LinkedIn InMail vs connection requests: when to use each
InMail reaches people you are not connected to, while connection requests open a channel you keep. How each works, what it costs, and which to use for which prospect.
On this page
- What is the difference between InMail and a connection request?
- How much does InMail cost?
- What is an Open Profile on LinkedIn?
- When should you use a connection request?
- When is InMail the better choice?
- How do you write an InMail that gets read?
- Can you combine InMail and connection requests?
- FAQ
- Where Saava fits
- Make the connection request your default. It costs nothing and gives you a channel for every later message.
- Use InMail when a request is unlikely to be accepted, or when the person is senior and the timing matters.
- Check for Open Profile first: those members can be messaged without spending an InMail credit.
- An InMail gets one shot, so it has to stand alone: what you noticed, why it matters to them, one question.
Use a connection request by default and InMail as the exception. A connection request is free and, once accepted, lets you message the person as often as the conversation needs. InMail lets you message someone you are not connected to, but it usually costs a credit, gets one attempt, and works best for senior or hard-to-reach people when the timing is specific.
This guide covers how the two differ, what an Open Profile changes, and a simple way to use both in the same outreach.
What is the difference between InMail and a connection request?
A connection request asks someone to join your network. You can attach a short note, and nothing else can be sent until they accept. InMail is a direct message to someone outside your network, sent without their permission first.
| Connection request | InMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you can reach | Anyone who allows requests | Anyone, including people outside your network |
| Cost | Free | Usually one InMail credit per message |
| Length | Note of 300 characters on Premium, 200 on free | A subject line and a much longer message |
| What happens next | If accepted, you can message freely | They reply or they don't; one attempt |
| Where it lands | Invitations tab | The recipient's inbox, marked as InMail |
| Best for | Most prospects, especially peers | Senior or hard-to-reach people with a clear reason |
How much does InMail cost?
InMail credits come with paid LinkedIn plans such as Premium and Sales Navigator, and the number you get each month depends on the plan. Credits are finite, so every InMail should go to someone you have a real reason to contact now.
The better question is what a wasted InMail costs you. A generic InMail uses a credit and teaches the person to ignore your name. A specific one, sent at the right moment, can reach someone a connection request never would.
What is an Open Profile on LinkedIn?
Open Profile is a setting available to LinkedIn Premium subscribers. When it is on, anyone can message that person without spending an InMail credit, even if they are not connected. Premium senders can message Open Profile members freely. Free and basic accounts get a limited number of these messages each month.
In practice, Open Profile members are the first people to check when a connection request goes unanswered. You can reach them directly, at no credit cost, with a proper message instead of a 200-character note.
When should you use a connection request?
A connection request is the right first move in most B2B prospecting, because it builds a channel instead of spending one. Use it when:
- The person is a peer or near-peer, and likely to accept a relevant request.
- You expect more than one exchange, which is almost always true in a sales conversation.
- You have a specific trigger for the note, such as a post they wrote or a comment they left. Our connection request examples cover twelve of them.
- You want them to see your future posts, since connections see your content in their feed.
When is InMail the better choice?
InMail earns its cost in a narrower set of situations:
- The person rarely accepts requests. Senior executives often have hundreds pending. A request joins the pile; an InMail reaches the inbox.
- The timing is specific. They just announced a round, a new role, or a problem you solve, and waiting days for an acceptance would waste the moment. The logic of speed to lead applies here.
- The request went unanswered. If a request sits for a week or two, an InMail to an Open Profile member is a reasonable second attempt.
- You need a longer message. Some reasons for reaching out cannot be explained in 200 characters.
How do you write an InMail that gets read?
An InMail has to make sense to someone who has never heard of you and will decide in a few seconds. Three short paragraphs are enough.
Subject line. Plain and specific, in words a colleague would use. "Your post on SDR ramp time" beats "Quick question" or anything with the word "opportunity" in it.
Paragraph one. What you saw and why it caught your attention, in two sentences.
Paragraph two. One sentence on what you do, tied to that thing. Not your whole offer.
Paragraph three. One question they can answer in a line.
Subject: Your post on SDR ramp time
Hi Laura, your post on getting new SDRs to first meeting in three weeks was specific in a way most ramp advice isn't. The part about shadowing replies instead of calls stuck with me.
We help sales teams find prospects who are already engaging with posts like yours, so new reps start with warmer lists.
Is ramp time still the metric you're watching most this quarter?
Can you combine InMail and connection requests?
Yes, and most teams should. A simple sequence looks like this:
- Send a connection request with a specific note, or without a note if you have nothing specific to say.
- If they accept, send a first message within a day, anchored in the same trigger.
- If the request is still pending after a week or two and they have an Open Profile, send one InMail.
- If you have a verified work email, email becomes the next channel rather than a second InMail.
What you avoid is sending the same message twice through two channels. Each step should add a reason to reply, not repeat the last one. Our guide to LinkedIn follow-ups covers what to say at each step.
FAQ
Is InMail better than a connection request? Not in general. A connection request is free and opens an ongoing channel, so it is the better default. InMail is better for senior, hard-to-reach people when you have a timely reason to contact them.
Do Open Profile messages use InMail credits? No. Open Profile members, who are Premium subscribers that chose to accept messages from anyone, can be messaged without spending an InMail credit. Free and basic senders get a limited number of these messages per month.
Can you send an InMail and a connection request to the same person? You can, but space them out and make each one say something new. Sending the same pitch through both channels at once reads as automated.
How long should a LinkedIn InMail be? Short. Three brief paragraphs, roughly 50 to 100 words, is enough to explain what you noticed, what you do, and one question.
What subject line works for an InMail? A plain one that names the specific thing you are writing about, such as their post, their company, or their project. Avoid anything that sounds like marketing.
Where Saava fits
Both channels depend on a good reason to reach out. Saava finds people who are engaging with the topics and voices your buyers follow, scores them against your ideal customer profile, and attaches the reason each one surfaced. Saava campaigns can also add an InMail step for people with Open Profiles, written from what that person actually did, and you review it before it sends.