LinkedIn InMail Templates That Get Replies (15 Examples)

LinkedIn InMail templates are reusable message frameworks you fill in with a specific prospect's context to start a conversation with someone you are not connected to. The best ones open with a relevant reason for reaching out, keep the body under roughly 500 to 700 characters, and end with one low-friction ask. This guide gives you 15 templates for sales, recruiting, partnerships, and follow-ups, plus the structure and subject-line rules that make them work.

InMail is LinkedIn's premium messaging feature: it lets you contact people outside your network without a connection request. Because each message costs a credit, every word has to earn its place. The templates below are written to be edited, not pasted blindly. Personalize the bracketed fields and cut anything that does not apply.

What is a LinkedIn InMail and how is it different from a regular message?

A LinkedIn InMail is a paid direct message you can send to any LinkedIn member, including people you are not connected to, without first sending a connection request. A regular message can only be sent to existing 1st-degree connections. That single difference is why InMail matters: it skips the connect-and-wait step and lands directly in the recipient's inbox with a subject line.

InMail credits come bundled with premium plans. As of 2026, Sales Navigator Core includes 50 credits per month at $99.99, Sales Navigator Advanced runs $149.99, Recruiter Lite includes 30 credits at around $170, and Premium Career includes 5. Additional credits cost roughly $10 each. Credits roll over up to a 150 maximum, and LinkedIn refunds a credit whenever a recipient replies within 90 days, which is a strong nudge toward quality over volume.

What are the LinkedIn InMail character limits in 2026?

An InMail allows up to 200 characters in the subject line and up to 1,900 characters in the message body. Those are the hard caps, but they are not the targets. Shorter messages consistently outperform longer ones: InMails under 400 characters see roughly 22% higher response rates, and the sweet spot for replies sits around 500 to 700 characters in the body.

Keep these working limits in mind as you adapt the templates:

• Subject line: 200-character cap, but most inboxes truncate after the first 25 to 50 characters. Front-load the hook.
• Body: 1,900-character cap, but aim for 500 to 700 characters, about 75 to 120 words.
• Paragraphs: two to three short blocks. Walls of text get skimmed and skipped.

If a template runs long after you personalize it, cut the background sentence first. Recipients care about why you are reaching out to them, not your full company history.

How do you write a LinkedIn InMail that gets a reply?

Every high-performing InMail follows the same four-part structure. Memorize it and every template below becomes editable on the fly.

1. Relevance hook (1 sentence): a specific reason you are messaging this person now. Reference a role, a post, a company milestone, or a shared connection.
2. Value or insight (1-2 sentences): what is in it for them, framed around their goal rather than your pitch.
3. Single ask (1 sentence): one clear, low-commitment next step. Never stack two requests.
4. Easy exit: a tone that makes saying no painless, which paradoxically raises reply rates.

InMail response rates typically run 10% to 25%, which research puts at roughly 300% higher than the same content sent by cold email. Recipients who changed jobs in the last 90 days are about 3x more likely to reply, so timing your outreach to a job change is one of the highest-leverage moves available. For a wider view of channel mix, see how teams pair InMail with cold email outreach instead of relying on either alone.

What are the best LinkedIn InMail subject lines?

The subject line decides whether the body ever gets read. Because inboxes truncate after the first 25 to 50 characters, your hook has to land at the very start. Keep it specific and human, and avoid anything that reads like a mass blast.

Subject-line patterns that earn opens:

• Question about their work: "Quick question about [Company]'s [team/process]"
• Mutual context: "[Mutual connection] suggested I reach out"
• Role-specific: "[Role] opportunity at [Company]"
• Insight tease: "An idea for [their goal]"
• Direct and short: "15 minutes, [First name]?"

Avoid words like "opportunity of a lifetime," all-caps, and emoji-stuffed lines. They trigger the same skepticism a spammy email subject does. Test two or three subject styles against the same audience and keep the one that wins.

