How to put your LinkedIn and portfolio links on a CV
Set a custom LinkedIn URL, then write it in your contact line as plain text, for example linkedin.com/in/aylindemir, without https://. Add one portfolio link, such as GitHub or Behance, only when it shows work the job needs.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First, see your profile the way a recruiter will
A link on a CV is an invitation to leave the page, so check where it leads before you print it. LinkedIn's help page on public profile visibility explains that people who are not signed in see only the sections you allow, that visitors may need to log in to see your full profile, and that switching the public profile off hides it from non-members and from search tools. It also warns that Google, Bing and Yahoo can take several weeks or months to pick up changes, which LinkedIn does not control.
- Open a private browser window and go to your profile address while signed out.
- Compare the headline, current role and dates with your CV. A recruiter who sees two different job titles will ask which is true.
- Open Public profile & URL and check which sections are switched on for public view.
- Only then copy the URL, from that panel rather than from a shared link.
Setting a custom URL: LinkedIn's steps and limits
Every profile gets an assigned URL automatically, usually your name followed by a string of letters and digits. LinkedIn's help article "Manage your public profile URL" explains how to replace the ending with something short.
On a computer
- Click the Me icon at the top of LinkedIn, then View Profile.
- In the right-hand pane, click the Edit icon next to Public profile & URL.
- Under Edit your custom URL, click the Edit icon next to your current address.
- Change the last part of the URL and click Save.
In the mobile app
Tap your profile photo, open your profile, go to your contact info, then tap Profile URL. That opens Public profile settings, where the Edit icon next to the address lets you change the ending and save.
The rules, and what they mean for a CV
| Rule on the help page | What it means when you print the link |
|---|---|
| 3 to 100 characters, with no spaces, symbols, special characters or the word "LinkedIn" | Your name in plain letters is usually the best fit; spell Turkish or German letters in their plain Latin form |
| The custom part is not case sensitive | AylinDemir and aylindemir lead to the same place; lower case prints cleaner |
| First come, first served; one custom URL at a time | If your name is taken, add a middle initial or your field rather than random digits |
| Up to five changes in six months, then a six-month wait | Settle the URL before you send applications, not halfway through |
| An old URL stays linked to you for six months unless you unlink it; an unlinked one is hidden for seven days, then anyone can claim it | Old CVs keep working for a while, but not for ever. Unlinking early can hand the old address to a stranger |
| The assigned URL changes only if you update your name | Even without a custom URL, the address on your CV stays stable |
| Extra language profiles share the same URL, with a language code added at the end | One link covers your English and Turkish profiles |
Writing the link on the page
ITU-T Recommendation E.123, the international standard for printing contact details on letterheads and business cards, says a web address should be printed without the http:// prefix, next to the email address. A CV is the same kind of document, so the line reads linkedin.com/in/aylindemir, sitting with your email and phone at the top of the body.
- Show the address itself. A word such as "LinkedIn" or an icon with the link hidden behind it is lost on paper and when the CV is pasted into an application form.
- Leave out anything after a question mark and any trailing slash; they add length and nothing else.
- Keep the line in the page body. Greenhouse lists contact information in a header, footer or text box among the causes of an unsuccessful resume parse.
- One label is enough, such as "LinkedIn:", or none when the address already says linkedin.com.
When to leave LinkedIn off
The National Careers Service asks for a link to your work network profile "if you have one", so it is optional. Leave it off if the profile is empty, years out of date, or contradicts your CV. A thin profile linked from a strong CV draws attention to the gap.
Portfolio links: which one, for which job
Prospects tells you to link a professional networking profile, a website or an online portfolio within your contact details. It does not say to link all three. One portfolio link that opens on relevant work does more than four that open on everything you have ever made.
| Field | Link that usually fits | What it should show on the first screen |
|---|---|---|
| Software development, data | GitHub profile | A profile README and up to six pinned repositories you would discuss in an interview |
| Graphic, UX and product design | Behance, Dribbble or your own site | A few chosen projects, each with the brief, your role and the result |
| Writing, marketing, communications | A personal site or a page of published pieces | Work samples with dates and where they appeared |
| Most other roles | LinkedIn only | A profile that matches the CV line by line |
Before you print a GitHub link
- GitHub shows a profile README at the top of your profile when a public repository has the same name as your username and holds a non-empty README.md at its root.
- You can pin up to six repositories and gists, combined, to decide what a visitor sees first.
- A private profile hides your contribution graph, activity overview and activity feed from every visitor, including recruiters.
