Use 3,000 characters as your main LinkedIn post ceiling, design feed images at 1200 × 1200 pixels, and keep videos under 10 minutes for organic posts. Those three rules cover most LinkedIn publishing needs. If you are writing for the feed, aim for a strong first 140–210 characters because that is what many users see before “see more.”
TLDR: LinkedIn feed posts can usually contain up to 3,000 characters, but shorter posts often perform better when the opening line is sharp. Use 1200 × 1200 px for square images, 1200 × 627 px for link previews, and native videos from 3 seconds to 10 minutes. For example, a recruiter sharing a hiring post might use a 900-character story, one square image, and 3 hashtags to keep the post clean and easy to read. If 60% of viewers drop off after the first few lines, your hook matters more than the final paragraph.
LinkedIn post character limits
LinkedIn gives you room to write, but that does not mean you should fill every inch of it. Honestly, it feels like the “see more” cut can punish lazy openings. If your first line is vague, people scroll past before your good point appears.
- Personal profile post: up to about 3,000 characters.
- Company Page update: up to about 3,000 characters.
- Comment: up to about 1,250 characters.
- Article headline: around 100 characters.
- Article body: up to about 110,000 characters.
- Poll question: around 140 characters.
- Poll option: around 30 characters per option.
The practical limit is lower. A strong LinkedIn post often lands between 600 and 1,200 characters. That gives you enough space for a point, a short story, and a call to respond. Longer posts can work, especially for founder stories, career lessons, or breakdowns. Still, every line needs to earn its place.
The first lines matter most
LinkedIn truncates posts in the feed. The exact visible amount can vary by device, screen size, and post type. On desktop, users may see a few lines. On mobile, they may see even less.
Write your first line like a headline. Avoid warm-up text. Skip phrases like “I am excited to announce” unless the announcement is genuinely big. Try one of these formats instead:
- Direct claim: “Most LinkedIn posts fail before line three.”
- Useful promise: “Here is the image size I use for clean LinkedIn posts.”
- Specific result: “Our hiring post got 42 qualified applicants in 6 days.”
- Contrarian angle: “Posting daily is not a strategy if every post says nothing.”
LinkedIn image dimensions
Images are where LinkedIn gets oddly picky. It drives me crazy that a design can look perfect in preview, then crop awkwardly once posted. The safest fix is to create assets for the format you actually plan to use.
| Image type | Recommended size | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Square feed image | 1200 × 1200 px | General posts, quotes, announcements |
| Landscape image | 1200 × 627 px | Link shares, blog previews, news updates |
| Portrait image | 1080 × 1350 px | Mobile-friendly visual posts |
| Company Page logo | 300 × 300 px | Brand identity |
| Company cover image | 1128 × 191 px | Page header |
| Profile background image | 1584 × 396 px | Personal profile header |
For feed posts, square images are the most reliable. They take up good vertical space without feeling oversized. Portrait images can perform well on mobile, but place key text near the center so cropping does not ruin the message.
Image file tips
Use PNG for graphics with text, icons, or sharp shapes. Use JPG for photos. Keep files compressed, but not blurry. If the image contains text, zoom out and test it on your phone before posting. Tiny text is a silent engagement killer.
Also, avoid stuffing a graphic with ten ideas. One image should make one point. If you need several steps, use a document post or carousel-style PDF instead.
LinkedIn video size and length
Native video is still one of the strongest formats on LinkedIn when it gets to the point quickly. Upload the video directly to LinkedIn instead of only pasting a link from another platform. Native uploads usually feel smoother in the feed.
- Minimum video length: 3 seconds.
- Maximum organic video length: 10 minutes.
- Recommended length: 30 seconds to 2 minutes for most posts.
- Maximum file size: commonly up to 5 GB.
- Common formats: MP4 works best.
- Recommended resolution: 1080p is a safe standard.
- Aspect ratios: square, vertical, and horizontal can all work.
Always add captions if the video has speech. Many people watch LinkedIn videos with sound off, especially during work hours. A captioned 45-second video can beat a polished 4-minute video if the message is clear.
Best video dimensions
For most brands and creators, these sizes are enough:
- Square video: 1080 × 1080 px. Great for feed visibility.
- Vertical video: 1080 × 1920 px. Strong for mobile viewing.
- Horizontal video: 1920 × 1080 px. Good for interviews, webinars, and screen shares.
If your video includes slides or screen recordings, do a test upload privately if possible. Small interface text can become unreadable after compression.
Document posts and carousel-style PDFs
LinkedIn document posts are often called carousels, although they are usually uploaded as PDFs, PowerPoint files, or Word documents. They work well for frameworks, checklists, mini reports, and “step by step” content.
- Maximum file size: about 100 MB.
- Maximum pages: about 300 pages.
- Best practical length: 6 to 12 pages.
- Best format: PDF for layout control.
Make the first page count. Treat it like a cover, not a title slide from a dull internal meeting. Use a clear promise, large text, and one visual idea.
Hashtags, mentions, and spacing
LinkedIn hashtags still help categorize content, but they are not magic. Use 3 to 5 relevant hashtags. More than that can look messy. Mix broad and specific tags, such as #Marketing, #B2BSales, and #EmployerBranding.
Mentions can help when they are relevant. Tag people or companies only when the post genuinely involves them. Random tagging feels spammy and can reduce trust fast.
Spacing also matters. Dense blocks of text are hard to read. Use short paragraphs. Add line breaks. Let the post breathe.
Simple LinkedIn post formatting rules
- Open with the point. Do not hide the main idea in paragraph four.
- Use one idea per paragraph. This helps mobile readers.
- Keep sentences short. LinkedIn is not a white paper by default.
- Add a clear ending. Ask a question, invite replies, or state the next step.
- Use emojis lightly. One or two can help. Ten can look cheap.
- Avoid link overload. External links may reduce clicks inside the feed.
Recommended post templates
For a text post:
- Line 1: Strong claim or result.
- Lines 2–5: Context.
- Middle: Lesson, story, or list.
- End: Question or call to comment.
For an image post:
- Use a square 1200 × 1200 px image.
- Keep graphic text under 20 words.
- Explain the image in the caption.
- Add 3 focused hashtags.
For a video post:
- Start with motion or a clear face in the first second.
- Add captions.
- Keep it under 2 minutes unless the topic demands more.
- Use the caption to summarize the value.
Final checklist before posting
- Is the first line strong enough to stop the scroll?
- Is the post under the character limit?
- Does the image fit the feed without awkward cropping?
- Can the video be understood without sound?
- Are the hashtags relevant?
- Does the post invite a real response?
LinkedIn sizing rules are only half the job. The other half is clarity. Use the right dimensions, respect the character limits, and make every post easy to read on a phone. That is where better reach usually starts.