Changing your public profile link on LinkedIn is a simple process that can be done directly within your account settings. Your LinkedIn profile URL is the web address that appears in the address bar when someone views your public profile. By default, this will be linked to your name, but you can customize it to make your profile easier to share or remember. Here’s a quick overview of how to change your public profile link on LinkedIn.
Why Change Your LinkedIn URL?
There are a few key reasons you may want to update your LinkedIn profile URL:
- Make it more professional – Your default profile URL will contain your name. Changing it to something like your full name or “linkedin.com/in/yourname” looks more professional.
- Use as your personal brand – A customized URL that is just your name or contains keywords related to your profession can help build your personal brand and SEO.
- Easy to share – A shorter, customized URL is much easier to share on resumes, business cards, and other marketing materials.
- Consistency – Keeping the same customized URL makes you easier to find as you progress through your career.
Overall, changing your LinkedIn URL to something short and memorable can make it easier for people to find and share your profile. As LinkedIn continues to grow its member base, having a unique and professional username also helps you stand out from the crowd.
Step 1: Go to Your Profile URL Settings
The first step is simple – navigate to your Public Profile & URL settings within LinkedIn. Here’s how:
- Log into your LinkedIn account and go to your homepage.
- Click on your profile photo in the top right corner.
- From the dropdown menu, select “View profile.” This will bring you to your public profile page.
- Scroll down and click “Edit public profile & URL” on the right side of the page.
- This will open the editing page. Select “Edit URL” on the right rail.
You should now be on the page to edit your public profile URL. By default, this will be your name, something like “linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname-1234abcd”.
Step 2: Choose Your New Custom URL
On the Edit URL page, you can now customize your public profile link. Here are some tips for creating your new URL:
- Use your full name or a version with first/last name initials (e.g. linkedin.com/in/johndoe)
- Incorporate relevant keywords like your profession or industry (e.g. linkedin.com/in/janesmithmarketing)
- Add your location if it relates to your branding (e.g. linkedin.com/in/johnchinchicago)
- Use dashes (-) or underscores (_) to separate words or names (e.g. linkedin.com/in/jane_smith)
Ideally, you’ll want your new custom URL to be short, brand-appropriate, and easy to remember. Some key tips:
- Keep it simple – short and memorable is best.
- Have a consistent brand – match your other social media usernames when possible.
- Check availability – LinkedIn will let you know if your desired URL is taken.
- Add numbers or words if needed – you may need to tweak the URL or add numbers to get your desired result (e.g. johnsmith423).
Once you’ve decided on the customized URL you want, go ahead and enter it in the URL field. LinkedIn will automatically check availability. Select “Change URL” if it’s available.
Step 3: Confirm the New Profile Link
After you enter and confirm your new desired LinkedIn profile URL, the change will save automatically. LinkedIn will keep your old profile URL active and redirecting for up to 6 months, but anyone who now searches for you or clicks your new URL will land on your updated profile page.
To confirm everything worked properly:
- Click “Back to profile” to view your profile with the new URL.
- Copy and paste your new URL into a different browser to test it.
- Do a LinkedIn search for your name and click your profile to confirm the updated link.
You should now see your new customized LinkedIn profile URL anytime someone searches for or clicks through to your page! This change can improve your personal brand, make your profile easier to share, and give you a more professional LinkedIn presence.
Tips for Customizing Your LinkedIn URL
Here are some additional tips to consider when updating your LinkedIn profile URL:
- Shorter is better – try to keep it under 20 characters for the best usability.
- Relevant keywords can optimize SEO but avoid “keyword stuffing”.
- Numbers and hyphens improve readability for long names.
- Check availability of your top choices and have backups ready.
- Capitalize properly and double check for typos before saving.
It’s also a smart idea to claim your customized URL on other social networks when possible to further build your personal brand. For example, use the same username on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. if available.
If you want your LinkedIn URL to match your other social profiles, you may need to work backwards and change them first before setting your customized LinkedIn link.
Can You Change Your LinkedIn URL Multiple Times?
Yes, you can change your customized LinkedIn profile URL as often as you want. However, there are a few caveats:
- Your old URLs remain active for up to 6 months before expiring.
- Frequent changes may confuse people trying to find your profile.
- Changing from an optimized URL could negatively impact SEO.
In most cases, you’ll want to choose a single customized URL and stick with it as you build your brand and connections on LinkedIn. But the option to change it is there if you need to tweak it or decide on a better option down the road.
Is There a Limit to How Many Times You Can Change Your URL?
LinkedIn does not publish any official limit to how many times you can change your public profile URL. Based on user reports, it appears you can change it as often as you want with no restrictions.
Some users have reported being able to change their URL over 50+ times with no issues. However, as mentioned above, changing your URL too often is not recommended for your personal brand or SEO optimization.
The only limit seems to be that you can only have one customized URL active at any given time. Your previous URLs will redirect to your new profile page for 6 months before expiring.
Can You Revert to Your Old LinkedIn URL?
Yes, you can revert to a previous LinkedIn profile URL within 6 months of changing it. Here’s how:
- Go to your public profile and click “Edit public profile & URL”.
- Select “Edit URL”.
- Manually enter your desired old URL and select “Change URL”.
