The short answer
LinkedIn InMail templates are reusable structures for messaging people you aren't connected to from a paid plan. A good InMail has a specific subject line, a body of a few short lines (LinkedIn allows up to 2,000 characters), one clear reason for writing and an easy question. Any response within 90 days returns the credit.
On this page
Key takeaways
Credits are scarce: Sales Navigator includes 50 InMail credits a month and Premium Business 15. You can't buy extras, so spend them on high-fit accounts.
Even a no pays back: LinkedIn returns the credit when an InMail is accepted, declined or answered within 90 days. Easy-to-answer messages earn credits back.
Subject line does the work: InMail allows a subject of up to 200 characters. Make it about their company, not 'Quick question'.
Short beats allowed: You get 2,000 characters. Use a few hundred. Short InMails read like a person; long ones read like a campaign.
How LinkedIn InMail Credits Work in 2026
InMail credits come with paid plans, renew monthly and can't be bought separately. Here are the numbers from LinkedIn's Help Center at the time of writing.
| Plan | Credits per month | Maximum you can bank |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Career | 5 | 15 |
| Premium Business | 15 | 45 |
| Recruiter Lite | 30 | 120 |
| Sales Navigator (Core, Advanced, Advanced Plus) | 50 | 150 |
Sources: InMail credits and renewal and InMail credits in Sales Navigator on the LinkedIn Help Center.
- Sales Navigator credits renew on the 1st. New credits arrive on the first day of each month (UTC), and unused ones must be used within 90 days.
- Credits don't cross products. Premium credits can't be used to send InMail in Sales Navigator or Recruiter.
- Credits don't survive a plan change. Cancel or switch subscription type and the balance doesn't transfer.
- Some members opt out. People can turn off InMail in their settings, and you can't reach them that way.
Not every message to a stranger costs a credit. Premium members with Open Profile on can be messaged for free. Our LinkedIn cold message guide covers all the routes.
How LinkedIn Counts InMail Responses
LinkedIn counts a response broadly, and that changes how you should read your numbers. An InMail that is accepted, declined or replied to within 90 days earns its credit back.
- A decline counts. On Sales Navigator, "Not interested" earns the credit back, as do "Interested" and "Maybe later."
- Auto replies count. Sales Navigator treats an out-of-office reply as a response.
- Pending doesn't count. An unopened or ignored InMail earns nothing back, and deleting it doesn't either.
Track positive replies separately. Because declines and auto replies count as responses, a healthy-looking response rate can hide a weak message. Log interested replies and meetings booked per InMail sent, and judge templates on those. Treat any InMail response rate you see quoted online with the same caution: ask what it counts.
Make a no easy. The credit rules reward clarity. A message that's easy to decline gets answered, which returns your credit and tells you where you stand.
InMail Subject Lines and Length
The subject line and first line show in the preview, so they decide whether the rest gets read. LinkedIn allows a subject of up to 200 characters and a body of up to 2,000, per its InMail help article. Use a fraction of both.
Subject lines that earn the open:
- Name their initiative. "Halden's Dallas terminal" or "Spot quotes at Halden."
- Name the trigger. "Your three pricing analyst roles."
- Name a peer pattern. "How brokers your size handle quote spikes."
- Skip the bait. "Quick question", "Following up" and "Opportunity" look like every other InMail.
For more ideas, the principles in our subject line generator guide apply to InMail too.
Body length: three to six short lines. If you need more, your reason for writing isn't sharp enough yet.
10 LinkedIn InMail Templates by Scenario
Each template has a subject and a body. Fill every bracket with something true and specific to the account, or don't send it.
1. The trigger event
Subject: [Company]'s [trigger]
Hi [Name], saw [Company] is [trigger: hiring three pricing analysts].
That usually means [likely problem: quote volume is outgrowing the desk].
We help [peer type] with exactly that. Is it a priority this quarter?
2. New in role
Subject: Your first 90 days at [Company]
Congrats on the move to [Company], [Name].
New [title]s often review [process] early. If that's on your list,
I've seen what [peer type] changed first. Worth a short exchange?
3. Peer proof
Subject: How [peer type] handle [problem]
Hi [Name], we work with [peer type: two regional brokers your size]
who were [pain]. They now [outcome].
Curious whether [Company] sees the same thing. Open to comparing notes?
4. The right person
Subject: Who owns [problem area] at [Company]?
Hi [Name], I'm looking for whoever owns [problem area] at [Company].
Is that you, or should I speak with someone on your team?
Either answer helps, and thanks in advance.
5. After an event
Subject: Following [event]
Hi [Name], I caught your session at [event] on [topic].
Your point about [specific detail] matches what we see with [peer type].
How is [Company] approaching it this year?
