Was Your LinkedIn InMail Actually Sent?
- Olivia Tremblay
- Jan 26
- 5 min read
If you’ve ever sent an InMail on LinkedIn and then noticed there’s no grey check mark (even years later), you’re not alone. LinkedIn messaging has a few different “states” depending on how you messaged someone (InMail vs Message Request vs regular message), what settings the recipient has, and what LinkedIn UI version you were using at the time.
Let’s break it down in a way that actually helps you figure out what happened in your case.
First: What does the grey check mark usually mean on LinkedIn?
On LinkedIn, a small grey check mark typically indicates the message has been sent (and in some contexts, delivered). Depending on the interface version and message type, LinkedIn may also show:
No check / no clear status (common with older message formats, drafts, failed sends, or certain messaging types)
Grey check (sent)
Read indicators (not always visible; can depend on settings and product changes)
Helpful reference (LinkedIn’s own help pages change over time, but this is a good starting point):
Key question: Was it truly an “ LinkedIn InMail,” or was it a Message Request?
This is the most important distinction, because people often call any message to a non-connection “InMail,” but LinkedIn treats these differently:
1) InMail (usually requires Premium or credits)
InMail is typically used to message someone you’re not connected to, and it’s often tied to:
Premium subscriptions (Career, Business, Sales Navigator, Recruiter)
InMail credits
Open Profile messaging (more on that below)
2) Message Request (non-connection message)
Sometimes LinkedIn lets you message someone without it being a formal InMail, especially if you share a group/event, have mutual context, or LinkedIn decides it’s allowed. Those can land as Message Requests on the recipient’s side.
Why this matters: A Message Request can behave differently in your inbox, and it may not show the same sent indicators you expect.
If you can still see the thread in your inbox, it might be:
a sent InMail,
a message request that never got accepted,
or a message that was composed but never truly transmitted.
Why your message could be in your inbox but not actually sent?
Here are the most common explanations (and honestly, more than one can be true):
1) It was saved as a draft or partially failed to send
Especially in older versions of LinkedIn, it was possible to compose a message, hit send, and still have it behave weirdly if:
your browser session timed out,
LinkedIn had an error,
your account didn’t have the right InMail entitlement/credits,
the UI didn’t fully refresh.
Quick check: If you open the message, do you see any prompt like “Not delivered” or “Try again”? Not all versions show it clearly, but sometimes there’s a subtle hint.
2) The recipient had settings that prevented delivery (or they weren’t eligible to receive it)
You might ask: “Could they have InMail disabled?”
People can’t exactly “turn off InMail” like a single on/off switch, but messaging availability can still be restricted by things like:
whether they allow messages from outside their network,
whether they have Open Profile enabled (which actually makes it easier to message them),
whether their account is deactivated, restricted, or has inbox limitations,
whether LinkedIn’s system decided your message should be blocked/limited (spam prevention).
LinkedIn also limits messaging in ways that aren’t always transparent.
More context on Open Profile (good concept to know):
LinkedIn Open Profile overview (general explainer):
3) The user changed their account status (or the conversation thread got “stuck”)
If the person you messaged:
deleted their account,
got banned/restricted,
changed privacy settings,
changed their name/role and you can’t view them anymore,
…the message thread can remain on your side, but the experience can look incomplete.
4) LinkedIn UI and indicators changed
This is underrated. A lot of “why doesn’t it show X anymore?” is simply because LinkedIn updated the interface. For example, a thread created in 2019 might not display the same metadata as threads created today.
What if it was sent but they never saw it?
Even if it sent successfully, there are very normal reasons someone wouldn’t respond (or even notice it):
It landed in Message Requests and they never check that tab
They get a lot of InMail and ignore generic outreach
Your message didn’t have a clear reason for contacting them
They weren’t active around that time
It got buried under recruiter outreach (common for many professionals)
If you want to sanity-check what recipients see, this YouTube search is useful because creators frequently show the UI screen recordings (just note the UI may differ today):
YouTube Search prompt “LinkedIn InMail vs message request ”.
And below is a tutorial on "LinkedIn InMail":
Practical ways to confirm whether it was sent (today)
if you message is relatively old, you may not get a perfect answer, but here are the best “real-world” checks:
1) Look at the message details on desktop (not mobile)
Desktop LinkedIn tends to show more context. Open the thread and look for:
timestamps,
any “sent” indicators,
whether it shows as an InMail (sometimes it labels it),
any banners or notes.
2) Check your InMail credit history (if you were Premium at the time)
If you had a Premium plan then, see if your account shows anything related to InMail credits being used (this can be hard years later, but it’s worth checking if you still have the same account and subscription history).
3) Try messaging the same person now (with a better, lighter touch)
If the person is still on LinkedIn, you can try a short follow-up that acknowledges time passed, for example:
“Hey [Name], I realized I messaged you years back and I’m not sure it ever delivered. Quick question…”
That approach is more human and doesn’t assume they ignored you.
4) Consider a different channel: connect request + note (if appropriate)
In some cases, a connection request with a short note works better than InMail, especially if you have real context (shared industry, shared group, a specific question).
LinkedIn has guidelines and limits around invites; you want to keep it genuine and relevant:
LinkedIn invitation basics (help center):
A few inclusive questions to help pinpoint your situation
If you’re trying to diagnose this precisely, here are the questions I’d ask (and you can literally use these as your checklist):
At that time, Were you using Premium or Sales Navigator/Recruiter, or just a free account?
When you open the thread, does it say “InMail” anywhere?
Do you see the recipient’s profile normally today, or is it limited/unavailable?
Did you send it on desktop or mobile?
Was the person a 2nd-degree connection, 3rd-degree, or totally outside your network?
Did you send multiple outreach messages around that time (which could’ve triggered LinkedIn limits)?
Your answers to those usually narrow it down fast.
What to do next (simple plan)
If you just want a practical path forward (without overthinking the 2019 mystery):
Assume they didn’t see it (or it didn’t land cleanly)
Write a fresh message that’s:
- short (3–5 lines),
- specific about why you’re reaching out,
- easy to answer (one clear question),
- respectful of their time
If it’s a business outreach, consider improving your profile and credibility first (headline, featured section, clear “why you”)
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