Having a custom LinkedIn URL that is easy to remember and share is an important part of your professional branding and online presence. Your LinkedIn profile acts as an online resume and portfolio, and a customized public profile URL lets you share your profile in a professional way.
Why have a custom LinkedIn URL?
LinkedIn automatically assigns your profile a unique URL string made up of numbers and letters when you create your account (for example, linkedin.com/in/abcdef123456). This default URL is not very memorable or professional looking.
Creating a custom LinkedIn URL allows you to establish your personal brand and identity. A custom URL looks more polished and is easier to share on your resume, business cards, email signature, and anywhere else you want to highlight your LinkedIn presence.
Instead of a random string of numbers and letters, you can create a custom URL using your name, company, or other identifier (for example: linkedin.com/in/john-smith). This makes your profile stand out and easier for people to find.
How to get a custom LinkedIn URL
Getting a customized public profile URL for your LinkedIn account is easy and only takes a few steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click on the “View profile” button to view your public profile
- Next to your profile photo, click the “Edit public profile & URL” pencil icon
- Under “Edit URL”, click “Customize your public profile URL”
This will open up a form where you can enter your desired custom URL name. LinkedIn will check if the URL is available.
Tips for creating your LinkedIn custom URL:
- Use your full name or a variation with your first and last name
- Try different formats like first-last, last-first, or firstlast
- Add your industry or profession like john-smith-marketing
- Use hyphens (-) instead of spaces or underscores
- Keep it short, simple, and professional
- Custom URLs can’t contain special characters
Once you enter your desired URL, LinkedIn will let you know if it’s available. If your first choice isn’t available, try variations until you find a URL that works.
How to change your existing LinkedIn URL
If you already have a custom URL but want to change it, you can do so by following these steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click “View profile” to view your public profile
- Click the “Edit public profile & URL” pencil icon
- Under “Edit URL”, click “Customize your public profile URL”
- Enter your new desired URL – LinkedIn will check availability
- Click “Save” to change your public profile URL
Your old URL will remain active and redirect to your new URL for the time being. However, people searching for your old custom URL will not be able to find it, so be sure to update any links pointing to your old URL.
Best practices for using your LinkedIn custom URL
Once you have your new customized LinkedIn public profile URL, make sure people can find you by following these best practices:
- Update your LinkedIn URL anywhere you have listed it online – website, resume, business cards, etc.
- Include your LinkedIn URL in your email signature
- Share your new custom URL on other social networks
- Let your professional connections know about your updated profile link
Your LinkedIn URL should always be kept up to date wherever you post it online. Update any published material like printed resumes or business cards once they need to be reprinted.
How to find someone else’s LinkedIn URL
If you want to find someone else’s LinkedIn URL, there are a couple options:
- Search for their name on LinkedIn – their profile should appear
- Go to their LinkedIn profile and copy the URL from the address bar
- Look for any place they may have published their LinkedIn URL publicly, like on a resume or website
- Ask the person directly for their LinkedIn profile link
Keep in mind that some LinkedIn members choose to keep their profile private or only shared with their direct connections. If someone’s profile doesn’t come up in LinkedIn search, they may not have a public profile URL that can be accessed without being connected.
Pro tips for your LinkedIn profile URL
Here are some additional professional tips for your customized LinkedIn URL:
- Shorter URLs are better – keep it simple and easy to remember
- Hyphens look cleaner than underscores
- Numerals can replace letters like vowels (ex: j0hn-sm1th)
- URLs are case insensitive but lowercase looks best
- Change your URL as needed if you change roles or industries
- You can change your URL unlimited times
- Turn on URL pronunciations in your profile settings
- Use your updated LinkedIn URL on your resume, cover letters, business cards, and anywhere you list your LinkedIn profile
Conclusion
A customized LinkedIn profile URL is essential for looking professional online and making it easy for people to connect with you. Follow the simple steps to get a memorable LinkedIn URL and keep it up to date across all your online presence.
With a polished LinkedIn custom URL, you can establish your personal brand, stand out in LinkedIn search, and share your professional profile with confidence.