Having a personalized LinkedIn URL makes your profile much easier to share and remember. Instead of your profile URL being a random string of numbers and letters, it can be your name or something customized to reflect your personal brand. Claiming a personalized LinkedIn URL is easy and free for all members to do.
What are the benefits of having a custom LinkedIn URL?
Here are some of the main benefits of having a custom LinkedIn URL:
- It looks more professional – Your name or brand looks better than a random string of characters.
- It’s easier to remember and share – People can easily type your custom URL when looking for your profile.
- It strengthens your personal brand – A custom URL reinforces your name and professional identity.
- It improves SEO – A URL with your name can rank better in search results.
Overall, a customized LinkedIn URL makes your profile stand out and appear more polished. It’s one of the simplest ways to enhance your professional presence on LinkedIn.
What are the requirements for a LinkedIn personal URL?
LinkedIn has a few rules around custom URLs for member profiles:
- You must have a completed profile – This includes having a profile photo, summary, work experience, etc.
- Your account must be public – Private LinkedIn profiles cannot have a custom URL.
- URLs have a 28 character limit – You can use letters, numbers, periods, and dashes.
- URLs must be unique – No two members can have the same custom URL.
As long as your profile meets these requirements, you can change your URL to be more personalized.
How do I claim my custom LinkedIn URL?
Follow these simple steps to change your LinkedIn URL:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page and click “Edit public profile & URL” on the right rail.
- Under the “Edit URL” section, click the pencil icon.
- Type your desired custom URL – your name works best. LinkedIn will check availability.
- Click the blue “Save” button to claim it.
And that’s it! As long as the URL meets LinkedIn’s requirements and is not already taken, you can now personalized your profile link. You’ll want to start sharing your new custom URL with your network.
What should I do if my desired URL is unavailable?
With over 850 million members on LinkedIn, many popular names or short URLs are likely taken already. Here are some tips if your first choice isn’t available:
- Try variations like using your full name, adding a middle initial or nickname, using dashes or periods, etc.
- Consider using your name and profession like johnsmithjournalist or maryjohnsoncoach.
- For common names, try adding your location like michaeldavischicago or sarahleedetroit.
- Use branded URLs like your website or business name.
- Add numbers if needed like mikejones93 or thomassmith2022.
- Get creative with a fun word combination that reflects your personality or interests.
Playing around with different options makes it easier to find a unique URL for your profile. The key is finding something that represents you while following LinkedIn’s rules.
Can I change my custom LinkedIn URL later on?
Yes, you can change your personalized LinkedIn URL at any time. Just follow the same steps to edit your profile URL, check for availability on your new desired URL, and save the change.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when changing your URL:
- Any existing links with your old URL will now break or redirect to your new profile link.
- You may lose some SEO value associated with your old URL.
- Analytics on your profile views will reset and not reflect past traffic.
So while it is possible to change it, you generally want to pick a custom URL and stick with it long term. But the option is there if you need to update it down the line.
What are some examples of good LinkedIn personal URLs?
The best LinkedIn URLs are simple, professional, and customized to each member. Here are some examples of good custom profile URLs:
- FirstLast – Your first and last name like johnSmith
- FirstLastJob – Name and current job like sarahThompsonCEO
- FirstLastCity – Name and location like bobJohnsonDetroit
- WebsiteURL – Your business site like acmeWebsiteDesign
- FirstMiddlleLast – Longer name with middle like maryAnneWatson
- DescriptorJob – A descriptor plus job like socialMediaManager
Essentially, you want it to be some combination of your name, location, profession, business, brand, or descriptive terms. This helps identify who you are and what you do.
Conclusion
Claiming a custom LinkedIn URL is a quick and simple way to polish your professional profile. Follow the steps to change your default URL to something more personalized and branded. Just make sure it meets LinkedIn’s requirements and gives people a good sense of who you are as a professional.