LinkedIn headlines allow 220 characters on desktop and 240 characters on mobile, but only about 120 characters display in desktop search results and approximately 60 characters on mobile search. This makes front-loading critical—put your most important keywords and information in the first 60 characters. The headline is the second most visible element of your profile (after your name) and significantly impacts whether people click through to view your full profile.

This guide covers how to write LinkedIn headlines that maximize the character limit.

LinkedIn Headline Character Limits

Why Front-Loading Matters

Where Headlines Get Truncated

Search results: When someone searches LinkedIn and your profile appears, they see approximately 40-60 characters of your headline.

Connection requests: When you appear in “People You May Know” or send connection requests, only the first ~50 characters show.

Comments and posts: When you comment or post, your headline appears truncated.

The Two-Headline Strategy

Think of your headline as two headlines:

1. First 40-50 characters: Your “search headline” (always visible)
2. Remaining 170+ characters: Your “profile headline” (seen when people visit your page)

Example: “Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Driving Growth Through Data-Driven Product Strategy | Ex-Google, Ex-Stripe”

• First 50 chars: “Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Driving Gro…”
• Full headline: Complete message on your profile

LinkedIn Headline Formulas

Formula 1: Role + Specialty + Value

[Job Title] | [Specialty/Industry] | [Value Proposition]

Example (118 characters): “Marketing Director | SaaS Growth Marketing | Turning Product-Led Companies Into Category Leaders”

Formula 2: Role + Company + Differentiator

[Job Title] at [Company] | [What Makes You Different]

Example (97 characters): “Software Engineer at Netflix | Building Streaming Infrastructure That Serves 250M+ Users”

Formula 3: Problem-Focused

[I Help] [Target Audience] [Achieve Result] | [Credibility]

Example (108 characters): “Helping B2B Startups Build Sales Teams That Actually Scale | 3x Exits | Revenue Operations Leader”

Formula 4: Multi-Role/Slash Career

[Role 1] + [Role 2] | [Common Thread or Value]

Example (89 characters): “UX Designer + Front-End Developer | Bridging Design and Code for Seamless User Experiences”

Formula 5: Job Seeker

[Target Role] | [Key Expertise] | [What You Bring] | Open to Opportunities

Example (113 characters): “Senior Data Scientist | Machine Learning & NLP | Turning Complex Data Into Business Decisions | Open to Work”

Headlines by Career Stage

Entry-Level (0-2 Years)

Focus on:

• Degree and school (if notable)
• Target role or industry
• Key skills or interests

Examples:

• “Marketing Graduate | UMich ‘25 | Passionate About Brand Strategy & Consumer Insights” (84 chars)
• “Aspiring Product Manager | Business Analyst at [Company] | Data-Driven Problem Solver” (86 chars)

Tip: Don’t just say “Seeking Opportunities”—be specific about what you’re seeking.

Mid-Career (3-10 Years)

Focus on:

• Current role and company
• Specialty or expertise area
• Key accomplishment or value

Examples:

• “Product Marketing Manager at Salesforce | Enterprise SaaS | Launching Products That Win Markets” (96 chars)
• “Full-Stack Developer | React & Node.js | Building Scalable Web Applications for Fintech” (88 chars)

Senior/Executive (10+ Years)

Focus on:

• Leadership level
• Strategic impact
• Industry expertise
• Notable credentials

Examples:

• “VP of Engineering | Building High-Performance Teams That Ship | 3 Successful Exits | AI/ML Infrastructure” (107 chars)
• “Chief Marketing Officer | B2B Growth Strategy | Scaled 3 Companies From Series A to IPO” (88 chars)

Consultants and Entrepreneurs

Focus on:

• Who you help
• What problem you solve
• Credibility signals

Examples:

• “Executive Coach | Helping Tech Leaders Navigate Growth Without Burning Out | Ex-VP Engineering” (94 chars)
• “Fractional CFO | Financial Strategy for Startups Series A-C | Former Goldman Sachs” (83 chars)

Keyword Optimization

How LinkedIn Search Uses Headlines

Headlines are heavily weighted:

• LinkedIn’s search algorithm prioritizes headline content
• Recruiters search by job titles, skills, and industries
• Keywords in headlines improve discoverability

Finding the Right Keywords

Research approach:

1. Look at job postings for your target roles
2. Review profiles of people in positions you want
3. Note industry-standard terminology
4. Check LinkedIn’s suggested search terms

Keyword Placement

Priority order:

1. First 40 characters (highest visibility)
2. Characters 41-120 (secondary priority)
3. Characters 121-220 (profile page only)

Example keyword integration: Target keywords: “Product Manager,” “B2B SaaS,” “Growth”

“Product Manager | B2B SaaS | Driving Growth Through Customer-Centric Product Strategy”

All three keywords appear in the first 60 characters.

