Yes, put your LinkedIn URL on your resume when the profile is complete, current and consistent with the resume. Place it in the header beside your email and phone number, written as a short custom URL such as linkedin.com/in/yourname. Leave it off if the profile is empty, out of date or tells a different story, because a recruiter who clicks will compare the two.
Key takeaways
- Add the link only when the profile backs up the resume: the same job titles, employers and dates.
- Customize the URL first. LinkedIn lets you edit the last part of your public profile URL, using 3 to 100 characters with no spaces, symbols or special characters.
- Put it in the header as plain text, without “https://www.”
- Check what a signed-out visitor sees. Your public profile is a simplified version of your profile, and you choose which sections it shows.
- The link is optional. A strong resume without one is better than a resume that points to a neglected profile.
01
Should you put LinkedIn on your resume?
For most job seekers the answer is yes, with one condition: the profile has to be worth the click. Marquette University’s career center lists a LinkedIn link among the contact details on a resume as optional, to be included “if your account is up-to-date.” That is the right standard.
| Add the link when | Leave it off when |
|---|---|
| Every job on the profile matches the resume in title, employer and dates | The profile shows different titles or dates from the resume |
| The profile adds something a resume cannot hold: recommendations, work samples, a fuller history | The profile is a name, a photo and one old job |
| You keep it current | You have not opened it in years and will not fix it now |
| The posting or application form asks for it | The employer asks for applications with no links or identifying details |
Many online applications have their own LinkedIn field. Use the same custom URL there as on the resume.
02
What should you check before adding the link?
Ten minutes is enough for the checks that matter.
- Match the facts. Put the resume and the profile side by side. Titles, employers and month-and-year dates should agree line for line.
- Fix the headline. It should say what you do in one line. These LinkedIn headline examples show how.
- Write a short About section. Three or four sentences that match your resume summary are enough. The guide to the LinkedIn About section has a structure to follow.
- Update the photo and location. Use a recent, plain head-and-shoulders photo and the city you are applying from or moving to.
- Look at your profile signed out. Open your URL in a private browser window. LinkedIn describes the public profile as a simplified version of your profile, shown to people who are not signed in and to search engines. In your public profile settings you can turn individual sections on or off.
- Read your recent activity. Posts and comments can be part of what a visitor sees.
For a full pass through every section, use these LinkedIn profile tips.
03
How do you create a custom LinkedIn URL?
A custom URL lets you choose the last part of your public profile address, usually your name. LinkedIn’s Help pages give these steps for a desktop browser:
- Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click View Profile.
- On your profile page, click the Edit icon next to Public profile & URL in the right-hand pane.
- Under Edit your custom URL, click the Edit icon next to your public profile URL.
- Type the last part of your new URL in the text box.
- Click Save.
In the mobile app, tap your profile photo, then tap it again to open your profile. Tap the More icon next to the Add section button, tap Contact info, then tap the Edit icon. On the Edit contact info page, tap your Profile URL. LinkedIn takes you to the public profile settings page, where you tap the Edit icon under Edit your custom URL, type the new ending and tap Save.
LinkedIn sets a few rules:
- A custom URL can be 3 to 100 characters long and should not contain spaces, symbols, special characters or the word “LinkedIn.”
- It is not case sensitive.
JaneDoeandjanedoepoint to the same profile. - URLs are given out first come, first served, so a common name may be taken.
- You can change it up to five times within six months.
- After a change, the previous URL stays linked to you for six months unless you unlink it.
If your name is taken, keep the result short and professional.
| Approach | Example | Good idea? |
|---|---|---|
| First and last name | linkedin.com/in/janedoe | Yes, the first choice |
| Add a middle initial | linkedin.com/in/janemdoe | Yes |
| Add your field or credential | linkedin.com/in/janedoecpa | Yes, if you expect to stay in the field |
| Last name first | linkedin.com/in/doejane | Yes |
| Add a birth year | linkedin.com/in/janedoe1989 | No, it gives away your age |
| Nickname or joke | linkedin.com/in/janethemachine | No |
04
Where does LinkedIn go on a resume, and how do you format it?