6. After an unanswered email
Subject: [Topic], trying LinkedIn
Hi [Name], I emailed last week about [topic]. Trying here in case it's easier.
Short version: [one-line value]. Is that relevant for [Company] right now?
7. Their content
Subject: Your post on [topic]
Hi [Name], your post on [topic] made a sharp point: [specific point].
We see the same pattern with [peer type].
What prompted it? Something changing at [Company]?
8. They use an alternative
Subject: [Company] and [current approach]
Hi [Name], it looks like [Company] handles [process] with [current approach].
Most teams we talk to do too, until [specific limit] starts to bite.
Has that come up for you yet, or is it working well?
9. Re-engaging a past conversation
Subject: Picking up from [month]
Hi [Name], we spoke in [month] about [topic] and timing wasn't right.
Since then [Company] has [change]. Worth revisiting, or still not a focus?
10. Founder to founder
Subject: Founder question on [topic]
Hi [Name], fellow founder here. I'm building [one-line description].
Saw [Company] [specific detail]. How did you decide to [decision they made]?
Genuinely curious, and happy to share what we learned in return.
InMail Mistakes That Waste Credits
Most wasted credits come from the same handful of mistakes. Fix these before you write another template.
| Mistake | Why it costs you | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Generic subject line | Never opened, credit never returns | Name their company or initiative |
| A wall of text | Skimmed and ignored | Three to six lines, one idea |
| Meeting ask in message one | Easy to ignore, hard to say yes | Ask a one-line question |
| Low-fit recipient | No reason to reply at all | Spend credits on your best accounts |
| No follow-up plan | One unanswered InMail and you stop | Plan a LinkedIn follow-up message or email |
Writing InMails Worth a Credit for Every Account
A credit is worth spending when the message could only have been sent to that person. That takes research: their company's news, their hiring, how they describe their own customers.
Pair InMail with a sequence. InMail works best as one touch among several, not a standalone shot. Our LinkedIn outreach templates show where it fits next to the connection note and follow-ups.
Start from the research. Edithly's LinkedIn message generator reads each prospect's website and writes subject lines, a short body, follow-ups and a LinkedIn note from the same research. You trim the best version into an InMail and send it from LinkedIn yourself.
How Edithly does it
Draft an InMail from real account research in three steps
Edithly reads the prospect's website and writes outreach around their situation: subject lines, a short body and follow-ups, plus a LinkedIn note and the sources behind each fact. The subject lines and body adapt directly into an InMail.
- 1
Choose Email Outreach on Home
Click the Email Outreach tile. Your product's pitch, proof points and positioning are already in your playbook from your website.
- 2
Enter the prospect and an angle
Add the company name and website, the contact's name and LinkedIn URL, and a note such as 'InMail to the COO about the new terminal'.
- 3
Generate, adapt, send from LinkedIn
Click Generate email outreach. Pick the strongest subject line and body, trim it for InMail, and send it from Sales Navigator or Premium yourself.
Website
Ready
- Variant A · Hiring angle
- Subject lines
- Body
- Follow-ups · Day +3, +7
- LinkedIn note
- Do not say
- By hand
- 20 minutes of research and drafting per InMail
- With Edithly
- A couple of minutes per account
Frequently asked questions
How many InMail credits do you get on LinkedIn?
According to LinkedIn's Help Center at the time of writing: Premium Career gets 5 a month, Premium Business 15, Recruiter Lite 30, and Sales Navigator (Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus) 50. Unused credits roll over up to a cap, such as 150 on Sales Navigator, and you can't purchase additional credits.
Do you get InMail credits back?
Yes. LinkedIn credits an InMail back when it is accepted, declined or replied to within 90 days of sending. On Sales Navigator, the 'Interested', 'Maybe later' and 'Not interested' quick responses and even auto replies count. Pending and unanswered messages don't earn the credit back, and deleting an unanswered one doesn't either.
How long should a LinkedIn InMail be?
Short: three to six lines, roughly 50 to 120 words. LinkedIn allows up to 2,000 characters in the body and 200 in the subject, but limits aren't targets. A buyer reading on a phone should see your reason for writing and your question without scrolling.
Are LinkedIn InMails better than cold emails?
Neither wins everywhere. InMail reaches people whose email you don't have and shows your profile alongside the message, which helps with senior buyers. Email allows unlimited volume and is where most buyers expect vendor messages. Many teams use InMail for a short list of top accounts and email for the rest.
Can Edithly write LinkedIn InMails?
Edithly writes Email Outreach for each prospect from research on their website: subject lines, a short body, follow-ups and a LinkedIn connection note, with a personalization basis showing its sources. The subject lines and body adapt well into an InMail. Edithly doesn't send or automate anything on LinkedIn; you send the InMail yourself.