Being stuck in LinkedIn InMail jail can be frustrating, but there are ways to get out if you find yourself blocked from sending messages. InMail limits are designed to prevent spam and abuse, so following LinkedIn’s guidelines carefully is key. Here are some tips to get back in good standing:
What is InMail Jail?
InMail jail refers to when LinkedIn limits your account’s ability to send InMail messages. This usually happens if you send too many InMails in a short period of time, especially to recipients you’re not connected to. LinkedIn wants to make sure InMail is used for relevant professional communication, not spam.
When in InMail jail, you’ll get errors when trying to send InMails, or your messages may go through but the recipients won’t get them. It’s LinkedIn’s way of temporarily restricting your account.
Why You Might End Up in InMail Jail
There are a few main reasons LinkedIn may throttle your InMail abilities:
- Sending too many InMails in a short timeframe
- Having a low InMail response rate
- Sending InMails to people you’re not connected to
- Sending content LinkedIn deems promotional or spammy
Essentially, if LinkedIn’s algorithms detect you’re abusing InMail, the limits will kick in. This usually happens if you’re using InMail to cold message people en masse vs making relevant 1:1 connections.
How to Get Out of InMail Jail
The good news is you can recover from InMail limits, it just takes some patience and playing by LinkedIn’s rules. Here are some tips:
Stop Sending InMails
First things first, as soon as you notice InMail issues, stop sending messages immediately. Sending more will only make the problem worse and prolong the limits.
Wait It Out
LinkedIn’s algorithms don’t like sudden spikes of activity, so if you sent a lot of InMails in a short burst, just laying low for a while can reset things. Wait a few days or a week without sending any InMails to let the algorithms relax.
Build Connections
One way to avoid InMail jail is to focus on organically building your network. Engage with content, join groups, and make connections. The more real LinkedIn connections you have, the less risky sending InMails will seem to LinkedIn.
Personalize Your Messages
Only send InMails one at a time and make sure each message is personalized for the recipient. Generic or copied and pasted InMails are more likely to be flagged as spam.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
It’s better to send fewer, highly targeted InMails than blast out mass messages. Even just 20-50 thoughtful InMails per week is enough for most purposes.
Track Your Metrics
Pay attention to your response rates and make sure enough recipients are engaging with your InMails. Low response rates are a red flag to LinkedIn. If needed, tweak your targeting and messaging.
Apologize and Self-Report
If you believe you genuinely sent too many InMails too fast by accident, you can self-report to LinkedIn and apologize, asking kindly to have your limits lifted. This isn’t guaranteed to work but it sometimes helps.
Request a Review
Within your LinkedIn settings, you can submit a request for LinkedIn to manually review your account and reconsider your InMail abilities. This isn’t always successful but worth trying.
Wait Out the Ban
If nothing else works, the nuclear option is to simply wait out LinkedIn’s ban. InMail jail typically lasts somewhere between a few days and a few weeks. Just suspend activity until your account is restored.
How to Avoid InMail Jail in the First Place
The best way to handle InMail jail is avoiding it completely. Here are some proactive tips:
- Connect with recipients before messaging them
- Personalize each InMail
- Space out your messages – don’t blast them
- Send no more than 30-50 InMails per week
- Avoid copying InMail templates
- Track your InMail metrics and optimize as needed
- Report abusive InMail senders when you see them
Following LinkedIn’s rules and sending InMail judiciously will keep your account off the radar and ban-free.
InMail Alternatives During Ban
If you urgently need to contact people while banned, you have a few options besides InMail:
- LinkedIn group messages (limit 30/week)
- Comments on their posts and articles
- Mention them in your own posts to get their attention
- Like and comment on their activity to stand out
- Encourage connections to introduce you
While not as direct as InMail, these tactics can facilitate networking during a ban.
Conclusion
Getting stuck in InMail jail can definitely be annoying, but is manageable. The keys are being patient, following LinkedIn’s rules, building authentic connections, personalizing your communication, and optimizing your strategy. With some care and discipline, you can maintain full InMail privileges for effective outreach.
Reason for InMail Ban | How to Correct |
---|---|
Sending too many InMails | Reduce InMail volume to 30-50 per week |
Low response rate | Personalize messages and improve targeting |
Messaging unconnected people | Prioritize connecting first before InMailing |
Spammy content | Cut out promotional content and generic messaging |
This table summarizes common InMail ban triggers and how to resolve them.
What to Remember
- InMail jail is LinkedIn limiting accounts that abuse InMail
- It usually happens when sending too many InMails
- The solution is being patient and strategic with your messages
- Personalize each InMail and focus on quality over quantity
- Slowly build real connections and Engagement on LinkedIn
Following these best practices will keep your account in good standing with full InMail abilities. Just be patient and proactive, and your InMail jail sentence will be over before you know it.