Message Limits in Handshake

To promote more meaningful, intentional interactions with students, Handshake enforces limits on employer messaging.

What types of message limits does Handshake have?

There are two types of limits:

• Time-based limits
• Per-send limits

These limits apply to all employer messages. The exact thresholds vary by account type. For Essentials and Enterprise (formerly TES) customers, limits are further based on the partnership your company has with Handshake.

What is a time-based limit?

A time-based limit is the number of messages allocated within a single monthly period. This limit is shared collectively by all teammates connected to your company profile and applies to all message types, including individual messages, bulk messages, and campaigns. 

You can use your organization's messages all at once or spread throughout the month.

What is a per-send limit?

A per-send limit is the number of recipients you can select for a single bulk message or campaign.

• Bulk messages
  • Basic accounts are limited to 10 messages per month total, so that monthly limit applies instead of a per-send limit.
  • Essentials and Enterprise (formerly TES) customers can send bulk messages to up to 500 recipients at a time.
• Campaigns 
  •  Only Essentials and Enterprise (formerly TES) customers can send campaigns. All campaigns can reach a maximum audience of 5,000 recipients.

What are the messaging limits by plan?

Messaging limits vary by both your package and role type. All message limits refresh on the 1st of the month at midnight PST.

What counts toward my message limit?

The following message types count toward your monthly limit:

• Campaign messages
• Campaign follow-up messages. 
• A message sent to a student from their student profile page. 
• A direct message sent from the employer inbox. 
• A single or multi-recipient message sent from the Talent list. 
• A single or multi-recipient message sent from the Source candidates list.

What does not count toward my message limit?

Messages do not count toward your limit if the student:

• Applied to one of your job postings, has a scheduled interview with your organization, or has a scheduled meeting with your organization.
  • This exemption never expires and applies account-wide.
• RSVP'd to one of your events or career fairs.
  • This exemption lasts for one year from the RSVP date. After one year, messages to that student count toward the limit again unless another qualifying relationship exists, such as a job application or a scheduled interview or meeting.
• Initiated the conversation, or replied to a message you sent.
  • Once a student has messaged a specific employer user, all future messages in that same conversation are exempt from the limit, regardless of how much time has passed.
  • This exemption applies at the individual employer user level, not the employer account level. If a different employer user contacts the same student, that is treated as a new conversation and counts toward the limit unless another exemption applies.
• Deleted their Handshake account after receiving your message.
  • The message credit is returned and available to reuse within the same month.

How will I know when I'm approaching my limit? (Enterprise)

Enterprise (formerly TES) customers get proactive updates as their team's monthly messaging usage grows. 

Note: This feature is currently available to Enterprise customers only.

• Handshake sends automatic email notifications to your team as usage approaches key milestones toward the monthly limit. 
• Once the monthly limit is reached, an in-product notice appears for users reflecting this. 
• Reaching the monthly limit blocks the creation of new campaigns until the limit refreshes.