Using Special Characters

Pipe Characters (|)

Benefits:

• Create visual separation
• Easy to scan
• Professional appearance

Example: “Data Analyst | Healthcare | Turning Clinical Data Into Actionable Insights”

Bullets and Emojis

Use sparingly:

• Can add personality
• May look unprofessional in some industries
• Don’t use multiple emojis

Acceptable: “Product Designer | Building Digital Experiences That Delight”

Too much: “Product Designer | Building Digital Experiences That Delight | User Research | Prototyping | Design Systems | Figma Expert”

Arrows and Other Symbols

Options:

• Arrows (→) for progression
• Plus signs (+) for combinations
• Dashes (-) as separators

What to Avoid

Common Headline Mistakes

Too vague: “Experienced Professional | Passionate About Excellence”

Just your title: “Senior Accountant” (wastes 200+ characters)

Buzzword overload: “Synergy-Driven Thought Leader | Paradigm Shifter | Innovation Evangelist”

Keyword stuffing: “Marketing Marketing Manager Marketing Director Digital Marketing Content Marketing”

Ineffective Phrases

Avoid:

• “Looking for new opportunities” (use “Open to Work” feature instead)
• “Unemployed” or “Between roles”
• “Expert” without context
• “Guru,” “Ninja,” “Rockstar”
• “Passionate about…” (show, don’t tell)

Headlines for Specific Goals

Job Seekers

Strategy:

• Include target role title
• Add industry or specialty
• Consider adding “Open to Work”

Example: “Senior Software Engineer | Python & AWS | Building Scalable Backend Systems | Open to New Opportunities”

LinkedIn Open to Work: Use LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” feature in addition to (not instead of) an optimized headline.

Business Development

Strategy:

• Lead with who you help
• Include result you deliver
• Add credibility

Example: “Helping E-commerce Brands Scale From $1M to $10M+ | Growth Marketing Consultant | Ex-Amazon”

Recruiters and Talent

Strategy:

• Specify what you recruit
• Include industry focus
• Note company or agency

Example: “Technical Recruiter at Google | Hiring Senior Engineers Across ML, Infrastructure, and Security”

Thought Leadership

Strategy:

• Topic of expertise
• Platform or publication
• Speaking or content focus

Example: “Future of Work Researcher | Forbes Contributor | Keynote Speaker on Remote Work & Talent Strategy”

A/B Testing Your Headline

How to Test

Method:

1. Use headline version A for 2-4 weeks
2. Track profile views and connection requests
3. Switch to headline version B for 2-4 weeks
4. Compare results

Metrics to Watch

Track:

• Profile views per week
• Search appearances
• Connection request acceptance rate
• Inbound messages

Testing Variables

Test one element at a time:

• Different job titles
• Industry vs. specialty focus
• Value proposition framing
• Keyword ordering

Default Headlines vs. Custom

The Problem with LinkedIn’s Default

LinkedIn auto-generates: “[Current Job Title] at [Current Company]”

Example default: “Marketing Manager at Acme Corp” (32 characters)

This wastes:

• 188 characters of opportunity
• Keyword potential
• Differentiation

Always Customize

Even minimal customization helps: Default: “Software Engineer at Startup Inc” Better: “Software Engineer at Startup Inc | Full-Stack | React, Node.js, AWS | Building Fintech Products”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the LinkedIn headline character limit?

LinkedIn allows 220 characters on desktop and 240 characters on mobile for your headline. However, only about 120 characters display in desktop search results, and approximately 60 characters on mobile search.

Should I use all 220 characters?

Use as many as add value. A focused 100-character headline beats a padded 220-character one. But don’t waste the space either.

Do pipes (|) count as characters?

Yes, pipe characters and spaces count toward your 220-character limit. A pipe with spaces (|) is 3 characters.

Should I include my company name?

Yes, if it adds credibility. LinkedIn already shows your company, so you can also skip it to use space for other keywords.

Can emojis be in LinkedIn headlines?

Yes, LinkedIn allows emojis, but use them sparingly. They can appear unprofessional in conservative industries.

How often should I update my headline?

Update when your role, goals, or key expertise changes. Review quarterly to ensure it still reflects your current positioning.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn headline limit: 220 characters (desktop), 240 characters (mobile)
• Desktop search shows ~120 characters; mobile search shows ~60 characters
• Put most important keywords/info in first 60 characters
• Include job title, specialty, and value proposition
• Avoid buzzwords and vague phrases
• Customize—never use LinkedIn’s default headline
• Use pipes (|) to separate headline sections

Conclusion

Your LinkedIn headline has 220 characters on desktop (240 on mobile), but only about 120 characters display in desktop search results and just 60 characters on mobile search. Front-load your target job title and key expertise in the first 60 characters, then use the remaining space to differentiate yourself with your value proposition and credentials. Never settle for LinkedIn’s default headline—those unused characters represent missed opportunities for visibility and connection. Try our free letter counter → to ensure your LinkedIn headline makes every character count.