- If the URL is still active, it will revert your public profile back to that custom link.
After 6 months, your old URLs will expire and can no longer be reverted to. At that point, you would need to choose a new URL if you want to change it from your current link.
Reverting back to an old URL can be useful if you change it to something and later decide you prefer the previous version. Just make sure you do it within 6 months.
Does Changing Your URL Affect SEO?
Changing your LinkedIn profile URL can have a minor impact on your SEO and public profile visibility. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Google counts LinkedIn activity, so a consistent URL may improve SEO over time.
- Switching from a name URL to a keyword URL can boost search optimization.
- Frequently changing URLs creates inconsistent signals and may negatively impact SEO.
- Your old URL remains active for 6 months, so search visibility remains during that transition.
Overall, it’s unlikely that a single URL change will significantly impact your LinkedIn SEO metrics and public profile searchability. But best practice is to choose a customized URL and stick with it long-term whenever possible.
Does Your Old LinkedIn URL Still Work After Changing?
Yes, your old LinkedIn profile URLs will continue to redirect and work normally for up to 6 months after you change them. For example:
- Your profile URL is originally “linkedin.com/in/john-doe-b123c456”.
- You change it to “linkedin.com/in/johndoe”.
- For the next 6 months, both “linkedin.com/in/john-doe-b123c456” and “linkedin.com/in/johndoe” will work and redirect to your profile.
- After 6 months, only your new “linkedin.com/in/johndoe” URL will work.
So you don’t have to worry about immediately updating all your online profiles, resumes, business cards, etc. right away after changing your LinkedIn URL. The redirect gives you a 6 month grace period before the old URL expires.
Can Someone Else Claim Your Old URL?
No, once you customize your LinkedIn profile URL, it becomes locked to your account. Another member cannot claim an URL that you previously used.
Here is what happens when you change your URL:
- Your old URL redirects traffic to your new profile for 6 months.
- After 6 months, the old URL expires completely.
- The expired old URL is removed from circulation and cannot be claimed by anyone else.
- Your new custom URL remains tied to your account indefinitely unless you change it again.
So you don’t have to worry about someone else snapping up any customized URL you’ve previously used on LinkedIn. The URLs remain locked and inactive after they expire from your account changes.
Should You Include Your LinkedIn URL on Your Resume?
Yes, it’s recommended to include your customized LinkedIn profile URL on your resume. Here are some of the benefits of adding your LinkedIn link:
- Gives recruiters instant access to your full profile.
- Shows you have a professional online presence.
- Displays your professional brand and network.
- Allows for easy connection and contact.
- Improves your discoverability and SEO.
Your LinkedIn profile acts as an online resume with more details, media, and recommendations. So including a link allows hiring managers to quickly view your full credentials with just a click.
Some tips for adding your URL:
- List it in the contact section of your resume.
- Hyperlink the text so it’s clickable on digital resumes.
- Use a customized URL that matches your personal brand.
- Cross-check that the URL works – no typos or expired links!
Having an excellent LinkedIn presence along with a link on your resume can improve your professional image and chances of landing an interview. Just make sure your profile is up-to-date before adding the URL.
How Can You Get More Profile Views After Changing URL?
Here are some tips to get more LinkedIn profile views after customizing your public URL:
- Share the new link prominently on all your profiles and bios.
- Update your LinkedIn URL anywhere it’s currently listed, like resumes or news articles.
- Mention your new custom URL when networking and meeting new people.
- Use your updated URL in your LinkedIn profile headline and contact links.
- Engage your network by liking and commenting on posts to increase your visibility.
- Follow relevant companies and join targeted LinkedIn groups to expand your network.
- Add rich media content like images, videos, and presentations to your profile.
Updating your profile URL provides an opportunity to spread the word and drive more traffic to your LinkedIn presence. Be sure to promote the new link across your professional profiles and social networks. Focusing on high-quality content and engagement can then continue increasing your profile views and network reach over time.
Conclusion
Customizing your LinkedIn profile URL is a great way to polish your professional brand and make it easy for people to find and share your profile. The process only takes a few clicks, and your old URL will still redirect for 6 months.
When creating your customized URL, keep it short and memorable, use relevant keywords, and make sure it aligns with your personal branding. Then be sure to add it to resumes, business cards, and any professional bios or profiles.
Changing your URL provides a chance to promote your new link and improve your LinkedIn engagement. Focus on quality content, profile optimization, and growing your network to maximize the benefits.
With your new easy-to-share LinkedIn profile URL, you can now put your best professional image forward and ensure you stand out in the crowded LinkedIn community.
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Why change your LinkedIn URL? | Make it more professional, use as personal brand, easy sharing, consistency |
How do you access LinkedIn profile URL settings? | Profile photo > View profile > Edit public profile & URL > Edit URL |
Tips for creating a custom LinkedIn URL | Use your name, add keywords, location, separators, keep it simple, check availability |
Can you change URL multiple times? | Yes, no official limit but not recommended for branding/SEO |
Does changing URL affect SEO? | Minor impact – consistency good but keywords can help. Old URL active for 6 months. |
Should you add LinkedIn URL to resume? | Yes, gives access to full profile and networking ability |