How Many InMails Can You Send on LinkedIn in 2026? [+ Secret Hack to Send Without Premium]
TL;DR
LinkedIn InMail credits range from 5/month (Premium Career) to 150/month (Recruiter). Unused credits roll over for up to 3 months. You can send InMails to Open Profile users for free, no credits required. For high-volume outreach, connection requests and direct messages to connections are free and often perform just as well.
Note: InMail credits reset on your billing anniversary, not the 1st of the month. If your subscription renews on the 15th, your credits refresh on the 15th.
LinkedIn InMail limits are one of the most common frustrations for anyone doing serious outreach. You hit your monthly cap, your campaign stalls, and you're left waiting for the billing cycle to reset.
Understanding exactly how the limits work, and how to work around them, is essential for any consistent prospecting operation.
So, What Exactly Is LinkedIn InMail?
LinkedIn InMail is a paid messaging feature that lets you send messages to LinkedIn members you're not connected to. Unlike regular LinkedIn messages (which require a connection), InMails land directly in a recipient's inbox regardless of your connection status.
InMails are particularly useful for reaching senior decision-makers who don't accept connection requests from strangers, or for situations where you want to make a strong first impression before asking to connect.
Quick heads up! InMail is not the same as a regular LinkedIn message. Regular messages are free but require a connection. InMails cost credits but reach anyone. Open Profile InMails are free and reach anyone with Open Profile enabled.
Are There Any Limitations While Using LinkedIn InMails?
Yes. Several.
Monthly credit limits: You get a fixed number of InMail credits per month based on your plan. Once they're gone, you can't send more InMails until your credits refresh.
No bulk sending natively: LinkedIn doesn't let you send InMails to multiple people at once through the standard interface. Each InMail is sent individually.
Character limits: InMail subject lines are limited to 200 characters. Message bodies are limited to 1,900 characters.
Response rate expectations: InMails typically get lower response rates than messages to connections. The average InMail response rate is around 10-25%, compared to 30-40% for messages to warm connections.
Account standing requirements: LinkedIn can restrict your InMail sending if your messages are frequently marked as spam or if your account has other violations.
Can You Get InMails for Free?
Yes, through two methods:
Open Profile InMails: LinkedIn users who enable Open Profile can receive InMails from anyone for free. No credits required. This is the most powerful free InMail method and is covered in detail below.
Free accounts: Free LinkedIn accounts can't send InMails at all. You need at least a Premium subscription to access InMail.
Note: Some LinkedIn users have "Open Profile" enabled, which means you can message them for free even without a connection. Look for the gold "Open" badge on their profile.
How Many LinkedIn InMail Credits Per Month Can I Send?
| Plan | Monthly InMail Credits |
|---|---|
| Free | 0 |
| Premium Career | 5 |
| Premium Business | 15 |
| Sales Navigator Core | 50 |
| Sales Navigator Advanced | 50 |
| Sales Navigator Advanced Plus | 50 |
| Recruiter Lite | 30 |
| Recruiter (Full) | 150 |
Note: Credits roll over for up to 3 months. If you don't use all 50 credits in a month on Sales Navigator, the unused ones carry forward. The maximum you can accumulate is 3x your monthly allocation.
How to Send 800 LinkedIn InMails Every Month?
800 InMails per month sounds impossible given the credit limits above. But it's achievable by combining multiple free methods with your paid credits.
Note: This approach requires a Sales Navigator subscription and a systematic workflow. It's not a hack — it's using LinkedIn's features as intended.
Send InMail to Open Profiles
This is the most powerful tactic most people don't know about. LinkedIn users who enable "Open Profile" can receive InMails from anyone for free. No credits required.
Open Profile is available to Premium subscribers, and a significant portion of active LinkedIn users have it enabled. Founders, executives, consultants, and people actively building their network are especially likely to have it on.
When you message someone with Open Profile, you get the full InMail experience (no connection required, lands in their inbox) at zero credit cost.
On a list of 200 prospects, if 30% have Open Profile enabled, that's 60 free messages. Those 60 free messages free up 60 credits for the remaining 140 people.