Put it in the header with your other contact details, on the same line or the line below.
JANE DOE Columbus, OH | 614-555-0117 | jane.doe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janedoe
Marcus Lee Product Designer Seattle, WA | 206-555-0199 | marcus@marcuslee.design marcuslee.design | linkedin.com/in/marcuslee
Formatting rules:
- Write the URL out. A reader with a printed copy cannot click an icon or the word “LinkedIn,” and software that reads your resume as text sees only the characters on the page. Visible text is one of the basics of an ATS-friendly resume.
- Drop the prefix.
linkedin.com/in/janedoeis enough. In a PDF you can make it a clickable link that points to the full address. - Copy it from your profile. On desktop, your URL is shown under Public profile & URL on the right of your profile page. LinkedIn notes that it will not be displayed there if your profile is not public.
- Trim anything after a question mark. A copied link can carry extra tracking text. Delete from the question mark onward.
- Test it. Paste the link into a private browser window before you send the resume.
Use the same line in your cover letter header and your email signature.
05
What mistakes should you avoid with a LinkedIn link?
- Linking to a profile nobody can see. If you turn your public profile off, LinkedIn hides it from people who are not members and from search engine results. A reader who is not signed in will not see it.
- Letting the two documents disagree. A title or date that differs between resume and profile reads as carelessness at best.
- Using the link as a substitute. “See LinkedIn for details” does not work. The resume has to stand alone.
- Adding every profile you have. One LinkedIn link is plenty. Add a portfolio or code repository only when the job calls for it, and leave personal social media off.
- Forgetting the link works both ways. A profile that is ready for a resume is also ready to be found. The guide to getting recruiters to find you covers the next step, including whether to switch on Open to Work.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should I put LinkedIn on my resume?
Yes, if your profile is complete, current and matches your resume. The link gives a recruiter more context, such as recommendations and a fuller work history. Leave it off if the profile is bare or contradicts the resume, because the comparison will hurt more than a missing link.
Where does the LinkedIn URL go on a resume?
In the header, next to your email address and phone number. Write it as plain text, for example linkedin.com/in/janedoe, on the same line as your other contact details or on the line below.
How do I shorten my LinkedIn URL for a resume?
Set a custom URL. On desktop, click the Me icon, choose View Profile, click the Edit icon next to “Public profile & URL,” then edit the last part of the URL and save. On the resume, leave out “https://www.” and write only linkedin.com/in/ followed by your custom ending.
Do I need to include https or www in the LinkedIn link?
No. linkedin.com/in/yourname is clear to a reader and shorter on the page. If you make the text clickable in a PDF, point the link to the full address so it opens correctly.
What if my LinkedIn profile is not finished?
Either finish the basics first or leave the link off. The minimum is a headline, a short About section, and work history that matches your resume in titles, employers and dates. A half-built profile makes a careful resume look less careful.
Will changing my LinkedIn URL break the link on resumes I already sent?
Not right away. LinkedIn says that after you change your custom URL, the previous one stays linked to you for six months unless you unlink it. Update your resume file with the new URL so later applications carry the current one.
Sources
- LinkedIn Help: Manage your public profile URL: the steps for setting a custom URL and the rules on length, characters and changes.
- LinkedIn Help: Find your LinkedIn public profile URL: where your URL is shown and when it is not displayed.
- LinkedIn Help: LinkedIn public profile visibility: what the public profile is, who can see it and how to control it.
- Marquette University Career Center: Resume, Cover Letter, and References Guide: a LinkedIn link as an optional contact detail when the account is up to date.
- UC Berkeley School of Information: Resume Basics: including a customized LinkedIn URL in resume contact information.
Published by Jobbie and last updated on October 6, 2026. This guide is general information for job seekers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.