LinkedIn is a popular social media platform used primarily for professional networking and career development. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn allows professionals to connect with each other, join relevant groups, follow companies, and search for jobs. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to directly message other users through the LinkedIn messaging system.
Do you get notified when someone sends you a message?
Yes, you do get notified when someone sends you a message on LinkedIn. Here are the main ways LinkedIn notifies you that you have received a new message:
- Notification icon – You will see a notification icon at the top of your LinkedIn page indicating the number of new messages and other notifications.
- Email notification – LinkedIn will send you an email alerting you to the new message.
- Mobile app notifications – If you have the LinkedIn mobile app installed, you will receive a push notification on your phone when a new message comes in.
By default, LinkedIn is configured to notify you via all these methods whenever you receive a new message. You can control your notification settings by going to your account settings on LinkedIn. For example, you can choose to receive email notifications immediately, receive a daily digest, or turn off email notifications entirely. But at minimum, you’ll see the notification icon on LinkedIn.com or in your mobile app.
Message notification settings
Here are the notification settings you can configure for LinkedIn messages:
- Email notifications – Choose to get emails instantly, get a daily digest, or disable email notifications
- Push notifications – Turn push notifications on or off in your LinkedIn mobile app
- In-app notifications – Notification icon will always appear but you can control sounds and pop-up previews
- Reminder notifications – Opt in to get reminded to respond to messages if you haven’t replied in a certain time period
By default, all notifications are turned on. But you can fine tune these settings by going to your account settings, selecting “Communications”, and then choosing options under “Messages”.
Where do you see new messages?
When someone sends you a new message on LinkedIn, here is where you can view and respond to it:
- LinkedIn website – The notification icon at top of your homepage. Click here and select “Messages” to view conversations.
- LinkedIn mobile app – Go to the Connections tab > Messages to see your conversations.
- Email inbox – If you have email notifications enabled, the full message content will be included in the email.
To make it easy to respond, the message content is fully viewable and respondable no matter where you access it – website, mobile, or email.
Who can message you?
By default, any LinkedIn member can message you. But there are settings to control who can send you messages if you want to limit it:
- Connections – You can limit messages to only your 1st degree connections
- Anyone – Allow all LinkedIn members to message you (default setting)
- No one – Disable messages from everyone outside your company
To change this, go to your settings, select “Communications”, then “Messages” and adjust the preferences under “Who can send you messages?”
Message response time
It’s LinkedIn etiquette to try to respond to messages within 24-48 hours. However, you can take longer to respond if needed. Some tips include:
- If urgent, respond in 1-2 days max
- For non-urgent, aim to reply within a week
- If you can’t respond fully right away, send a quick note to acknowledge receipt
- Set reminders to follow up if you don’t have time to write a full response
The optimal response time depends on the sender and nature of the message. But in general, quicker replies lead to more productive conversations.
Who sees when you’ve read a message?
LinkedIn does not share read receipts on messages. So when someone sends you a message:
- They will NOT see if or when you’ve read their message
- There are NO read receipts or other visibility into when messages are seen
- You have full privacy and control over when to reply
This approach helps give you flexibility in when to respond based on your availability.
Limits on who can message you
While anyone can message you by default, LinkedIn does have some limits in place:
- You can only message someone if you’re connected to them or have a shared connection
- If you have too many unwanted messages, LinkedIn may restrict who can message you
- You can report and block anyone who messages you inappropriately
So while messaging is open, there are moderation policies to maintain a professional environment.
Is there spam filtering?
Yes, LinkedIn does have spam filtering on messages:
- Messages from suspicious accounts may end up in a spam folder
- Obvious spam is automatically blocked from your inbox
- Advanced algorithms filter based on keyword, links, and user patterns
- You can report any messages that look like spam to train the filters
While no spam filtering is 100% perfect, LinkedIn’s algorithms catch the vast majority of unwanted messages.
Can you automate responses?
No, LinkedIn does not allow automating messaging or sending bulk messages to users. Any auto-generated messages or spam behavior could get your account restricted.
You need to personally compose and send each message individually. Automation tools that auto-message LinkedIn users are against the platform’s policies.
Is there a size limit on messages?
LinkedIn does limit the size of text you can include in a single message:
- 10,000 characters maximum per message
- That’s approximately 2000 words or 2-3 paragraphs
- Images, links, and attachments don’t count towards the limit
So you can’t send long articles or blocks of text. But 10,000 characters is sufficient for most professional conversations.
Can you delete messages?
Yes, you can delete messages from your LinkedIn inbox if you no longer want to keep them. Some key points:
- Deleting removes the message from your account only
- Other participants will still have it in their message history
- You can delete full conversations or single messages
- Deleted messages move to a trash folder for 30 days first
To delete a LinkedIn message, click the “More” icon next to the message and choose “Delete”.
LinkedIn messaging vs InMail
LinkedIn has two forms of direct messaging:
- Standard messaging – Free messages between connections
- InMail – Paid messages to anyone on LinkedIn without connecting
With standard messaging, you can only message people you’re connected to. InMail allows you to message anyone, but requires a LinkedIn Premium subscription.
Can you message yourself?
No, LinkedIn does not allow you to send messages to yourself or save notes in the messaging system. Any messages must have a distinct recipient separate from the sender.
Instead, LinkedIn recommends using the activity feed or saving posts to your profile to retain information you want to keep on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn messaging on desktop vs mobile
LinkedIn messaging functions similarly on desktop and mobile:
- See your full message history on both desktop and mobile
- Get notifications of new messages on mobile and desktop
- Messaging interfaces are optimized for each platform
- Ability to seamlessly continue conversations across devices
The only limitation is that some advanced messaging settings are only available on the desktop site under account settings.
Can companies message you?
Yes, designated company representatives can send messages on behalf of company pages:
- Company messages will clearly indicate what company they come from
- You can reply directly to the company or representative
- Business messages must follow LinkedIn policies too
Pages with a Showcase premium subscription have access to company messaging capabilities.
Contacting LinkedIn support
If you have any issues with LinkedIn messaging, here are some ways to contact LinkedIn customer support:
- Help center – LinkedIn Help for messaging troubleshooting guides
- Twitter – Tweet @LinkedInHelp to get assistance from the support team
- Online request – Submit a support request by going to LinkedIn.com and clicking “Get help”
- Premium support – Available 24/7 for Premium subscribers by calling your local support number
LinkedIn aims to provide helpful support for any problems you encounter with messaging or notifications not working as expected.
Conclusion
LinkedIn messaging is a convenient way to have professional conversations and build connections on the platform. With configurable notifications and cross-device syncing, you can stay on top of your LinkedIn messages and cultivate your network through one-on-one communications.
By adjusting your notification settings, responding thoughtfully, and leveraging LinkedIn support when needed, you can have productive messaging experiences on LinkedIn that help you achieve your career and business goals through relationship-building.