Tools like Outly automatically detect Open Profile users in your prospect list and route free messages to them, so your paid credits are reserved for people who actually require them.
Send Messages to LinkedIn Group Members
LinkedIn lets you message members of groups you belong to, even if you're not connected. This is a free alternative to InMail for reaching people in your target industry.
Join 5-10 relevant LinkedIn groups in your industry. Then, when you want to reach a group member, you can send them a direct message through the group interface without spending an InMail credit.
Note: Group messaging is limited to members of groups you've joined. You can't message someone in a group you're not a member of. Also, some groups have messaging restrictions set by the group admin.
How to Send LinkedIn InMails in Bulk?
LinkedIn doesn't support bulk InMail sending natively. But you can use automation tools to send InMails at scale while staying within LinkedIn's guidelines.
Outly lets you build InMail campaigns that automatically send to your prospect list, detect Open Profile users for free sends, and manage follow-up sequences. Instead of manually sending each InMail, you set up the campaign once and it runs automatically.
The key is staying within LinkedIn's daily limits. Sending too many InMails in a single day can trigger account flags. A sustainable pace is 10-20 InMails per day, spread across your working week.
Which One's Better: InMails or Messages or Emails?
Each channel has different strengths. The best outreach strategy uses all three.
InMails
Best for: Reaching senior decision-makers who don't accept cold connection requests, or making a strong first impression before connecting.
Pros: Reaches anyone on LinkedIn regardless of connection status. Lands directly in their inbox. Feels more formal and considered than a connection request.
Cons: Limited credits. Lower response rates than warm messages. Can feel impersonal if not well-written.
When to use: For your highest-value prospects where you want to make a strong first impression and can't wait for a connection request to be accepted.
Messages
Best for: Following up with existing connections, nurturing relationships, and running high-volume outreach campaigns.
Pros: Free and unlimited for connections. Higher response rates than InMails. More conversational tone.
Cons: Requires a connection first. Connection requests can be ignored or declined.
When to use: For the majority of your outreach. Send a connection request first, then follow up with a message after they accept.
Emails
Best for: Multichannel outreach sequences, following up after LinkedIn contact, and reaching people who aren't active on LinkedIn.
Pros: No LinkedIn limits. Can be automated at scale. Works even if someone isn't active on LinkedIn.
Cons: Harder to find verified email addresses. Lower open rates than LinkedIn messages for cold outreach. More likely to end up in spam.
When to use: As a complement to LinkedIn outreach, not a replacement. A LinkedIn connection followed by an email follow-up creates multiple touchpoints that increase response rates.
Please Note! The best outreach combines all three channels. Connect on LinkedIn, follow up with a message, and add email for prospects who don't respond. Each touchpoint increases the chance of getting a response.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many InMails can I send on LinkedIn per day?
LinkedIn doesn't publish an official daily InMail limit, but sending more than 20-25 InMails per day can trigger account flags. A sustainable pace is 10-15 per day. Spread your sends across the week rather than front-loading them.
How many InMails do you get with LinkedIn Premium?
It depends on the plan. Premium Career gives you 5/month. Premium Business gives you 15/month. Sales Navigator Core gives you 50/month. Recruiter Lite gives you 30/month. Full Recruiter gives you 150/month.
How many profile searches on LinkedIn per month?
Free accounts typically hit the commercial use limit after 300-500 profile views in a month. Sales Navigator and other premium plans have significantly higher limits and generally don't hit this wall during normal prospecting use.
Conclusion
InMail credits are a limited resource, but they're not the only way to reach people on LinkedIn. The most effective outreach strategies combine InMails for high-value prospects, connection requests for volume outreach, Open Profile messages for free InMails, and group messages for niche targeting.
The goal isn't to send as many InMails as possible. It's to generate as many conversations as possible with the credits you have. That means better targeting, better messages, and using every free channel available before spending credits.
When every message costs a credit, you write better messages. Use that as a forcing function for quality.
Ready to Maximize Your LinkedIn Outreach?
Outly automatically detects Open Profile users, manages your InMail campaigns, and runs follow-up sequences so you get more conversations from every credit you spend.
Starter plan: $39.99/month. Pro plan: $79.99/month.
