Message read tracking on LinkedIn and WhatsApp

Sendr can show you whether a LinkedIn or WhatsApp message you've sent has been read, but only when read receipts are switched on for both you and the person you're messaging. It works the same way as WhatsApp's blue ticks: if either side has read receipts turned off, a "read" status won't show.

This article covers how to turn read receipts on, what to expect, and how to use a message-read signal inside a sequence.

The "both sides" rule

A "read" status only registers when read receipts are enabled on both accounts:

• You need them switched on, so Sendr can pick up the signal.

• The recipient needs them switched on too, otherwise there is nothing to detect.

You can control your own setting. You can't control the recipient's, and plenty of people keep read receipts off. So a message can be read without ever showing as read in Sendr. Treat "read" as a useful signal when it appears, rather than reading a missing "read" as proof the message wasn't opened.

Turn on read receipts in LinkedIn

1. In LinkedIn, go to Settings > Data privacy > Delivery and typing indicators.
   You can also go straight there at 👉 linkedin.com/mypreferences/d/settings/read-receipts

2. Switch the setting on.

With this on, you and any connection who also has it on can both see when a message has been read.

Turn on read receipts in WhatsApp

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account > Privacy.

2. Find Read receipts and make sure it's switched on. It's on by default.

A few WhatsApp specifics worth knowing:

• Read receipts apply to one-to-one chats, and both you and the recipient need them on.

• Group chats and voice notes always show a read or played status, regardless of the setting.

• Turning read receipts off also hides whether other people have read your messages, so keep them on if you want message-read tracking.

Using message read in a sequence

Once read receipts are on, you can branch a sequence based on whether a contact has opened your message. In the sequencer, add a Condition step and choose LinkedIn message read or WhatsApp message read as the condition type.

For example, you might:

• Wait, then send a follow-up to contacts who read your message but didn't reply.

• Switch channel or resend to contacts where no read shows after a few days.

These sit alongside the other sequence conditions, such as Email opened, LinkedIn message replied and WhatsApp message replied. Email is tracked separately through the Email opened condition, which works differently from LinkedIn and WhatsApp read receipts.

Good to know

• Read tracking needs read receipts on for both you and the recipient. A missing "read" doesn't always mean the message wasn't opened.

• Turn your own read receipts on first, on both LinkedIn and WhatsApp, or no read status will come through at all.