InMail is how Sales Navigator lets you message people you aren’t connected to. Each InMail uses one credit, so it pays to know how credits work and to spend them on messages that get answered.
How many InMail credits you get
Every Sales Navigator plan comes with 50 InMail credits a month: Core, Advanced and Advanced Plus alike. A more expensive plan gives you better tools, not more InMail.
Unused credits roll over
Credits you don’t use carry over to the next month, up to 150 in your account. Anything above that is lost, so if you’re close to 150, it’s a good month to use them.
Replies give you the credit back
If someone replies to your InMail within 90 days, LinkedIn gives you the credit back. Any reply counts, even a polite “not interested”. With a good reply rate, your 50 credits stretch well past 50 messages.
Messages that don’t use a credit
- Your connections: messaging your first-degree connections is free.
- Open Profiles: members who switch on Open Profile can get messages from anyone without a credit being used.
Before you spend a credit, check whether the person is already a connection or has an Open Profile.
How to write InMails that get replies
- Make the subject specific. Mention their company, their role or something they posted. A vague subject reads like a mass mailing.
- Open with them, not you. The first line should show you looked: a recent post, a new role, a team they’re hiring for.
- Keep it short. Three or four sentences that fit on a phone screen without scrolling.
- Ask one easy question. “Is this on your list this quarter?” is easier to answer than a request for a 30-minute call.
- Use a warm path when there is one. On Advanced, TeamLink shows when a colleague knows the person. An introduction beats a cold message.
- Write to people who are active. The Posted on LinkedIn filter finds people who posted recently, so they’re more likely to see your message.
An example InMail
Hi Maya, congratulations on the move to Head of Sales at Northwind. I saw you’re hiring three SDRs this quarter.
We help new sales teams get reps to their first booked meetings faster, with ready-made call scripts and lead lists.
Is getting the new hires up to speed something you’re working on right now?
It’s short, it’s about Maya, and the question can be answered with a yes or a no.
Need more InMail?
Since every plan has the same 50 credits, a team gets more InMail by giving more people a seat, each with their own 50 credits a month. A lower price per seat makes that easier: with HeySalesNav, a Sales Navigator Advanced seat is $25 a month.
Last updated 14 November 2026. LinkedIn can change its plans and prices at any time; check LinkedIn’s own pages before you buy from LinkedIn directly.