On LinkedIn, the number of connections you can send messages to depends on your account type. The free Basic account allows you to send messages to anyone in your direct network, which includes your 1st-degree connections. Paid Premium accounts provide additional messaging capabilities beyond your own network.
With a Basic account, you can send InMail messages to your 1st-degree connections, which are people you are directly connected with on LinkedIn. You are limited to sending InMail messages to your direct connections only. This allows you to reach out and communicate with your existing professional network on LinkedIn.
To expand your messaging capabilities, Premium accounts unlock several key benefits:
- Send InMail messages beyond your own network to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
- See full profiles of your 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.
- Use advanced search filters and options.
- See who has viewed your profile.
Premium accounts dramatically increase the number of people you can reach out to by allowing InMail messages to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections. You can communicate beyond just your direct connections.
Messaging 1st-Degree Connections
With a Basic LinkedIn account, you can send messages to any of your 1st-degree connections. These are people you are directly connected to on LinkedIn.
You can connect with professionals in your industry, classmates, coworkers, friends, family members and more. As you build out your network with more 1st-degree connections, the number of people you can message also grows.
On LinkedIn’s Basic or free account, here are the key messaging capabilities:
- Send unlimited InMail messages to your 1st-degree connections.
- Send connection requests to expand your network.
- Receive messages from any of your connections.
This allows you to communicate and stay in touch with your direct professional network on LinkedIn at no cost. For wider communication capabilities, you would need to upgrade to a Premium account.
How Many 1st Connections Can You Have?
The number of 1st-degree connections you can have is unlimited. You can connect with as many professionals, coworkers, classmates, friends and family as you want.
Most LinkedIn users have between 200-500 1st-degree connections on average. But it’s possible to have over tens of thousands of 1st-degree connections if you actively network and connect with many professionals.
Some tips to expand your 1st-degree network:
- Proactively send connection requests to professionals in your industry.
- Import contacts from your email.
- Connect with previous coworkers and classmates.
- Follow up with new people you meet at events and conferences.
- Engage with content shared by relevant professionals.
The larger your 1st-degree network, the more people you can potentially message and communicate with.
Limits on 1st-Degree Messaging
While you can message an unlimited number of 1st-degree connections, there are some limits in place:
- Can only send 60 InMail messages per month with a Basic account.
- InMail messages have character limits.
The 60 InMail messages per month limit prevents overuse of messaging capabilities. But for most professionals, this is typically sufficient volume.
If you do hit the limit, you must wait until the next month to send more messages or upgrade to a Premium account. Premium removes this monthly sending limit.
There is also a character limit of 3600 on InMail messages. So you cannot write extremely long messages.
Overall, the messaging limits are reasonable for communicating within your own network of professional connections on LinkedIn.
2nd-Degree Connections
2nd-degree connections on LinkedIn are people connected to your 1st-degree connections. Essentially, they are one step removed from your own direct network.
Without a Premium account, you can see the profiles of your 2nd-degree connections, but cannot message them directly.
Upgrading to Premium allows you to send InMail messages to your 2nd-degree connections. This significantly increases the volume of professionals you can reach out to on LinkedIn.
Connecting with 2nd-Degree Connections
To connect and message a 2nd-degree connection, you must first send them a connection request. This will make them a 1st-degree connection.
On Premium accounts, you can see full profiles of your 2nd-degree connections. This allows you to identify relevant professionals you may want to connect with.
After sending a connection request, you can communicate with them once they accept it. This moves them into your 1st-degree network.
Some tips for connecting with 2nd-degree connections:
- Review their full profile to see if you have common connections or shared interests.
- Personalize the connection request note referencing a mutual connection, university, or company.
- Follow up if they do not accept your initial request.
Expanding your network using 2nd-degree connections is a smart way to grow your messaging reach on LinkedIn in a targeted, professional manner.
Limits on 2nd-Degree Messaging
The number of InMail messages you can send to 2nd-degree connections depends on your Premium account type:
- Premium Business: 250 InMails per month
- Premium Career: 150 InMails per month
Note that InMail messages sent to your 1st-degree connections do not count against your 2nd-degree allotment. So the InMail limits are quite generous with Premium accounts.
Overall, Premium unlocks powerful messaging capabilities with both 1st and 2nd-degree connections on LinkedIn.
3rd-Degree Connections
With Premium Business or Sales Navigator accounts, you can message LinkedIn members beyond your 2nd-degree network.
3rd-degree connections are members connected to your 2nd-degree connections. So they are essentially two steps removed from you and your own 1st-degree connections.
