LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking sites, with over 722 million users worldwide as of April 2022. On LinkedIn, your username, also called your LinkedIn handle, is an important part of your profile and determines the custom URL for your public profile page. Knowing how to find your LinkedIn username can be helpful for branding, networking, and managing your account settings.
Viewing Your LinkedIn Username on Mobile
If you mostly use LinkedIn’s mobile app, here are the steps to view your username:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your iOS or Android device.
- Tap on your profile photo in the top left corner.
- This will bring you to your account overview page. Your username will be listed under your name.
For example, if your name is John Smith, your username may be listed as @johnsmith.
Finding Your Username on the LinkedIn Mobile Menu
You can also find your username via the LinkedIn mobile app menu:
- Tap on the menu icon in the top left corner (the 3 horizontal lines).
- Scroll down and tap “View profile.”
- On your public profile page, your username will be listed under your name.
Viewing Your Username on Desktop
To find your LinkedIn username on the desktop site, follow these steps:
- Go to www.linkedin.com and log in to your account.
- Move your mouse over your profile photo in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select “View profile” from the dropdown menu.
- On your profile overview page, your username will be listed under your name.
Finding Your Username via Account Settings
You can also find your LinkedIn username via your account settings:
- Click on the “Me” icon (your profile photo) in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- Go to the “Account preferences” tab.
- Your username will be listed next to “Public profile URL.”
Changing Your LinkedIn Username
If you want to change your LinkedIn username for branding or personal reasons, here are the steps:
- Go to your account settings.
- Under “Account preferences,” click “Edit” next to “Public profile URL.”
- Type in your new desired username. You can change it to your name, business name, or something unique.
- Check that the new username is available by clicking “Check availability.”
- If available, click “Change URL” to save the new username.
Keep in mind LinkedIn has rules for usernames. It must be unique, between 5-30 characters, and only use alphanumeric characters plus periods, dashes, and underscores. You only get one chance to change your username for free. After that, there is a fee.
Your LinkedIn URL with Username
Once you know your LinkedIn username, the other important piece is your custom LinkedIn URL. This is the web address tied to your public profile page. It will follow this format:
www.linkedin.com/in/yourusername
For example, if your username was @jsmith, your LinkedIn URL would be:
www.linkedin.com/in/jsmith
Why Your LinkedIn URL Matters
Your LinkedIn URL is important for a few reasons:
- It makes your profile web address professional and personalized.
- It’s often the first thing people see in search engine results.
- A customized URL is easier to remember and share.
- It builds your personal brand and recognition.
In summary, your LinkedIn URL acts like your professional domain name on the platform. Changing it to match your username gives you a short, neat web address to promote your LinkedIn presence.
Finding Someone Else’s Username on LinkedIn
If you need to find someone else’s LinkedIn username, it’s easy to do so from their profile:
- Go to their LinkedIn profile page.
- Their username will be listed under their name.
- You can also look at the URL of their profile page to see the username format.
For example, if you are on a profile page with a URL like:
www.linkedin.com/in/katvu
You can tell the person’s username is @katvu.
Searching LinkedIn by Username
You can also search LinkedIn directly using a person’s username using these steps:
- Go to the LinkedIn search bar.
- Type in the username preceded by “in/”. For example: in/johnsmith
- Hit enter to pull up the person’s LinkedIn profile.
This is a handy way to lookup someone you know the LinkedIn username of but not their full name.
Pro Tips for Your LinkedIn Username
To maximize the impact of your LinkedIn username, keep these professional tips in mind:
- Make it consistent with other social profiles like Twitter or Instagram.
- Incorporate your name, business name, or important keywords.
- Keep it short, simple, and memorable.
- Use dashes, periods, or underscores instead of weird characters.
- Avoid numbers or unusual capitalization.
- Update any websites, resumes, or business cards to match.
Usernames to Potentially Avoid
When choosing your LinkedIn username, you may want to steer clear of:
- Generic names like “john_smith”.
- Hobby-related names like “skateboardpro123”.
- Overly personal names like “sarahsmom”.
- Humorous or unprofessional names.
- Anything that doesn’t represent you well.
The key is picking a LinkedIn username that properly represents your professional brand and image.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn username is a key element of your profile URL and overall brand. By understanding how to find your username, change it, and leverage it effectively, you can put your best foot forward on the world’s top professional networking platform.
A few key takeaways are:
- You can view your username on mobile under your profile or account settings.
- On desktop, check your profile overview or account preferences to see your username.
- Customize your URL using your username for a polished, professional look.
- Use tips like consistency, simplicity, and keywords to maximize your username impact.
Keep your LinkedIn username in mind as you build your professional presence. A strategically optimized profile can help you network more effectively, get found by recruiters, showcase your personal brand, and advance your career.