Take the photo
- Face a window in daylight; avoid harsh sun and overhead lamps.
- Ask someone to shoot from about 1.5–2 m at eye level, or use a timer — avoid close-up selfies that distort the face.
- Frame head and shoulders; look at the camera and smile naturally.
- Wear what you would wear to work in your field; solid colours look better than busy patterns.
Clean up the background
A messy room or a holiday scene distracts. In Change background the AI cuts you out and places you on a neutral colour or soft gradient. Light grey, soft blue or a subtle gradient look professional; pure white can blend into LinkedIn’s white interface.
If the background is fine but distracting, a light background blur keeps a natural office look.
Size and crop
LinkedIn recommends at least 400 × 400 px; uploading a larger square (for example 1000 × 1000 px) keeps it sharp on high-resolution screens. Use Crop image with the 1:1 ratio and leave space around your head — the photo is shown as a circle, which cuts the corners.
Don’t forget the banner
The background banner is 1584 × 396 px. A simple brand-coloured image or a calm photo works better than busy graphics; on desktop your profile photo overlaps its lower-left part.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use an AI-generated headshot?
It is better to use a real, current photo. People expect to recognise you in a meeting, and editing your own photo (background, crop) keeps it authentic.