How to Simplify a LinkedIn URL

A default LinkedIn URL filled with random numbers isn't doing your personal brand any favors. It’s long, hard to remember, and looks unprofessional on a resume or in an email signature. This guide will walk you through exactly how to simplify and customize your LinkedIn URL, a small change that makes a big impact on your professional presence.

Why Bother Customizing Your LinkedIn URL?

Before jumping into the "how," it’s helpful to understand the "why." A default LinkedIn URL looks something like this: linkedin.com/in/jane-doe-a1b2c3d4e5. A customized, or "vanity," URL looks like this: linkedin.com/in/janedoe. The second one is clearly better, and here’s why that matters.

• Professionalism and Credibility: A clean, custom URL signals that you're detail-oriented and know how to manage your digital presence. It looks polished on your resume, business cards, portfolio, and email signature, instantly boosting your credibility. It shows you take your personal brand seriously.
• Memorability and Shareability: A simple URL is easy for you to remember and easy for others to type in. When you meet someone at a networking event, you can say, “Find me on LinkedIn, it’s just my name, Jane Doe,” which is much more effective than spelling out a series of letters and numbers.
• Personal Branding: Your URL is a piece of digital real estate. Use it to reinforce your brand. Using your name or professional title helps solidify who you are and what you do. For job seekers and freelancers, this small detail reinforces name recognition and helps people find the *right* you.
• Better Search Engine Optimization (SEO): When someone searches for your name on Google, a profile with a custom URL containing your name is more likely to appear higher in the search results. LinkedIn profiles already have strong domain authority, and a clean URL helps search engines connect your specific profile to name-based queries more easily.

How to Simplify Your LinkedIn URL: A Step-by-Step Guide

Changing your LinkedIn URL is a quick process that you can do from either your desktop computer or the mobile app. The desktop method is slightly more direct, but both will get the job done in minutes.

On a Desktop or Laptop (The Easiest Way)

Following these steps in your web browser is the most straightforward way to update your profile URL.

1. Log in to LinkedIn: Open your favorite web browser and navigate to LinkedIn.com, logging in if you haven't already.
2. Go to Your Profile: Click on the "Me" icon, which shows your small profile picture in the top navigation bar. From the dropdown menu, select "View Profile."
3. Find the URL Settings: Once you're on your profile page, look to the top right corner. You'll see an option labeled "Edit public profile &, URL." Click this.
4. *Note: A new browser tab will open, taking you to your Public Profile Settings page. This is where you control what parts of your profile are visible to people who are not logged into LinkedIn.
5. Edit Your Custom URL: On this new settings page, look again to the top right. You will see a section titled "Edit your custom URL." Underneath, you'll find your current public profile URL (e.g., https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-doe-a1b2c3d4e5) with a small pencil icon next to it. Click on the pencil icon.
6. Choose Your New URL: An edit box will appear containing just the customizable part of your URL. Delete the existing text and type in your desired new ending. LinkedIn requires your custom URL to be between 3 and 100 characters long and can only contain letters and numbers. You can use hyphens, but no spaces or special symbols.
7. Save Your Changes: Click the "Save" button. If the URL you chose is already taken by another member, LinkedIn will immediately show an error message and prompt you to try a different one. If it's available, you'll see a success message, and your URL will be officially updated.

On the LinkedIn Mobile App (iOS &, Android)

You can also update your URL directly from your phone. The steps are a bit different, but the outcome is the same.

1. Open the App and Go to Your Profile: Launch the LinkedIn app. Tap on your profile picture icon in the top-left corner of the screen, and then tap "View Profile" right below your name.
2. Access the Main Edit Screen: Once on your profile, tap the pencil icon, which is located to the right of your name and headline in the introduction card at the top.
3. Find Your Contact Info: Scroll all the way to the bottom of this "Edit intro" screen. You’ll find a "Contact info" section. Tap "Edit contact info."
4. Go to Your Personalize URL Page: Under the "Your profile" heading, you will see your existing LinkedIn URL. Tap directly on this URL.
5. Edit and Save: This will take you to your "Public profile settings." Tap the pencil icon next to your URL under the "Edit your custom URL" section. Type in your new, simplified URL and tap "Save."

Tips for Crafting the Perfect LinkedIn URL

Don't just pick something at random. Your URL should be strategic. Here are some best practices to follow when deciding what your new custom URL should be:

• Start with Your Name: For most people, the gold standard is simply your full name. Try /firstname-lastname or /firstnamelastname. This is the most professional and searchable option. For example, linkedin.com/in/janetsmith.
• Handle a Common Name: If your name is taken, don't worry. You have several great options:
  • Add a middle initial or name: /janetmsmith or /janetmariesmith.
  • Incorporate your profession or industry: /janetsmithwriter, /marketingjanetsmith, or /janet-cpa.
  • Lead with your name: Keeping your name at the front is best for searchability. /janetsmith-realtor is better than /realtor-janetsmith.
  • Add a location if it's relevant to your brand: /janetsmithnyc might be a good option for a photographer or real estate agent.
• Keep It Professional: This isn't your old instant messenger username. Avoid nicknames (unless it's your established professional name), birth years, or silly phrases. ProfessionalSarah works, Sassysarah92 does not.
• Remember That Case Sensitivity Doesn't Matter: Your LinkedIn URL is not case-sensitive. This means /JaneDoe and /janedoe both go to the same page. However, using proper capitalization (linkedin.com/in/JaneDSmith) when you write it out looks cleaner and more professional.

You’ve Changed Your URL. Now What?

Congratulations! Your LinkedIn profile now has a sleek, professional URL. But your work isn't quite done. Once you change your URL, the old one with all the numbers will automatically stop working. Anyone who clicks it will land on a "profile not found" page. To avoid this, you need to update your link everywhere you've shared it.

Create an update checklist:

• Your Resume or CV: This is the most important place to update. You don’t want a prospective employer clicking a dead link.
• Your Email Signature: If you have a LinkedIn icon or link in your signature, be sure to point it to the new URL.
• Your Personal Website or Portfolio: Check the contact page, about page, and footer for any LinkedIn links.
• Other Social Media Profiles: Update your bio on X (formerly Twitter), your Instagram profile, and any other platform where you link to your LinkedIn.
• Business Cards: If you're due for a reprint, be sure to use the new and improved URL.
• Author Bios: If you've written guest posts or articles, reach out to the editors to see if they can update your bio link.

Take five minutes to audit your online presence and swap out the old link for the new one. This ensures a seamless transition and keeps all pathways to your professional profile active.

Final Thoughts

Simplifying your LinkedIn URL is a small task that takes less than five minutes but pays dividends for your professional brand. A clean, custom URL makes you look more credible, is easier to share, and improves your visibility in search results. It’s one of the easiest ways to optimize your profile and present yourself as a polished professional online.

Just as refining your LinkedIn profile is a simple step with a big impact, managing your broader social media presence doesn’t have to feel complicated. At Postbase, we believe in straightforward tools that do exactly what you need. We built our social media management platform to make scheduling your content - from LinkedIn articles to short-form videos - feel intuitive and reliable, so you can focus on building your brand without fighting your software.