What is LinkedIn InMail and when should I use it?

InMail lets you message someone who is not a first-degree connection, using credits that come with Premium, Sales Navigator, or Recruiter. It has a subject line and a body. It is not a magic inbox. People still ignore weak ones, and they can mark them as spam.

Use InMail when the person is worth a credit: a target account, a clear trigger, and a title that can buy or champion. Do not use it because you hit the weekly invite cap and you are bored. That is how credits disappear.

A connection request is cheaper and, if they accept, opens a free DM thread. InMail is for people who will not accept, people you should not invite (executives who treat invites as noise), or people with Open Profile already handled as a free message.

Write it like a short email. Subject under a line. Body under a few sentences. One ask that is not "book 30 minutes." LinkedIn has published that shorter InMails get better response than long ones. Believe the UI: they gave you less room than a novel.

If they reply, you often get the credit back (plan rules differ slightly). If they do not, you paid to learn the message was skippable. Track InMail like paid media, not like unlimited DMs. The longer guide is LinkedIn InMail best practices.