Your profile as a landing page

A profile that tells a stranger within seconds what you do, who you help and what to do next.

What: The line under your name on LinkedIn, shown next to every post, comment and search result. It holds up to 220 characters.
Why: It is the most seen text on your profile and appears in search. It should say what you do and for whom, not only your job title.
Example: Backend engineer at a fintech startup | Writing about Python performance and APIs | Open source contributor

Watch out

Leaving only "Software Engineer at Company" or filling it with buzzwords like "passionate problem solver".

Also called summary

What: The free-text section of a LinkedIn profile, up to 2,600 characters, where only the first few lines show before "see more".
Why: It is where a visitor decides whether to follow, connect or message you. The first lines must earn the click to read more.
Example: Start with who you help and how, give two or three results or projects as proof, then say what you are open to and how to reach you.

Watch out

A long third-person biography starting with where you went to school.

Also called experience entries

What: Writing each role on your profile as two or three short results with context and numbers, instead of a list of responsibilities.
Why: Visitors and recruiters skim for impact. Results show the level you work at and match what your resume says.
Example: Led the move from a monolith deploy to per-service pipelines, cutting release time from a day to 20 minutes.

What: A LinkedIn profile section that pins posts, articles, links or files near the top of your profile.
Why: It puts your best proof of work one tap away: a portfolio, a popular post, a talk or a project demo.

Watch out

Featuring old or unrelated posts that no longer match your niche.

Also called custom URL, profile URL, vanity URL

What: A short, readable LinkedIn address such as linkedin.com/in/yourname instead of the default one with random characters.
Why: It looks deliberate on a resume, email signature and slides, and is easier to share.

What: A clear, recent head-and-shoulders photo with good light and a plain background, where your face fills most of the frame.
Why: It appears on every post and comment at tiny size. A clear photo makes you recognisable and profiles with photos are viewed more.

What: Using the same name, photo, one-line positioning and links across LinkedIn, GitHub, a personal site and any blog.
Why: People who find you in one place often check another. The same message everywhere builds recognition and trust.

Watch out

A GitHub bio and portfolio that describe a different person from the LinkedIn profile.

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