The LinkedIn featured section is a row of pinned cards near the top of your profile, each one a post, article, link or uploaded file. Treat it as a shelf for proof: two to four items that back up your headline, with the one you most want opened in first place.
Your headline and About section make claims. The featured section is where a visitor checks them. If you say you design onboarding flows and pin a case study of one, you are believed. If you only say it, you are one of many.
The checklist
Run through this when you set the section up, and again whenever your goal changes. The reasoning behind each point follows below.
- You have decided what a visitor should do next: hire you, book a call, follow you or apply.
- You are featuring two to four items, not eight.
- The first card is the one you most want opened.
- Every item supports the story in your headline.
- Each link or file has a clear, specific title rather than a file name.
- Every link opens without a login and nothing confidential is shown.
- Thumbnails share one look, and that look matches your banner.
Seven boxes, and none of them takes more than a few minutes.
Why each point matters
One goal first. The section works when every card nudges the same action. A job seeker’s shelf should prove skill. A freelancer’s should move someone from interest to a call. Mixing both makes neither land.
Two to four items. Visitors see the first few cards without scrolling sideways, and few people scroll. A long row hides your best work among filler.
Order. Put your strongest proof or your main call to action first. If you sell services, that may be a booking page. If you are job hunting, usually a case study.
Fit with your headline. If your headline says data analyst and the first card is a vacation post, the story breaks. Everything on the shelf should agree with the top line of your profile. Our guide on how to write a LinkedIn headline helps if that top line needs work.
Titles. For links and uploaded files, you can edit the title and description. Use that. Compare:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | Product design portfolio: 4 case studies in fintech |
| Presentation | Talk: how we cut onboarding time at Northwind |
| final_v3.pdf | One-page case study: rebuilding a checkout flow |
| My website | Book a free 20-minute bookkeeping review |
The after column tells someone what they will get before they click. These are example titles; write yours around your actual work.
Working, safe links. Click every item as a logged-out visitor would. Private documents, expired links and anything behind a login wall waste a slot. Never upload client material, internal documents or results without permission.
A consistent look. If you make thumbnail images, reuse the colors and fonts from your banner. Build the banner first in the free LinkedIn Banner Maker, then echo it in your featured images, and the top of the profile reads as one piece. Banner dimensions are on our LinkedIn limits page; for featured images, preview each card after adding it, since LinkedIn crops thumbnails to fit.
What you can pin
Each card can be one of four things:
- A LinkedIn post you published
- A LinkedIn article or newsletter edition you wrote (our glossary explains LinkedIn articles)
- A link to an outside page, such as a portfolio, case study or booking page
- Media you upload: an image, a PDF or a presentation
12 ideas, sorted by goal
To get hired
- A one-page case study of your best project: the problem, what you did, the result. Upload it as a PDF or link to a portfolio page.
- A portfolio or set of work samples. Designers, writers, developers and analysts can link a site, a code repository or a folder of samples.
- A post about how you approach a common problem in your field. It shows how you think, which a resume rarely does.
- A certificate or award that matters for the roles you want, as an image with a one-line caption saying why it matters.
To win clients
- A client result, shared with permission, in a short write-up of what changed for them.
- A booking or contact page that lets someone schedule a call or request a quote in one step.
- A free resource your ideal client would actually use, like a checklist, a template or a short guide.
- Your services page: what you offer, who it is for and how to start.
To build authority
- The post that best represents your expertise. Not necessarily the one with the most reactions.
- A talk, webinar or podcast appearance, as a recording link or your slides.
- The first or most useful edition of your newsletter or article series, so new readers have a starting point.
- Press coverage or a guest piece: an interview, a quote in an article, something you wrote for an industry site.
Steer clear of featuring a giveaway post that asked for comments. It may have gathered a crowd, but it does not prove anything, and it reads as engagement bait.
Three example lineups
These are made-up people, to show how a set of cards tells one story.
| Person | Card 1 | Card 2 | Card 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana, UX designer, job hunting | Case study: checkout redesign | Portfolio site | Post: how I run usability tests |
| Morgan, freelance bookkeeper | Booking page for a free intro call | Client story from a small agency | Free month-end checklist |
| Priya, engineering manager | Conference talk recording | Post: our on-call handbook | Team hiring page |
Dana’s cards all prove design skill, in increasing depth. Morgan’s lead with the action and then reassure. Priya’s show leadership first, then give candidates a way in. None of them has more than three cards, and none needs more.
Adding, featuring and reordering
On your own profile, use the option to add a profile section, then choose featured or recommended content. If the section already exists, use the add button inside it. From there you can pick posts, articles, links or media.
You can also feature a post from the post itself: open its menu and choose the feature option. To change the order, edit the section and drag the cards. LinkedIn moves these menus around now and then, so if a label looks different, look for the word “featured” in your profile editing options.
Keeping it current
Check the section whenever your goal changes, such as starting a job search or launching a service, and otherwise every few months. Replace an item when you have something stronger. Remove anything that no longer fits the headline.
If you post often, a simple system works: keep two or three cards stable and rotate one slot for your best recent post. To write posts worth pinning, see How to Write a LinkedIn Post.
Next steps
Design a matching cover in the free LinkedIn Banner Maker, then work through the LinkedIn Profile Checklist for every other section. Our profile guides cover the rest.