LinkedIn Message Ads (InMail) Benchmarks 2026
2026 LinkedIn Message Ads benchmarks: ~$0.81 cost per send, ~47% open rate, ~3.2% CTR, ~$118 CPL.
Updated July 2026.
Linkedin Ads · Message Ads
Benchmark metrics
All figures below are an agency composite with undisclosed sample (Digital Applied, Q1 2026) — treat as directional vendor data, not verified platform benchmarks. No credible public LinkedIn Message Ads dataset exists.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Open rate | ~47% |
| CTR | ~3.2% |
| CPC / send | ~$0.81/send |
| CPL / CPA | ~$118 |
What the numbers mean
Message Ads (formerly Sponsored InMail) land directly in the LinkedIn inbox and still post strong open rates (~47%) and a ~3.2% CTR at roughly $0.81 per send. They work best for high-value, personalized B2B outreach where a direct message earns attention.
Year-over-year change
Open rates and CTR hold in their usual bands; cost per send stays in the sub-$1 range.
What changed in 2026
LinkedIn continues to favor Conversation Ads (multi-step, choose-your-path messages) over single-shot InMail; 2026 reads put Conversation Ads near ~$0.92 per send with ~22% open and ~4.8% reply rates. EU regulation also limits Message Ad delivery to some audiences.
How to act on this
Reserve Message Ads for high-LTV targets and personalize heavily — generic blasts underperform. Test Conversation Ads for interactive qualification, and always pair with Lead Gen Forms to capture intent in-platform.
Source: Digital Applied · Q1 2026 agency composite — directional vendor data only; sample not disclosed. Treat with caution.