Glossary · LinkedIn outreach
What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator?
Last updated:
Definition
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn's premium search and prospecting product. It unlocks advanced search filters, saved Lead Lists with live updates, and InMail credits.
Sales Navigator opens far more filters than free LinkedIn search, including seniority, function, headcount growth and recent activity, plus persistent Lead Lists that update when prospects change roles. Many cloud automation tools take a Sales Navigator search URL or Lead List as a prospect source.
What does Sales Navigator add over free LinkedIn?
More search filters (seniority, function, company headcount and more), saved lead and account lists that update as people change roles, and InMail credits. LinkedIn lists 50 InMail credits a month on Sales Navigator Core, rolling over up to 150. Premium plans, including Sales Navigator, also raise the commercial use limit on search.
How does Sales Navigator relate to the commercial use limit?
Free accounts get a monthly allowance of searches and profile views; heavy prospecting triggers LinkedIn's commercial use limit until it resets on the 1st of the month. LinkedIn says upgrading to a Premium plan increases the number of profile searches and views, which is one reason prospecting teams search in Sales Navigator.
Do you need Sales Navigator for LinkedIn automation?
No. Most automation tools, LinkedCamp included, import prospects from standard LinkedIn search as well as Sales Navigator searches and lead lists. Sales Navigator adds better filters and InMail credits, so it helps when your audience is narrow or senior, but invitations and messages to connections work without it.
Related terms and pages
- LinkedIn automation
- Software that performs LinkedIn outreach actions — connection requests, follow-up messages, profile views, InMails — on your behalf, on a schedule and within volume limits.
- LinkedIn acceptance rate
- The percentage of LinkedIn connection requests that get accepted. See the benchmarks page for cited healthy ranges.
- InMail
- LinkedIn's paid messaging feature that lets you send a direct message to someone you're not connected with. It uses InMail credits and is available to senders with Premium or Sales Navigator subscriptions.
Sources
- 1LinkedIn Help: InMail message credits and renewal processChecked 23 Oct 2026
- 2LinkedIn Help: Commercial use limitChecked 23 Oct 2026
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