Can you get a PDF of a LinkedIn profile?

Quick Answer

Yes, it is possible to get a PDF copy of a LinkedIn profile. There are a few different ways to do this:

• Use the Print to PDF option in your browser when viewing a profile
• Use a PDF converter tool or website to convert the LinkedIn profile web page to a PDF file
• Use LinkedIn’s archiving feature to download an archive of your own profile, which includes a PDF copy
• Use a PDF printer or virtual PDF printer software to print the profile to a PDF file

The easiest options are to use the browser’s print to PDF feature or an online PDF converter. You will need to be logged in and viewing the full profile page in order to generate a PDF copy.

Explanation

LinkedIn profiles are web pages that contain information about a professional’s work history, education, skills, accomplishments, and other career details. While you can view and interact with LinkedIn profiles through the website and mobile app, sometimes it can be useful to get a PDF copy of a profile for saving or sharing offline.

Some common reasons you may want a PDF version of a LinkedIn profile include:

• Applying for jobs – Attach a resume PDF along with a profile overview PDF
• Business proposals or pitches – Share an overview of your team’s experience
• Investor materials – Summarize the management team’s background
• Awards and nominations – Provide background details and achievements
• Speaking engagements or conferences – Share presenter bios and headshots

Having a PDF makes it easy to download, print, attach, and share professional profile information in a standard document format. The PDF can act as a snapshot of the profile and its details at a point in time.

Browser Print to PDF

The easiest way to save a LinkedIn profile as a PDF is to use your web browser’s print to PDF option. Here are the basic steps:

1. Open the LinkedIn profile page you want to convert
2. Click File > Print (or use Ctrl/Cmd + P shortcut)
3. Select the printer option to Save as PDF (or Print to PDF depending on browser)
4. Choose download location and file name for the PDF
5. The profile page will save as a PDF document

This works in most major web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera without needing any additional software or extensions.

The benefit is it’s a quick built-in tool already available in your browser. The downside is you may have limited options for customizing the layout, margins, image quality, and other PDF settings.

Online PDF Converter

Another easy option is to use an online PDF conversion tool or website. Many free online converters will let you input a web page URL, render the HTML, and convert it to a PDF.

Some popular PDF converter sites include:

• www.pdfmyurl.com
• www.htmlpdf.com
• www.webbrowsertools.com
• www.pdfcrowd.com
• www.ConvertWebPagesToPdf.com

The process is very similar to the browser method:

1. Go to the LinkedIn profile URL you want to convert
2. Copy or input the profile URL into the PDF website
3. Click the Convert Website to PDF or similar button
4. When finished, download the generated PDF file

The advantages of online converters are faster conversion speed, higher quality PDFs in some cases, and more customization options for things like paper size, image DPI, margins, headers/footers, watermarks, and passwords.

The downside is you need to trust the website with viewing the original LinkedIn profile page. Some free converters also limit maximum pages or file sizes.

LinkedIn Profile Archiving

LinkedIn provides a data archiving feature that lets you download an archive of your own LinkedIn profile data. This includes a PDF copy of your profile.

To use it:

1. Go to your LinkedIn Account settings
2. Under the Data privacy tab select Get a copy of your data
3. Choose to request an archive of your LinkedIn data
4. LinkedIn will process the request and email a download link when ready (can take up to 48 hours)
5. The zipped archive contains a PDF copy of your profile under the Profile folder

The benefit of this method is it provides an official PDF copy from LinkedIn. The downside is it only works for your own profile, not viewing other people. The archiving process can also take up to 2 days to prepare the download.

PDF Printer Software

Dedicated PDF printer software provides another option for converting web pages and other digital documents to PDF format.

Popular virtual PDF printer tools include:

• Adobe Acrobat
• PDFCreator
• CutePDF
• PDFelement
• PrimoPDF
• Nitro PDF Printer

These tools work by installing a virtual printer driver on your computer. You can then print from any application to the PDF printer, which saves the output as a PDF file rather than printing on paper.

To print a LinkedIn profile:

1. Install and set up the PDF printer software
2. Visit the LinkedIn profile page
3. Click File > Print (or Ctrl/Cmd + P)
4. Choose the PDF printer option as the target
5. Configure any PDF settings offered
6. Click print and choose where to save the PDF file

PDF printers provide more robust PDF creation capabilities for things like custom page sizes, image optimization, and PDF security options. The drawback is the additional software required compared to built-in browser options.

Key Considerations

Here are some important things to keep in mind when creating PDF copies of LinkedIn profiles:

• Permission – Be sure you have permission or authority to download the profile. Do not violate someone’s privacy or terms of use.
• Attribution – If sharing the PDF, retain any copyright or attribution notices from the original profile.
• Outdated Information – LinkedIn profiles can change often. Any PDF will be a snapshot in time and may become outdated.
• Citation – If using the PDF professionally or academically, follow any applicable citation guidelines.
• Alternatives – For some uses, an up-to-date screenshot or web archive link may be preferable to a PDF.
• Accessibility – Convert the profile to an accessible PDF if needed for those using assistive technology.

In most cases, common sense and professional courtesy should guide how you use PDF copies of LinkedIn profiles. Be aware that downloading a profile PDF does not grant any copyright or republication rights.

Conclusion

It is relatively straightforward to save a copy of a LinkedIn profile as a PDF document for personal or professional use. The easiest options include using your browser’s print to PDF feature or an online PDF conversion website. For more control, virtual PDF printer software provides customizable PDF creation capabilities.

Keep in mind that PDF profiles will be a snapshot in time rather than an actively updated document. Be sure to have permission if sharing the profile and provide proper attribution. With the range of tools now available, generating PDF copies of LinkedIn profiles can be a simple process to support many common business, career, academic, and personal needs.