Quick answer: a LinkedIn headline can be up to 220 characters, counting letters, spaces, punctuation, separators like “|”, and emoji. The same limit applies on desktop and in the mobile app. Only the first ~50–70 characters are reliably visible in feeds, comments and mobile search, so your job title and main keyword belong there.
How much of your headline people actually see
The 220-character limit is how much you can store. How much people read depends on where your headline appears. LinkedIn truncates it with “…” in most compact placements, and the exact cut-off shifts with screen width, font and language — so treat the numbers below as a practical range, not a fixed rule.
| Where it appears | Roughly visible | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Your profile page (desktop and app) | Full 220 | Everything is shown under your name. |
| LinkedIn search results (desktop) | ~100–120 | Recruiters scanning results see your title plus 1–2 keywords. |
| Search results & “People you may know” (mobile) | ~50–70 | Usually only your title and one specialism. |
| Under your name on posts and comments | ~40–60 | This is the line most of your network sees most often. |
| Google search snippet of your profile | Varies | Google often uses the headline in the title of your public profile result. |
The takeaway: write the headline so the first 60 characters work on their own, then use the remaining space for keywords and proof that help in search and on your full profile.
What is the ideal LinkedIn headline length?
For most people the sweet spot is 160–220 characters. LinkedIn search matches the words in your headline, so a 40-character headline (“Marketing Manager at Acme”) gives the algorithm very little to match against. A long headline gives you room for your title, 2–3 searchable skills, your niche and a proof point.
Short isn't “clean” on LinkedIn. A short headline looks tidy but ranks for almost nothing. If you prefer a minimal look, keep the first 60 characters minimal and put the keywords after them.
LinkedIn character limits for every profile field (2026)
The headline is the field with the highest search weight, but recruiters also match your current job title, skills and About section. These are the limits as they appear in the LinkedIn editor at the time of writing. LinkedIn occasionally changes them, so the counter in the editor is always the final word.
| Field | Limit | Keyword tip |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | 220 characters | Title + 2–3 skills + proof. |
| About (summary) | 2,600 characters | First ~250 characters show before “see more”. |
| Experience: job title | 100 characters | Use the standard title recruiters search, not internal jargon. |
| Experience: description | 2,000 characters | Repeat key tools and skills in context. |
| Skills | Up to 100 skills | Pin your top skills; they're used in recruiter filters. |
| Custom profile URL | 3–100 characters | Your name, optionally plus your role. |
| Post | 3,000 characters | About 210 characters show before “…more”. |
| Company page tagline | 120 characters | Lead with what the company does, not a slogan. |
LinkedIn headline examples at 60, 120, 160 and 220 characters
The same person, four lengths. Notice that each longer version keeps the first part intact and only adds keywords and proof after it — that's how you stay readable on mobile and searchable on desktop.
How to fit more into 220 characters
- Use “|” or “·” separators instead of sentences. “Data Analyst | SQL | Tableau” is 28 characters; “I am a data analyst who works with SQL and Tableau” is 51.
- Drop filler words. “Experienced”, “passionate”, “dedicated” and “results-driven” cost characters and match no searches.
- Use “&” for “and” and standard abbreviations recruiters also use: B2B, SaaS, SEO, AI/ML, FP&A, PMP.
- Remove your employer if it's already in Experience — unless the brand itself is a strong signal (e.g. a well-known company in your field).
- Be careful with emoji and special symbols. Some count as two characters, render differently across devices and are ignored by search. One at most, and never at the start.
Check your count instantly: paste your headline into the free headline optimizer — it counts characters, flags what's cut off on mobile and scores your keyword use.
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