Behance and design portfolios
Behance's help centre refused automated reading when we checked on 13 October 2026, so this page makes no claim about Behance settings. What a design portfolio should contain is covered in the graphic designer CV guide.
Artefact: link lines, weak and fixed
Invented examples for one invented applicant, Aylin Demir, a product designer.
| Weak line | Problem | Fixed line |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn (the word, hyperlinked) | The address vanishes on paper and in pasted text | linkedin.com/in/aylindemir |
| https://www.linkedin.com/in/aylin-demir-4b7a29b1a/ | Assigned URL with a random ending; long and hard to type | linkedin.com/in/aylindemir, after setting a custom URL |
| linkedin.com/in/aylindemir in the Word footer | Footer text is a listed cause of a failed parse in Greenhouse | The same line in the contact block at the top of the body |
| Behance · Dribbble · Instagram · aylindemir.example | Four links, no sign of which one matters | Portfolio: aylindemir.example/case-studies |
| linkedin.com/in/aylindemir2019new | Looks like a leftover; the year invites a question | linkedin.com/in/aylinsdemir, a middle initial instead |
Proof: what each help page says, read on 13 October 2026
| Source | What we took from it |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn Help, Manage your public profile URL | Steps on desktop and mobile; 3 to 100 characters; five changes in six months; old URLs linked for six months; language profiles share one URL |
| LinkedIn Help, LinkedIn public profile visibility | What signed-out visitors see; search engines can take weeks or months to update |
| GitHub Docs, About your profile; Pinning items; Managing your profile README | Six pins, README conditions, what a private profile hides |
| ITU-T E.123 | Web addresses printed without the http:// prefix |
| National Careers Service; Prospects | A profile link if you have one; portfolio or website inside the contact details |
Limits of this page
- LinkedIn and GitHub change their settings and limits; check the linked help pages before relying on a number.
- No source we found says how often recruiters open CV links, so this page does not guess.
- Turning a LinkedIn profile into a CV is a different job, with its own guide.
Next steps
With the URL set, write the rest of the contact block using the contact details guide. CitedCV's form has separate fields for LinkedIn, GitHub, website and portfolio; its templates print each one as visible text with a short label, and the PDF and Word exports keep the link clickable even when you type it without https://.
Questions people ask
How do I add my LinkedIn URL to my CV?
Copy it from Public profile & URL on your profile and write it as text in your contact line, such as linkedin.com/in/aylindemir, next to your email and phone.
Should I include https:// in the LinkedIn link on my resume?
No. ITU-T E.123 prints web addresses without the http:// prefix. A reader can still type the address, and CitedCV's PDF and Word exports add the prefix behind the visible text.
How do I get a custom LinkedIn URL?
On desktop: Me, View Profile, the Edit icon next to Public profile & URL, then Edit your custom URL. Change the ending to 3 to 100 characters and save.
Why can't I change my LinkedIn URL again?
Because LinkedIn allows five changes within six months. After the fifth change you have to wait six months before changing it again.
What happens to my old LinkedIn URL after I change it?
It stays linked to you for six months unless you unlink it. An unlinked URL is hidden for seven days and can then be claimed by someone else.
Should I put my GitHub on my CV?
Yes, for software and data roles, if your pinned repositories and profile README show work you can talk about. A private profile hides your contribution graph from recruiters.
Should I hyperlink LinkedIn on my CV or write out the URL?
Write out the URL. A link hidden behind the word LinkedIn is lost when the CV is printed or pasted into an application form.
Is it OK to have no LinkedIn link on a CV?
Yes. The National Careers Service asks for a work network link only if you have one. An empty or outdated profile is better left off.
Sources
- LinkedIn Help, Manage your public profile URLwww.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a542685
- LinkedIn Help, LinkedIn public profile visibilitywww.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a518980
- GitHub Docs, About your profiledocs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/concepts/personal-profile
- GitHub Docs, Pinning items to your profiledocs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/how-tos/profile-customization/pinning-items-to-your-profile
- GitHub Docs, Managing your profile READMEdocs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/how-tos/profile-customization/managing-your-profile-readme
- ITU-T Recommendation E.123 (02/2001), Notation for telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and web addresseswww.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.123-200102-I/en
- National Careers Service, How to write a CV: CV sectionsnationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/cv-sections
- Prospects, How to write a CVwww.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cv
- Greenhouse Support, Unsuccessful resume parsesupport.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/200989175-Unsuccessful-resume-parse