Message Limits in Handshake

Handshake has set messaging limits to encourage more meaningful and intentional interactions with students. There are three types of message limits for employers messaging students in Handshake: time-based limit, "per send", and daily limits. 

Limitations set apply to all messages sent by employers, although limits do vary, as detailed below. Employers can send messages to students in Handshake individually, in bulk, and via campaigns, if they are a Premium partner. 

For Premium partners, limitations are further based on the partnership your company has with Handshake. 

Time-based limit

Time-based limits refer to the message limit allocated within a single time period, which can be used collectively by all teammates connected to your company profile. 

This limit is either applied semesterly or monthly depending on your company's partnership with Handshake, and applies to all types of messages (individual/bulk messages and campaigns).

Semesterly Limit: 

Note: the semesterly limit is reset every six months, coinciding with Handshake's 'recruiting seasons' which run from January 1st to July 30th and then from July 31st to December 31st. All teammates connected to your company profile will receive a new allocation of messages at these times. 

• Core: 100
• Essentials: 5000
• TES: Unlimited 
  • Note: if your employer has a premium Handshake account, but you are allocated a core user role, you have unlimited messaging at this time.

Monthly Limit:

• Plus: 200 (resets every calendar month) 

Messages only count towards the semesterly and monthly limits if each of the following are true:

• Employer started sending messages to students, where the student has never replied or engaged.
• The student has not yet applied for a job.
• The student has not yet RSVP'd for an event/fair.

Messages don't count towards the limit if the student:

• Began the conversation.
• Replies to your message.
• Applies for a job at your company.
• Attend an event that your company is a part of. 
• RSVPs to a career fair that your company is attending.

Daily limits

Daily limits apply to the number of bulk messages sent per day. Daily limits are tracked per employer user, and the day is defined by day boundaries in the user’s timezone.

• Core: 100
• Plus: 200
• Essentials: 500
• TES: 1000 

Note: Core employers and Essentials partners are subject to recruiting season and daily limits in addition to this message-type limitation. 

Per send 

Per Send refers to the number of recipients selected for:

• Bulk messages: sent via Jobs (Applicants, Matches), Event and Fair (RSVPs), On-Campus Interviews (Applicants), Campaigns, Employer-Hosted Schedules (Candidates), Talent.
  • All employers: 500 recipients per send 
    
    • Note: Core employers have a daily limit of 100 bulk messages, so while our system supports 500 recipients per bulk message, the daily limit for Core employers will override the per-send limit."
• Campaigns: 
  • Essentials: 500 recipients per Campaign
  • TES: 5,000 recipients per Campaign