Messaging

Once an employer finds a candidate in the talent directory, they can message them directly from the profile. Messaging is documented here as part of the talent directory because it has no switch of its own.

How messaging switches on

Messaging does not have a standalone toggle. It is on whenever your talent directory is set to anything other than Off. There is an internal override flag, but it has no setting in the dashboard and would only be changed by a direct backend change; normally messaging simply rides the talent-directory setting. So to turn messaging on or off, you set the talent directory.

Who can message whom

Cold outreach is gated. An employer can start a conversation with a candidate only when all of these hold:

• Messaging is enabled (the talent directory is not Off).
• The sender is a verified employer, meaning they have an approved company membership.
• The candidate is open, meaning their job-search status is actively looking or open to offers. A candidate set to not looking cannot be cold-messaged.
• Neither side has blocked the other.

This is the candidate's reachability, described from the candidate's side in candidate profiles.

The one-message rule and the daily cap

Two limits keep messaging from becoming spam:

• One message until they reply. An employer can send a single message to a candidate and then must wait. The cap lifts permanently as soon as the candidate replies even once, after which the conversation is unrestricted (similar to LinkedIn InMail).
• A daily cap on new conversations. An employer can start a limited number of new conversations per day (25 by default). Replies into existing conversations do not count toward the cap.

In a conversation

Both sides manage conversations from the messages area on your board, with inbox, archived, and blocked views. Within a short window after sending (15 minutes), a sender can edit or unsend a message. Conversations show seen indicators and a live typing indicator. Either side can archive (reversible) or block (silent: the blocked person is not told). A per-message report offers reasons (spam, harassment, misrepresentation, other) and reporting also blocks that sender automatically and notifies you for review.

By default recipients get an email when a new message arrives, with a one-click unsubscribe, and they can turn new-message emails off in their settings.

Availability

• Plan: All paid plans. Direct messaging is available on every paid plan, with no per-message fee by default.
• Setting: None of its own. Messaging is on whenever the talent directory is not Off. The internal override has no dashboard setting.
• Setup required: Candidate profiles and the talent directory enabled, and employer accounts so there are verified employers to send. To require employers to spend credits to start conversations, set up a talent access plan.

Limitations

• Cold outreach is capped: one message until the candidate replies, plus a daily limit on new conversations (25 by default).
• A candidate must be open to contact (job-search status actively looking or open to offers) and visible to the employer; a not-looking or hidden candidate cannot be cold-messaged.
• There is no dashboard switch for messaging on its own. It follows the talent-directory setting; the internal override is backend-only.