Messaging capabilities for 3rd-degree connections require higher-tier Premium packages.
Connecting with 3rd-Degree Connections
Before messaging a 3rd-degree connection, you first need to send them a connection request. This moves them into your 2nd-degree network.
After they accept your request, you can then message them using your 2nd-degree messaging allotment.
Tips for successfully connecting with 3rd-degree connections:
- Reference any common interests, groups, or associations you may share.
- Note if you have met them previously in person at an event or conference.
- Explain why you want to connect with them professionally.
Personalized connection requests are more likely to be accepted by 3rd-degree connections with no existing direct ties to you.
Limits on 3rd-Degree Messaging
Messaging capabilities for 3rd-degree connections depend on your Premium account:
- Premium Business: 100 InMails per month to 3rd-degree connections
- Sales Navigator Pro: 60 InMails per month to 3rd-degree connections
The number of InMail messages varies, but both packages allow you to communicate beyond just your 1st and 2nd-degree networks. This is valuable for sales prospecting and recruiting.
While connecting with 3rd-degree connections takes more effort, it can open up new opportunities and widen your professional network significantly.
Finding Connections
LinkedIn offers powerful searching and filtering tools to help you easily find connections and identify who you can message.
Search Filters
Advanced search filters under the “People” section allow you to search for LinkedIn members based on location, company, job title, skills, and more. You can then filter these searches by relationship:
- 1st-degree connections
- 2nd-degree connections
- 3rd-degree, Group Members
- Everyone else on LinkedIn
This makes it easy to find the right connections to message whether they are within your network or not. Helpful for recruiting, sales prospecting, and networking.
Who’s Viewed Your Profile
Premium accounts provide access to the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section under My Network. This shows 2nd and 3rd-degree connections who have recently viewed your profile.
You can then connect with these professionals and send InMail messages if relevant to you. Useful for identifying professionals interested in connecting.
TeamLink
Sales Navigator accounts also include TeamLink. This tool shows you which of your coworkers are connected to the professionals you are researching.
You can leverage your coworkers’ connections to establish credibility and ask for introductions to the members you want to message and connect with.
Overall, LinkedIn provides the discoverability tools and filters needed to identify the right connections and professionals to message at scale.
Premium vs. Basic Differences
Here is a quick comparison of the key messaging differences between LinkedIn’s Basic and Premium account types:
Basic
- InMail messages only to 1st-degree connections
- 60 InMail limit per month
- See only partial profiles of 2nd and 3rd-degree networks
- No advanced search filters
Premium
- InMail messages to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections
- Larger InMail allotments per month
- See full profiles of 2nd and 3rd-degree networks
- Advanced search filters and recommendations
- See who’s viewed your profile
Clearly, Premium unlocks more messaging capabilities and improves discoverability of new connections on LinkedIn.
Use Case Examples
Here are some examples of how different professionals can optimize their messaging capabilities on LinkedIn:
Job Seekers
Job seekers can message connections at their target companies to inquire about open positions and get referral bonuses. The wider your network, the more employee connections you can potentially reach.
Freelancers
Freelancers and consultants can use LinkedIn messaging to connect with prospective clients they’ve identified through Project Catalog or search. Quick inquiries and responses can lead to landed gigs.
Sales Professionals
Sales reps can research prospects on LinkedIn and reach out via InMail to schedule calls, share content, and make personalized pitches. Premium accounts provide sufficient volume.
Recruiters
Recruiters can source passive candidates using advanced search filters and messaging tools. This allows them to connect with relevant professionals open to new job opportunities.
The use cases are endless. LinkedIn messaging powers meaningful professional communication and relationship-building at scale.
Tips for Messaging Success
Here are some best practices for effectively messaging your connections on LinkedIn:
- Personalize each message with a specific reason you want to connect.
- Be concise yet warm — don’t oversell or be overly formal.
- Reference any common connections, groups, or interests you share.
- Follow up if you don’t receive a response after a few days.
- Monitor your sent messages and reply promptly to any responses.
- Adapt your messaging style and approach depending on the recipient.
With good messaging etiquette, you can build meaningful relationships, even if you lacked a prior connection.
Summary
On LinkedIn, the number of connections you can message depends heavily on your account type. Basic accounts can message 1st-degree connections only, while Premium unlocks 2nd and 3rd-degree messaging.
Best practices like personalization, relevance and good follow up go a long way in driving productive communication and expanding your network.
LinkedIn messaging allows for targeted, professional communication at scale. Use it strategically as part of your overall sales, recruiting, job seeking or networking approach to build relationships and opportunities.