How to Post on LinkedIn: Format, Character Limits, Bold Text, Hashtags, Tagging and Scheduling

TL;DR: To post on LinkedIn, click Start a post at the top of your homepage, write your text, optionally add a photo, video, document or poll, choose who can see it and click Post. Posts can be up to 3,000 characters. Type @ and a name to mention someone, type # and a word to add a hashtag, and use the clock icon to schedule the post up to three months ahead. LinkedIn has no bold button for posts, so people who want bold text paste in Unicode characters, which screen readers can struggle with. For B2B, the format matters less than the first two lines and who responds, so write for one buyer and follow up with the people who engage.

How to Post on LinkedIn: Step by Step

On desktop

1. Click Start a post at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.

2. Choose who can see it. Click your name at the top of the post window to pick Anyone or Connections only, and whether comments are open.

3. Write your post. Up to 3,000 characters of text (LinkedIn Help: Post and share updates).

4. Add media (optional). Use the icons below the text box to add photos, a video, a document (such as a PDF carousel), a poll or an event.

5. Mention people and add hashtags. Type @ followed by a name, or # followed by a keyword.

6. Post or schedule. Click Post to publish now, or the clock icon to pick a date and time.

On the mobile app

1. Tap Post at the bottom of the screen.

2. Write your text and tap the icons to add photos, video, a document or a poll.

3. Tap the @ icon on your keyboard to mention someone.

4. Tap the visibility setting at the top to choose who can see it.

5. Tap Post, or the clock icon to schedule it.

Post vs. article vs. newsletter

LinkedIn points you to an article when your text is longer than a post allows (LinkedIn Help: Posts vs. articles).

LinkedIn Post Character Limits

The limit that matters most is the one before "see more". Readers decide from those first lines whether to expand the post, so put the point there and save the context for later.

LinkedIn Post Format That Works for B2B

A simple structure works for most B2B posts:

1. Hook (first one or two lines): the problem, a specific result or a clear opinion. Example: "We stopped sending connection requests to cold lists. Here's what we do instead."

2. Context (two or three short paragraphs): what happened, what you tried and what changed.

3. The useful part: the steps, the lesson or the template the reader can use.

4. A question or next step: a specific question gets better comments than "Thoughts?"

Formatting habits that make posts easier to read in the feed:

• Short paragraphs. One to three lines each, with a blank line between them.

• Line breaks over walls of text. The feed is read on phones.

• Lists for steps. Number them yourself (1., 2., 3.) or start lines with a dash, since posts have no list button.

• One idea per post. If you have three ideas, that's three posts or a carousel.

• Plain language. Write it the way you'd say it to a customer.

For what to write about, see our LinkedIn post ideas, and for choosing between text, carousels, video and polls, see LinkedIn content formats compared.

LinkedIn Text Formatting: Bold, Italics and Lists

LinkedIn's post editor has no bold, italic or underline button. LinkedIn's help center says there is no way to bold, italicize or underline text in updates (LinkedIn Help: Formatting text or adding links). Articles and newsletters are different: their editor has bold, italics, headings, lists and quotes (LinkedIn Help: Write and publish articles).

How to get bold text in a LinkedIn post

The common workaround is a "LinkedIn bold text generator": you type your text into the tool and it converts the letters into Unicode characters that look bold or italic, which you then paste into your post.

It works visually, but it has costs:

• Screen readers may read it badly. Some screen readers announce each styled character by name instead of reading the word (Per Axbom: Don't fake bold and italic text with Unicode).

• Search may not match it. Styled characters are different characters, so a search for the plain word may not find them.

• It's easy to overdo. Bold everywhere means nothing stands out.

If you use it, keep it to a short label or a single phrase, and never put names, keywords or the main point in styled characters. Line breaks, short paragraphs and numbered lines give most of the same structure without the downsides.

How to Use Hashtags on LinkedIn

Type # followed by a word or phrase with no spaces, such as #salesenablement. LinkedIn suggests hashtags as you type, and people can follow hashtags to see related posts in their feed (LinkedIn Help: Use hashtags).

• Use a few relevant ones. LinkedIn doesn't publish a fixed limit, but a long block of hashtags looks like spam and adds nothing for the reader.

• Pick the terms your buyers use, such as their role or the problem, over broad tags that millions of posts share.

• Put them at the end or in the sentence naturally, so they don't break the hook.

• Don't expect hashtags to carry reach. What the post says and who engages with it matter more. See how the LinkedIn algorithm works.

