Having a professional yet memorable LinkedIn handle is an important part of establishing your personal brand on the platform. With over 700 million members, standing out from the crowd can be a challenge. By following LinkedIn’s handle requirements and best practices, you can develop a handle that represents you in the best possible light.
LinkedIn Handle Requirements
LinkedIn handles must adhere to certain requirements:
- Handles must be between 5-30 characters
- Only alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) and periods are allowed
- Handles are not case sensitive, but will appear in lowercase on your profile
- Periods cannot be at the beginning or end of the handle
- Handles must be unique and not already in use by another member
Following these rules will ensure your handle is acceptable on LinkedIn. Violating the requirements will result in an error when attempting to create your handle.
How to Choose Your LinkedIn Handle
With the requirements in mind, here are some tips for choosing the right LinkedIn handle for you:
- Use your real name – Using some version of your first and last name is the most professional option for a handle. This makes you easily discoverable by connections.
- Make it memorable – Include abbreviations, middle initials, or merge portions of your first and last name to make your handle unique and memorable.
- Consider your brand – If you already have an established personal brand, incorporate related keywords into your handle. This reinforces your brand identity.
- Add numbers strategically – Numbers can differentiate common names. Just don’t overdo it.
- Use a nickname – If you commonly go by a nickname, using it can make your handle more approachable.
- Avoid obscure abbreviations – While abbreviating can shorten your name, avoid obscure initials that people won’t recognize.
Handle Samples
Here are some examples of good LinkedIn handles using different strategies:
Name | LinkedIn Handle | Strategy |
---|---|---|
Jane Smith | janesmith | Full first and last name |
Robert Jones | robert.jones.ii | Full name with suffix |
Samantha Johnson | samjohnson | First and partial last name |
Michael Andrews | michael.a3 | Full first name with differentiated last name |
Elizabeth Taylor | liztaylor | Common nickname |
Katherine Gonzales | katgonzales | Shortened first name and last name |
Check for Availability
Once you’ve narrowed down some handle options, you’ll want to check if they are still available on LinkedIn. Here’s how:
- Go to LinkedIn and click on your profile picture.
- Select “View profile” from the dropdown menu.
- In the URL for your profile page, replace your current handle with the one you want to check. The URL should follow the format: www.linkedin.com/in/yourhandle
- If the page loads your profile, that handle is taken. If you get a 404 error indicating the page is not found, that handle is likely available.
- You can also type handles directly into LinkedIn’s search bar to see if any profiles show up.
If your ideal handle is taken, try different variations until you find one available. Adding extra numbers, abbreviations, or middle initials can make a popular name unique.
Change Your LinkedIn Handle
If you already have a LinkedIn profile but want to change your handle, it is possible to do so by following these steps:
- Click on your profile image and select “View profile”.
- Click the “Edit public profile & URL” button located in the “About” section.
- Near the top of the page, click “Edit” next to your public profile URL.
- Type in your new desired handle and click “Save”.
Keep in mind you only get one free handle change per account. After that, you must pay a fee for any additional changes. So choose wisely!
Optimize Your LinkedIn URL
In addition to creating your handle, optimizing your full LinkedIn URL can improve your discoverability and search engine rankings.
Your public profile URL on LinkedIn follows this structure:
www.linkedin.com/in/yourhandle
You can further customize this by adding your name and other keywords that describe you, like this:
www.linkedin.com/in/yourhandle/en-us/Firstname-Lastname/keywords
This makes your URL more unique, identifiable, and discoverable. Just keep it concise and relevant.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn handle serves an important purpose – representing your personal brand in a professional yet memorable way. By following LinkedIn’s handle rules, incorporating your name and niche keywords, and checking availability, you can develop the perfect handle to build your network and stand out from the LinkedIn crowd.