LinkedIn InMail provides a way for LinkedIn members to directly contact other members, even if they are not connected. InMail messages allow you to establish new professional relationships and nurture existing ones. When you receive an InMail message, you may want to quickly respond right from your email. So can you reply to LinkedIn InMail from your email? Let’s explore the options.
Replying to InMail from the LinkedIn Website
The default way to respond to a LinkedIn InMail message is directly within LinkedIn. When you receive an InMail, you will get a notification on LinkedIn. Clicking on that notification will take you to the message within LinkedIn. At the bottom of the message, there is a text box that allows you to type out and send your reply.
Replying directly on the LinkedIn website allows you to easily carry on the conversation within LinkedIn’s messaging system. All InMail messages remain private between the sender and recipient. As long as you stay within the InMail conversation thread, your messages will not be visible to anyone else on LinkedIn.
Benefits of Replying on LinkedIn
- Keeps the conversation private within InMail
- Lets you include images, links, or attachments
- Allows you to easily continue the conversation thread later
Replying to InMail Through Your Email
While the LinkedIn website provides the best experience for responding to InMail, you also have the option to reply from your regular email account. When you receive an InMail message, it will also show up in your email inbox.
The email will come from the LinkedIn member who contacted you and include a snippet of their message. At the bottom of the email, there is a “Reply” button. Clicking this will open up a new email message in your email app addressed to the sender.
This allows you to quickly fire off a response without needing to jump over to LinkedIn. However, there are some limitations with email replies:
Limitations of Email Replies
- Messages will no longer be private within InMail
- Harder to keep track of ongoing conversations
- No option to add images, links, or attachments
While fast and convenient, replying directly from email takes the conversation out of the private LinkedIn InMail channel. The messages will now go through regular email and be visible to any email providers involved.
Email replies also make it harder to continue the conversation within LinkedIn later. There is no ongoing thread, so you would need to start a new InMail message to follow up.
Best Practices for Replying
When considering how to respond to LinkedIn InMail messages, following these best practices can help:
- Reply promptly – Quick responses make a good impression and keep conversations going.
- Personalize your reply – Add context and relate back to the sender’s original message.
- Ask questions – Continue the dialogue by asking follow-up questions.
- Watch your tone – Be professional and courteous, even in email.
- Follow-up within LinkedIn – If you reply by email, continue conversations in InMail when possible.
Turning Off Email Notifications
If you prefer to keep InMail conversations exclusively within LinkedIn, you can turn off the email notifications.
To disable LinkedIn InMail emails:
- Go to your LinkedIn account settings
- Select “Communications” from the menu
- Go to “Email preferences”
- Uncheck the box next to “Someone sends me an InMail”
With email notifications turned off, the only way to see and reply to InMail messages will be on LinkedIn directly. This prevents your InMail conversations from spilling over into external email.
Using an Email Management App
If you like getting InMail emails but want to keep things separate, using an email management app could help. Apps like Boomerang or Mixmax allow you to turn on special handling rules for LinkedIn InMail responses.
For example, you could set up a rule to move any replies to LinkedIn InMails into a separate folder. Or automatically archive them after sending so they don’t clutter your main inbox. Email apps give you more options to manage InMail responses from your email efficiently.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn intends InMail messaging to occur within their platform, you can reply to InMails directly from your email. However, this takes the conversation out of the private InMail channel and makes ongoing follow-ups more difficult.
For the best experience, replying to LinkedIn InMails directly on LinkedIn is recommended. But with some email management, you can handle InMail responses from email while keeping your inbox organized.
Replying promptly and continuing conversations on LinkedIn helps build relationships through InMail. With the right tools, you can engage with your network efficiently no matter how you prefer to respond.
Replying on LinkedIn | Replying via Email |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reply to LinkedIn InMail from my phone?
Yes, you can reply to LinkedIn InMail from either the LinkedIn mobile app or your regular email app on your phone. The LinkedIn app provides the best experience for responding privately. Replying through your email makes the conversation external.
Do I need a LinkedIn Premium account to use InMail?
No, you can send and receive InMail messages with a regular free LinkedIn account. Premium accounts get more InMail credits per month but they are not required to use the feature.
What happens if I don’t reply to a LinkedIn InMail?
If you don’t reply to an InMail, the sender will not receive any notification or indication that you’ve seen the message. The message will remain in your inbox until you delete it. Replying, even just to say you’re not interested, helps provide closure.
Can I report or block someone who sends inappropriate InMails?
Yes, you can report any InMail that violates LinkedIn’s policies or that you find inappropriate. From the InMail message, use the Report link to start the process. You can also block a member who sends unwanted InMails.
InMail Etiquette Tips
To make the most of InMail, keep these etiquette tips in mind:
- Be selective – Only use InMail when you have a specific purpose and valuable relationship to gain.
- Personalize your message – Make it meaningful and show you did research on the recipient.
- Keep it short and focused – Get to the point within a few concise paragraphs.
- Follow up if needed – One message may not be enough to get a response.
- Respect wishes – If asked not to contact someone further, honor that request.
- Use sparingly – Avoid spamming people with frequent or mass InMails.
Key Takeaways
- Replying directly within LinkedIn keeps InMail conversations private and contained.
- You can reply quickly from email but this takes the conversation out of InMail.
- Disabling email notifications prevents InMail from spilling into your inbox.
- Email management apps let you control InMail responses from your inbox.
- Reply promptly and continue conversations within InMail whenever possible.