How do I add a clickable link to my Linkedin profile?

Adding clickable links to your LinkedIn profile can be a great way to showcase your work, drive traffic to your website, blog, or online portfolio, and demonstrate your expertise. LinkedIn allows you to add links in several sections of your profile, including the background summary, experience descriptions, project descriptions, education descriptions, and more.

When adding links to your profile, there are a few best practices you’ll want to keep in mind:

• Be selective – Choose the most relevant links to share. Don’t add too many or it will appear spammy.
• Use brief, descriptive text – The text you use for the link should briefly explain what someone will find when they click on it.
• Check for formatting issues – Make sure the link text is clearly visible and the link works properly.
• Add value for your audience – The links should enhance your profile for your desired audience, not just promote yourself.

In this article, we’ll walk through exactly how to add clickable hyperlinks to key sections of your LinkedIn profile.

Adding Links to the Background Summary

The background summary section at the top of your profile is one of the best places to include relevant links. This section summarizes your career highlights, skills, accomplishments, and goals.

Here are some tips for including links in your summary:

• Link to your website or online portfolio to showcase your work.
• Link to articles, publications, or projects to demonstrate your expertise.
• Link to press mentions or awards you’ve received.
• Link to blog posts that are relevant for your industry or role.

To add a link to your background summary:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile page and click “Edit profile” at the top.
2. Scroll down and click the “Edit” pencil icon in the “About” section.
3. In your summary text, highlight the text you want to be hyperlinked.
4. Click the chain link icon above the text box to open the link pop-up.
5. Paste the URL you want to link to into the URL field.
6. Click “Apply” to insert the link.
7. Repeat this process to add additional links as desired.
8. Click “Save” at the bottom when you are done editing.

The text will now appear as a clickable link in your summary section.

Adding Links to Your Experience Section

Including relevant links in your experience section is a great way to showcase your work for each position you held.

For example, you may want to link to:

• A company website or your department page.
• Projects you worked on.
• Presentations, publications, or thought leadership content you authored.
• Product pages or portfolios showcasing your contributions.
• Articles mentioning you or your team’s achievements.

Here is how to add hyperlinks to your experience descriptions:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile page and click “Edit profile.”
2. In the experience section, click the “Edit” pencil icon for the position you want to add links to.
3. In the description text, highlight the words you want hyperlinked.
4. Click the chain link icon to open the link pop-up.
5. Paste in the URL and click “Apply.”
6. Repeat to add additional links as relevant.
7. Click “Save” at the bottom when finished.

The links will now be live and clickable within that experience description.

Adding Links to Your Education Section

Similar to your experience section, you can include relevant links under your education descriptions as well:

• Link to your college/university website.
• Link to specific degrees or programs.
• Link to notable coursework, projects, honors, organizations, or research you were involved in.
• Link to published papers, theses, or dissertations you authored.

To add links to your education:

1. Click “Edit profile” and navigate to your education section.
2. Click the “Edit” pencil icon for the school you want to add links for.
3. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink and click the chain link icon.
4. Paste your URL and click “Apply.”
5. Add more links as you see fit and click “Save” when done.

Now the links will be displayed and can be accessed from your education descriptions.

Linking Projects, Publications, and More

In addition to your summary, experience, and education sections, you can include hyperlinks in the following profile sections as well:

• Projects – Link to live projects or product pages showcasing your work.
• Publications – Link to any published papers, articles, or books you authored.
• Patents – Link to records of patents you hold.
• Courses – Link to online courses or certifications you’ve completed.
• Honors & Awards – Link to articles or announcements of honors/awards.
• Organizations – Link to professional or community organizations you are part of.

The process for adding links in these sections is the same:

1. Click “Edit profile” and navigate to the section.
2. Click “Edit” for the specific item you want to link.
3. Highlight the text, click the chain link icon, paste the URL, and click “Apply.”
4. Save your changes when done.

Including relevant links in these sections can help flesh out your profile and demonstrate specific achievements.

Best Practices for LinkedIn Profile Links

To ensure your profile links are optimized, keep these best practices in mind:

• Be selective – Only include your most important and relevant links.
• Use brief, descriptive text – Summarize what the link contains.
• Double check formatting – Make sure links are clickable and visible.
• Keep links current – Update or remove dead links.
• Use trustworthy sites – Link to reputable, professional domains.
• No self-promotion – Links should add value for your audience, not just promote you or your company.
• Use custom URLs – Create clean, custom URLs when possible rather than long, messy URLs.

Following these best practices will ensure your profile links are useful for your connections and make the right impression.

Other Sections that Support Links

In addition to the sections we’ve covered so far, here are a few other profile areas where you can include hyperlinks as well:

• Skills – Link to online certificates verifying your listed skills.
• Recommendations – Ask those who recommend you to include a link in their recommendation text.
• Accomplishments – Link to projects, articles, or achievements showcasing major accomplishments.

So be on the lookout for opportunities to add relevant links in these sections too.

Using Links to Connect With Your Audience

Integrating strategic links throughout your LinkedIn profile accomplishes a few objectives:

• Allows you to showcase and substantiate your achievements in more detail.
• Demonstrates your subject matter expertise.
• Directs viewers to additional resources to learn about you.
• Engages your audience by sending them to useful, interesting content.
• Shows you are active and established on multiple platforms/sites.

In summary, adding tasteful, value-driven links in your profile provides tangible evidence of your accomplishments while keeping your audience engaged.

So take the time to comb through your profile for any opportunities to incorporate relevant links when appropriate. This extra effort can go a long way in showcasing your knowledge, authority, and personal brand on LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions about adding clickable links to your LinkedIn profile:

What types of links should I include in my profile?

Focus on links that add value for your target audience, such as websites showcasing your work, published articles, company and organization pages, media mentions, etc. Avoid too many self-promotional links.

Is there a limit to how many links I can add?

There is no specific limit, but aim for quality over quantity. Stick to your most relevant links so as not to appear spammy.

Should I link to my social media profiles?

Yes, you can link to your professional accounts like Twitter, Facebook pages, Instagram, etc. to provide additional avenues for connecting with you.

Can I link to my LinkedIn profile from external websites?

Definitely – adding a link to your LinkedIn profile on your personal website or other professional sites is encouraged.

What’s the best way to format profile links?

Use brief, descriptive text for the hyperlink and check that the URL formats properly and is clickable after saving.

How often should I review my profile links?

Review your links every few months to remove dead links and keep things fresh by adding new links as relevant. Keeping them current improves the experience for your profile visitors.

Conclusion

Including well-curated links throughout your LinkedIn profile can showcase your achievements, demonstrate your expertise, drive engagement with your audience, and elevate your personal brand. Focus on adding value rather than self-promotion.

Start by identifying the most relevant content, websites, articles, projects, and accomplishments to link to that support your professional story. Use brief, descriptive text and check for formatting issues. Maintain current links by reviewing them regularly.

With strategically placed profile links, you can provide rich evidence of your background while also directing viewers to additional resources to learn more about you. So tap into the power of profile links to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level.