How to Paste a Link in a LinkedIn Post

Sharing a link on LinkedIn seems simple, but there's a significant difference between just dropping a URL and sharing it strategically to drive real engagement and traffic. This article will show you the step-by-step basics of pasting a link, then guide you through more effective strategies for sharing content that actually gets seen and clicked on the platform.

How to Paste a Link in a LinkedIn Post: The Basics

First, let’s cover the fundamental mechanics. Whether you're on a desktop or your mobile phone, the initial steps are straightforward and universal.

On a Desktop Computer

Most professionals manage their LinkedIn presence from a laptop or desktop, and the interface is built for it. Here’s how to share a link:

1. Navigate to the LinkedIn homepage and find the "Start a post" box at the top of your feed.
2. Click inside the box to open the post editor. To learn more about creating content, read our guide on how to create a LinkedIn post.
3. Copy the URL you want to share from its source (e.g., your browser's address bar). You can do this by highlighting the URL and pressing Ctrl+C (on Windows) or Command+C (on Mac).
4. Go back to the LinkedIn post editor and paste the link by pressing Ctrl+V (on Windows) or Command+V (on Mac).
5. Wait a second or two. LinkedIn will automatically fetch a preview of the link, which usually includes an image, a title, and a short description. We'll talk more about this preview in a moment.
6. Write your accompanying text, add hashtags, and when you’re ready, click the "Post" button.

On a Mobile Device (iOS &, Android)

Sharing a link from your phone is just as easy and follows a similar process. This is perfect for when you find an interesting article while browsing on the go.

1. Find the article or page you want to share in your mobile browser or another app.
2. Use the native "Share" function on your phone. Tap the share icon and select the LinkedIn app from the list.
3. Alternatively, you can manually copy the link. Tap and hold the URL, then select "Copy."
4. Open the LinkedIn app and tap the "Post" button (usually a ‘+’ symbol or square with a pen) at the bottom center of your screen.
5. In the post creation screen, tap and hold in the text area and select "Paste."
6. Just like on desktop, LinkedIn will generate a link preview.
7. Add your caption, mention any relevant people or companies, include your hashtags, and tap "Post."

That's the technical "how-to." Now, let's get into the strategies that separate a forgotten post from one that builds your brand and engages your network. For more tips on crafting impactful messages, check out our guide on how to write effective LinkedIn posts.

Understanding and Managing the Link Preview

When you paste a link, the block that appears with an image and text is the link preview. It's automatically generated by LinkedIn pulling information from the webpage’s metadata, specifically the Open Graph (OG) tags. These tags tell social media platforms what image, title, and description to display.

What if the Preview Looks Bad?

Sometimes, the preview that appears isn't ideal. The image might be cropped poorly, the title could be confusing, or the description may be missing.

• If it's your own website: The best long-term fix is to ensure your website's OG tags are set up correctly. This tells all social platforms exactly what you want them to show. A variety of marketing tools and WordPress plugins (like Yoast SEO) can help you set these tags for every page.
• If it's someone else's website: Unfortunately, LinkedIn removed the ability for users to manually customize the image and text in the link preview. If the preview is particularly bad or misleading, you might reconsider sharing it directly. Instead, you could take a screenshot of the article and share it as an image post, then drop the link in the comments (we’ll get to this strategy next).

Pro Tip: Cleaning Up Your Post

Once the link preview has successfully generated, you can actually delete the ugly URL text from your caption. The preview card itself is now clickable and will stay in place. This simple step makes your post look much cleaner and more professional, focusing the reader's attention on your personal insights rather than the long string of text.

Example without deleting URL:

Check out this fascinating new data on remote work productivity!
https://www.yourbusinessexample.com/blog/data-remote-work-study-2024-report-findings
[Link Preview Card Here]

Example after deleting URL:

Check out this fascinating new data on remote work productivity! This is exactly what my team has been seeing.
[Link Preview Card Here]

The second option is cleaner and keeps the focus on your commentary.