How to Tag Someone in a LinkedIn Post

1. In the post editor, type @ and start typing the person's or company's name.

2. Pick the right one from the list. Adding their company helps with common names.

3. Finish the post and publish it.

The person gets a notification that you mentioned them. You don't need to be connected to mention someone, though LinkedIn can limit mentions of people outside your network, and members can turn mentions off (LinkedIn Help: Mention people in your posts). To mention a company, it needs a LinkedIn Page. You can also add mentions later by editing the post.

Tag people who are part of the story, such as a customer you're thanking or a colleague who did the work. Tagging people only to get their attention annoys them and their networks.

How to Schedule LinkedIn Posts

1. Click Start a post and write your post.

2. Click the clock icon at the bottom of the post window.

3. Pick the date and time, then click Next and Schedule.

You can schedule a post for anywhere from about 10 minutes to three months ahead. To see, edit or reschedule posts you've lined up, open the post window, click the clock icon and choose View all scheduled posts (LinkedIn Help: Schedule posts). Page admins can schedule posts for a LinkedIn Page too, from an hour to three months ahead (LinkedIn Help: Schedule a LinkedIn Page post).

Scheduling helps you post consistently. Plan the topics in a LinkedIn content calendar and pick the slot from our guide to the best time to post on LinkedIn. Plan to be around after a scheduled post goes out, since replying to early comments keeps the conversation going.

Checklist Before You Hit Post

• The first two lines say the point or the problem

• Paragraphs are short, with space between them

• Every claim or number is yours or comes from a source you can name

• Mentions are for people who are part of the post

• Hashtags are few and relevant

• Visibility is set to the right audience

• You have time to reply to the first comments

After You Post: Turn Engagement Into Conversations

For B2B sellers and founders, a post is the start of the work. The people who comment, repost or react are telling you the topic matters to them.

• Reply to every comment, and ask a follow-up question when someone shares their own situation.

• Check who engaged. Look for people who match your buyers, not only the total count.

• Start a conversation with the right ones, referencing the post they engaged with. Our guide to LinkedIn engagement tracking covers how to do this at scale.

• Comment on other people's posts too. It puts your name in front of buyers between your own posts. See our LinkedIn commenting strategy.

Avoid engagement pods and bought engagement. They bring reactions from people outside your market and make it harder to spot interest from actual buyers. See why engagement pods hurt lead quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you post on LinkedIn?

Click Start a post at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, or tap Post in the mobile app. Write your text, optionally add a photo, video, document or poll, choose who can see it and click Post. To publish later, click the clock icon and pick a date and time.

What is the LinkedIn post character limit?

LinkedIn posts can be up to 3,000 characters. Only the first few lines show in the feed before the "see more" link, so put the main point at the start. For longer pieces, write a LinkedIn article instead.

How do you bold text in a LinkedIn post?

LinkedIn posts have no bold button. People who want bold text use a bold text generator that converts letters into Unicode characters and paste the result into the post. Screen readers and search may not read those characters correctly, so use them sparingly. LinkedIn articles and newsletters have a built-in bold option.

How do you tag someone in a LinkedIn post?

Type @ in the post editor, start typing the person's or company's name and select the right one from the list. They get a notification when the post goes live. Companies need a LinkedIn Page to be mentioned, and some members turn mentions off.

How do you schedule a post on LinkedIn?

Write the post, click the clock icon at the bottom of the post window, pick a date and time and click Schedule. You can schedule up to three months ahead and manage scheduled posts from View all scheduled posts in the same window.

How many hashtags should you use on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn doesn't publish a fixed number. Use a few that match the topic and the terms your buyers follow, rather than a long block of tags. What the post says matters more for reach than the hashtags.

The Bottom Line

Posting on LinkedIn takes a minute: write a clear hook, keep paragraphs short, mention the people who belong in the story, add a few relevant hashtags and schedule it for when your audience is online. The B2B payoff comes after the post goes live, from the people who engage. traxy shows you who engages with your posts, your competitors' posts and the creators your buyers follow, matches them against your ICP and sends them to Slack or your CRM, so you know which commenters are worth a conversation.

Related reading:

• LinkedIn Content Strategy for B2B Leads

• LinkedIn Post Ideas for B2B

• Best Time to Post on LinkedIn

• LinkedIn Content Calendar

• LinkedIn Carousel Posts

• LinkedIn Personal Branding