LinkedIn InMail templates for sales and B2B outreach

These five sales templates cover the most common B2B scenarios. Replace every bracket with real context, and delete the background line if the message runs long.

Template 1: The relevance opener

Subject: Quick question about [Company]'s [process]
Hi [First name], I noticed [Company] just [trigger: hired, launched, expanded]. Teams hitting that stage usually run into [specific problem]. We help [similar companies] solve it by [one-line outcome]. Worth a 15-minute call next week to see if it maps to your situation? No problem if the timing is off.

Template 2: The post-engagement follow-up

Subject: Loved your take on [topic]
Hi [First name], your post on [topic] resonated, especially the point about [detail]. It is exactly what we hear from [their role] at [industry] companies. We built [solution] around that gap. Open to me sharing how [comparable company] handled it? Happy to keep it to a two-minute summary if that is easier.

Template 3: The mutual connection intro

Subject: [Mutual connection] suggested I reach out
Hi [First name], [Mutual connection] mentioned you are leading [initiative] at [Company]. We recently helped [similar company] with [outcome] and I thought it might be relevant. Would a short call make sense, or should I send a one-pager first? Either works.

Template 4: The trigger-event pitch

Subject: Congrats on the [funding/launch/role]
Hi [First name], congrats on [trigger event]. Companies in growth mode often need [capability] sooner than they plan for. We give [target buyer] [specific result] without [common pain]. Want me to send the 90-second version, or would a quick call be better?

Template 5: The straight-to-value offer

Subject: An idea for [their goal]
Hi [First name], I put together a short idea for how [Company] could [specific outcome]. It is based on what worked for [comparable company], who saw [result]. Want me to send it over? No pitch, just the idea.

Sales conversations rarely close on one message. The teams who win usually layer InMail with email and other channels so a non-reply on one channel does not end the thread. That is the logic behind multi-channel sequences, where each step picks the channel most likely to reach that specific person.

LinkedIn InMail templates for recruiting and hiring

Recruiting InMails live or die on respect for the candidate's time and a clear role fit. Lead with why they fit, not why you are hiring. Passive candidates reply when the message feels handpicked.

Template 6: The targeted role pitch

Subject: [Role] role that fits your background
Hi [First name], your experience with [specific skill] at [Company] caught my eye. We are hiring a [Role] at [Your company] where [skill] is central, and the team is [one detail that signals quality]. Open to a quick chat to see if it is worth exploring? Totally fine if you are happy where you are.

Template 7: The recent job-change reach-out

Subject: Congrats on the new role at [Company]
Hi [First name], congrats on the move to [Company]. I am building out [team] at [Your company] and your work on [project] stood out. Not asking you to jump ship, but I would love to stay in touch for the right future fit. Worth connecting?

Template 8: The skill-specific outreach

Subject: [Specific skill] roles you might like
Hi [First name], engineers with deep [skill] experience are rare, and yours is clearly strong. We have a [Role] opening that leans heavily on it, with [comp/remote/team detail]. Interested in the details, or should I check back another time?

Template 9: The referral request

Subject: Know anyone great for [Role]?
Hi [First name], I am hiring a [Role] at [Your company] and your network in [field] is exactly where the right person likely sits. Even if it is not for you, would you point me to one person worth talking to? Happy to return the favor.

LinkedIn InMail templates for partnerships and networking

Partnership and networking InMails should signal mutual benefit fast. The recipient needs to see what they get, not just what you want.

Template 10: The partnership proposal

Subject: Partnership idea for [Company] + [Your company]
Hi [First name], our audiences overlap heavily in [segment], and I think there is a clean way to help both customer bases. We did something similar with [partner] and it drove [result]. Worth 15 minutes to sketch it out?

Template 11: The co-marketing pitch

Subject: Co-marketing idea around [topic]
Hi [First name], your team's content on [topic] is excellent and reaches exactly the buyers we serve. I would love to explore a joint [webinar/guide/event]. Want me to send a one-page outline first, or jump on a call?

