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, as part of a bulk message, and via campaigns if your company is a Premium partner. 

For Premium partners, limitations are further based on the partnership your company has with Handshake, either Essentials or Talent Engagement Suite (TES).

Time-based limit

Time-based limit refers to the message limit allocated in a single time period to be used across all teammates connected to your company profile. This limit is either applied on a semesterly or monthly cadence depending on the partnership your company has with Handshake, and applies to all messages of all types (individual/bulk messages and campaigns).

Semesterly Limits: 

• Core employers, or employers who are not yet a Handshake Premium partner, are limited to 100 total messages per company, per semester (recruiting season). 
• Premium partners have increased messaging abilities, based on the partnership they have with Handshake: 
  • Essentials: 5,000 messages per season
  • TES: unlimited messages across seasons

Monthly Limit: 

• • Plus: 200 messages per month 

Note: the monthly limit resets each 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 within a single day. Daily limits are tracked per employer user, and the day is defined by day boundaries in the user’s timezone.

Daily limits: 

• 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 Job Applicants, event/fair attendees, Student Search, Job Matches, and Your Candidates
  • 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 limitation for Core employers will override the per send limitation.
• Campaigns: 
  • Essentials: 500 recipients per Campaign
  • TES: 5,000 recipients per Campaign