3 Strategic Ways to Share Links on LinkedIn

Now that you've mastered the basics, let’s look at different methods for sharing links and the ongoing debate about what "the algorithm" prefers. There's no single perfect way, the best approach often depends on your specific goal for the post.

1. The Standard Link Post (with Preview)

This is the most direct method we've just covered: paste the link and let the preview appear.

• Pros: The preview card is highly visual and provides a clear, direct path for the user to click. It tells them exactly what they're getting and where they're going. It's also fully trackable with UTM parameters and other analytics tools.
• Cons: For years, there has been a persistent theory that LinkedIn's algorithm deprioritizes posts that take users off the platform. This means a direct link post might get less organic reach than a text-only or document post. While LinkedIn has disputed this, many creators find their reach is still better with other methods. To maximize the impact of your posts, explore our tips on how to optimize LinkedIn posts for engagement.

Best for: News articles, time-sensitive announcements, specific blog posts, or event registration pages where you want the clearest and most direct call-to-action.

2. The "Link in the First Comment" Method

This has become an incredibly popular tactic, especially among B2B influencers and content marketers. The idea is to write a text-only post (or one with an image or video) and then immediately paste the link into the first comment.

Why do people do this? The theory is that the algorithm favors content that keeps users on LinkedIn. By making the main post a "native" format (text, image, video), you signal to the algorithm that this post encourages on-platform engagement, hopefully boosting its initial reach. Only after others see it do they find the link in the comments.

• Pros: Can potentially increase the organic reach of your post’s commentary. It prioritizes your story, insights, or advice, encouraging discussion in the comments section before sending anyone off-site.
• Cons: It adds friction. You're making your audience do extra work to find the resource you're talking about, which will cause a drop-off in clicks. It can also be hard for users to find the comment if other people start commenting quickly. Finally, it makes analytics a nightmare - you can't easily track click-through rates back to a specific post. Understanding how to calculate engagement rate on LinkedIn is crucial for measuring the effectiveness of this and other strategies.

Best for: "Thought leadership" style posts where the link is a supplementary resource, not the main point of the post. Use this when your goal is to spark a conversation first and foremost.

3. The Document Post (Carousel Post) Technique

This is an advanced and highly effective strategy for driving engagement. Instead of sharing a link directly, you create a multi-page PDF document related to your content and upload it as a "carousel."

How to Do It:

1. Create a simple summary or key takeaways from your link - for example, a 5-page PDF that highlights the "5 Key Findings from Our Report."
2. In your design tool (like Canva or PowerPoint), add a clear call-to-action on the final page of your document, such as "Read the full report here," with the clickable hyperlink embedded directly in the PDF.
3. Save this document as a PDF.
4. On LinkedIn, start a new post, click the "Add a document" icon (it looks like a piece of paper), and upload your PDF.
5. LinkedIn will turn this into an interactive carousel that users can click through without leaving the feed.

• Pros: Document posts get fantastic engagement on LinkedIn. The interactive nature keeps users on your post for a longer time (a positive signal to the algorithm), and you can deliver immense value directly in the feed before asking for a click.
• Cons: It's more work. You have to create a separate piece of micro-content (the PDF) instead of just sharing a link.

Best for: High-value content like reports, case studies, guides, or lengthy blog posts that can be easily summarized into a visually appealing carousel. For more information on planning your content, see our guide on how to schedule posts on LinkedIn.

Final Thoughts

Sharing a link on LinkedIn is easy, but making it count takes a little more thought. By understanding how to present your URL and choosing the right strategy - whether it's a direct post, a carousel, or weaving the link into the conversation - you can improve both your engagement and the traffic you generate back to your website or resources.

At Postbase, we work to make modern social media management feel less chaotic. That includes giving you the tools to plan different types of content for different platforms. Planning and scheduling your carousels, video posts, and standard link updates on one visual calendar helps you build a well-rounded LinkedIn strategy without the guesswork. We ensure all your hard work gets published reliably, so you can focus on creating great content, not worrying if it will go live.