be reversed.