Template 12: The genuine networking ask

Subject: Learning from how you built [thing]
Hi [First name], I have followed how you built [thing] at [Company] and I am working through a similar problem. No pitch here, I would just value 15 minutes of your perspective if you can spare it. Completely understand if your calendar is full.

LinkedIn InMail follow-up templates

Most replies come after the first message, not on it. A short, polite follow-up two to four days later often doubles your response rate. Never resend the same text; add a new angle.

Template 13: The gentle nudge

Subject: Re: [original subject]
Hi [First name], floating this back up in case it slipped past. The short version: [one-line value]. Worth a quick look, or should I close the loop? Either is fine.

Template 14: The new-angle follow-up

Subject: One more thought for [Company]
Hi [First name], following up with a different angle. Since [trigger or new info], [outcome] is probably more relevant now than when I first wrote. Want the 90-second version?

Template 15: The break-up message

Subject: Should I close this out?
Hi [First name], I do not want to clutter your inbox, so this is my last note. If [outcome] is ever a priority, I am one message away. Wishing you a strong quarter either way.

Break-up messages work because they remove pressure and often prompt the reply that earlier nudges did not. Whatever channel a reply lands on, the hard part is catching it and acting fast. A unified inbox that pulls every reply from LinkedIn, email, and messaging apps into one place keeps a warm InMail response from going cold in a separate tab.

How do you scale InMail outreach without making it feel generic?

The tension with templates is obvious: the more you send, the more they risk reading like form letters. The fix is structured personalization. Keep the four-part skeleton fixed, but make the relevance hook genuinely specific to each person, drawn from their role, recent activity, or a company trigger. The skeleton scales; the hook stays human.

Process matters as much as copy. Track which subject lines and openers earn replies, replace your weakest template each month, and route every response to one place so nothing slips. Because InMail credits are limited and refundable on reply, quality outreach is also cheaper outreach over time.

This is where a multi-channel outreach CRM earns its keep. Klovis runs sequenced outreach across LinkedIn, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DM, and Telegram from your team's own connected accounts, lands every reply in a unified inbox, and updates a self-updating CRM of people, companies, and deals as conversations progress. Event-driven workflows can react to a reply or a no-response and trigger the next step automatically, turning scattered InMail wins into booked meetings and pipeline. If you are weighing tools, the comparisons hub breaks down how Klovis stacks up against single-channel point tools.

Frequently asked questions about LinkedIn InMail templates

How many InMail credits do I get per month?

It depends on your plan. As of 2026, Sales Navigator Core and Advanced include 50 credits per month, Recruiter Lite includes 30, Premium Business includes 15, and Premium Career includes 5. Credits roll over up to a maximum of 150, and you get a credit refunded whenever a recipient replies within 90 days.

What is a good InMail response rate?

InMail response rates generally fall between 10% and 25%, which is roughly 300% higher than the same message sent as cold email. Targeting people who recently changed jobs lifts that further, since they are about 3x more likely to reply.

How long should a LinkedIn InMail be?

Shorter wins. The body cap is 1,900 characters, but messages under 400 characters see about 22% higher response rates, and 500 to 700 characters is the practical sweet spot. Subject lines can run to 200 characters, but front-load the hook in the first 25 since inboxes truncate the rest.

Should I send a connection request or an InMail?

If you can wait, a personalized connection request is free and often works well for warm or mutual-network prospects. Use InMail when you need to reach someone outside your network directly, when timing is urgent, or when a connection request is likely to sit unaccepted.

Can I automate LinkedIn InMail outreach?

You can systematize it with templates, structured personalization, follow-up cadences, and a CRM that tracks replies, rather than blasting identical text. Tools like Klovis sequence outreach across LinkedIn and other channels from your own connected accounts and centralize every response, so you scale the process without losing the personal hook that makes InMail work.