A LinkedIn profile URL is the web address that links directly to your LinkedIn profile. It follows the format linkedin.com/in/youridentifier, where the last part is either a name you chose or a string of letters and numbers that LinkedIn assigned when you created your account. This URL is what you share on resumes, email signatures, business cards, and job applications so people can view your professional profile with one click.
What the URL Looks Like
Every LinkedIn profile URL starts with www.linkedin.com/in/ followed by a unique identifier. If you’ve never customized yours, it probably looks something like linkedin.com/in/jane-doe-4a7b3c92, with a random alphanumeric string tacked onto the end of your name. A customized version is cleaner: linkedin.com/in/janedoe or linkedin.com/in/janedoe-marketing. Only Latin characters are allowed, and special symbols aren’t permitted.
How to Find Your Profile URL
On Desktop
Click the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, then click “View Profile.” On your profile page, look for “Public profile & URL” on the right-hand pane. Click the edit icon next to it, and you’ll see your current URL displayed at the top of the settings page. You can copy it directly from there.
On Mobile
Tap your profile photo, then tap it again to open your full profile. Tap the “More” icon (the three dots near the “Add section” button), then tap “Contact info.” Under the “Your Profile” section, you’ll see your public profile URL starting with www.linkedin.com/in. Alternatively, scroll down on your profile to the Contact section and find it listed under “LinkedIn.”
How to Customize It
Customizing your URL replaces that random string with something memorable. On desktop, navigate to the same “Public profile & URL” editing pane described above. You’ll see a field where you can type your preferred ending. On mobile, go to “Contact info,” tap your profile URL, and you’ll be redirected to the public profile settings page where you can edit it.
A few practical tips for choosing your custom URL: use your real name if it’s available (linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname), and if it’s taken, add a middle initial, credential, or profession to differentiate yourself (linkedin.com/in/janedoe-cpa). Keep it short, professional, and easy to type. Once you set a custom URL, LinkedIn releases your old one, so anyone with a link to the previous version will hit a dead page. If you change your URL frequently, you risk breaking links on resumes or websites that still point to the old address.
Where to Use It
Your profile URL belongs anywhere you want someone to learn more about your professional background. The most common places include the header or contact section of your resume, your email signature, personal websites, and online portfolios. Many job applications have a dedicated field for a LinkedIn URL. A clean, customized link looks more polished in all of these contexts than a default URL with a random string of characters.
Public Profile Visibility Settings
Having a URL doesn’t automatically mean everyone can see your full profile. LinkedIn gives you control over what’s visible to people who aren’t logged in, including visitors who find you through search engines like Google or Bing. You can toggle individual profile sections on or off for public visibility, or disable your public profile entirely. Disabling it hides your profile from non-LinkedIn members and from search engine results altogether.
Even with a public profile enabled, visitors who aren’t signed in to LinkedIn will only see the sections you’ve made public. To view your complete profile, including details you’ve restricted, someone typically needs to log in to their own LinkedIn account. This means your URL can be freely shared without exposing more information than you’re comfortable with, as long as you’ve configured those visibility settings to match your preferences.
Why a Link Might Not Work
If someone clicks your LinkedIn URL and sees an error page, there are a few likely explanations. The most common is a changed URL: if you recently customized your profile address, any old links pointing to the previous version will break. Double-check that the URL on your resume, website, or email signature matches your current one. Typos are another frequent culprit, especially when a URL is manually typed rather than copied. Finally, if you’ve turned off your public profile visibility, people who aren’t logged into LinkedIn won’t be able to reach your profile through the link at all.