When sharing content on LinkedIn, one important consideration is the file size of attachments and images. LinkedIn has file size limits in place to ensure the platform runs smoothly for all users. Exceeding these limits can lead to failed uploads or other issues.
LinkedIn’s File Size Limits
LinkedIn has the following file size limits in place:
- Maximum file size for images is 20MB
- Maximum file size for documents and PDFs is 100MB
- Maximum file size for videos is 5GB
Trying to upload files larger than these limits will result in an error message stating that the file exceeds the allowed size. The specific error message depends on whether you are uploading directly to a post or using LinkedIn’s file sharing feature.
Why File Size Limits Exist
There are a few key reasons why LinkedIn enforces file size limits:
- Prevent storage issues: Storing large files takes up more server space. Size limits prevent users’ uploads from using excessive storage.
- Ensure fast performance: Large files take longer to upload and download. Size limits help keep things running smoothly.
- Stop spam/abuse: Size limits help prevent users from uploading huge unwanted files or trying to overload the system.
In essence, the file size restrictions are in place to protect the performance and integrity of the LinkedIn platform as a whole.
Tips for Managing File Sizes
Here are some tips for making sure your files meet LinkedIn’s requirements:
- Check file sizes before uploading. Most operating systems allow you to right-click a file and view its properties to see the size.
- Optimize images through compression. There are many free image compression tools you can use to reduce file sizes.
- Split large documents into multiple smaller files if needed.
- Host large files on another platform and share the link instead of uploading directly to LinkedIn.
- For videos, reduce resolution or use a lower quality setting when exporting the file.
What Happens if You Exceed the Limits
If you try to upload a file that is too large, LinkedIn will prevent the upload and show an error message. For images and documents, you will see a message stating the file is too large.
For videos, you may be prompted to trim the video or reduce the resolution before uploading. There is no way around LinkedIn’s size limits – the only option is to reduce the file size somehow before re-uploading.
Why LinkedIn Doesn’t Allow Bigger Files
There are a few reasons why LinkedIn maintains strict file size limits and does not allow larger files to be uploaded:
- User experience: Allowing uploads of huge files would negatively impact the experience for other users. Large files take a long time to upload and eat up data allowances.
- Performance: LinkedIn’s infrastructure is optimized for their current file size limits. Drastically increasing limits could slow down load times and cause crashes.
- Fairness: Users have a shared allocation of storage and bandwidth. Letting some users upload huge files would be unfair to others.
- Spam risks: Relaxing limits too much could enable spammers to overload the platform with junk files.
The bottom line is that overly large file sizes pose risks to the performance and user experience of the platform. LinkedIn’s limits strike a balance between utility and protection.
Ideal Image Sizes for LinkedIn
When uploading images to LinkedIn, aim for these optimal sizes for best results:
Image Type | Ideal Size |
---|---|
Profile photo | 400 x 400 pixels |
Cover image | 1584 x 396 pixels |
Shared image | Less than 20MB |
Sponsored content image | 1200 x 627 pixels |
Profile and cover photos have exact size requirements. For shared images, focus on keeping the file size under 20MB vs. specific dimensions.
Aim for standard image formats like .JPG, .PNG or .GIF. More compressed formats like .JPEG 2000 or .TIFF are not fully supported.
Best Practices for Sharing Large Files on LinkedIn
If you need to share a file that exceeds LinkedIn’s size limits, here are some best practices:
- Host the file externally on Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, etc. and share the link in your LinkedIn post.
- Upload a preview or sample of the file instead of the entire thing.
- Consider splitting a large document into multiple smaller files under the 100MB limit.
- For videos, upload to YouTube or Vimeo, then embed or share the link.
- Describe the file in your post content and encourage interested connections to request the file directly from you.
With creative workarounds like these, you can still share large files without bumping up against LinkedIn’s technical limits.
Free Tools to Compress Large Files
If you need to compress large files like images, documents, PDFs, or videos to meet LinkedIn’s size limits, here are some free tools you can use:
File Type | Free Compression Tools |
---|---|
Images | TinyPNG, Optimizilla, Compressor.io |
PDFs | SmallPDF, Soda PDF |
Documents | Microsoft Word, SmallPDF, Soda PDF |
Videos | HandBrake, Avidemux, Clipchamp |
These tools use optimization, compression, and resizing to shrink files. Most have free versions with file size limits. Ideal for meeting LinkedIn requirements.
Paid Software for Compression and Optimization
For more advanced capabilities, these paid software tools can dramatically reduce file sizes:
- ImageOptim – Compress and optimize image files for over 60 formats. $19.99 one-time purchase.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro – Industry standard for PDF compression and optimization. Subscription plans start at $14.99/month.
- Wondershare UniConverter – Convert and compress video, audio, image, and document files. $29.99 for Windows, $39.99 for Mac.
- Smush – WordPress plugin to compress images on your website. Plans from $9/month.
Paid software provides extra features like batch processing, automation, plugins for management platforms, and more advanced compression algorithms.
Conclusion
To recap, LinkedIn enforces limits on file size uploads to ensure optimal platform performance. Compressing and optimizing files before uploading is key to meeting these size restrictions. Aim to stay under 20MB for images, 100MB for documents, and 5GB for videos. If you need to share larger files, host them externally and share the link instead. With the proper tools and techniques, you can successfully share great content on LinkedIn despite the size limits.