The LinkedIn Featured section is the second most-clicked element on a profile after the photo. Across the B2B profiles we audit, ones with a curated 4-card Featured outperform empty Featured sections by 4-6x on click-through to booking pages.
Most profiles leave it empty or pin one stale post from 2023. That's 30 percent of click intent wasted.
This is the 4-slot framework we use across founder, executive, and consultant rebuilds, with 12 real examples and the exact intent each slot serves.
What the Featured section is and why it punches above its weight
The Featured section sits below your About on desktop, above on mobile. It surfaces up to 4 visible cards by default, with horizontal scroll for more. Each card shows a cover image, title, and click destination (LinkedIn's official help walks through the basics).
Why it punches above its weight:
- It's the only LinkedIn section where you fully control the cover image, the headline copy, and the click destination.
- Cards persist. Unlike posts that decay in the feed within 48 hours, Featured assets stay visible for every profile visitor.
- It's a click multiplier. A buyer who reads your About and clicks a Featured card is 3-5x more likely to book a call than one who clicks the company link in your headline.
The 4-slot framework
Each Featured slot should serve a different stage of the buyer journey. Mixing the slots is the mistake we see most often.
The order matters. Slot 1 is your strongest signal of credibility. Slot 4 is your easiest conversion ask. Mid-slots handle the messy middle.
| Slot | Purpose | Asset type | What "good" looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proof | Case study PDF, top post, press mention | Cover image with bold outcome metric |
| 2 | Lead magnet | Gated PDF, audit, template | Curiosity-gap title + bold thumbnail |
| 3 | Demo or Loom | 60-90 second video link | Real human face thumbnail |
| 4 | CTA | Booking link, "DM me X" landing page | Specific action verb in the title |
12 examples by intent
Proof slots (Slot 1)
Example 1, the metric-led case study
A growth consultant pins a PDF titled "Helped Acme go from $4M to $11M ARR in 18 months" with a graph as the cover image. The PDF is a 3-page case study, no signup required. Click rate on this slot averages 8-12 percent of profile visitors.
Example 2, the press mention card
A founder links the HBR article that quoted them. Cover image = the HBR logo on a clean white card. Click rate lower (3-5 percent) but credibility lift is significant for first-time visitors.
Example 3, the high-performing post
A B2B operator pins the LinkedIn post that hit 1,200 reactions. The post itself is the asset. The cover renders the first 2 lines of the post copy. Used well, this signals "I write things people share."
Lead magnet slots (Slot 2)
Example 4, the audit/teardown offer
A LinkedIn consultant links to a free 3-minute profile audit. Cover image is a screenshot of the audit interface with the title "Score your LinkedIn profile in 3 minutes."
Example 5, the playbook PDF
A revenue leader pins a 1-page "5-step cold DM sequence" PDF. Cover image is the first page of the PDF with bold text legible at thumbnail size. Capture rate when paired with a "DM me PLAYBOOK" CTA: 4-7 percent of profile visitors.
Example 6, the template pack
A growth marketer pins a Notion template for sales sequences. Cover image is the Notion screenshot. Free, no signup, but the next page asks for an email to download an exportable version.
Demo or Loom slots (Slot 3)
Example 7, the founder selfie video
A 60-second video where the founder explains their offer to camera. Hosted on YouTube as unlisted, linked as a Featured external link. Real-face thumbnail. Watch-through rates run 35-50 percent vs 8-15 percent for cover-image-only links.
Example 8, the product walkthrough
A SaaS founder pins a 90-second Loom showing the product solving a specific user pain. Cover thumbnail freezes on a hero UI shot.
Example 9, the workshop replay clip
A consultant pins a 2-minute clip from a workshop they ran for 200 founders. Cover thumbnail shows them on stage. Social-proof signal on top of the actual demo content.
CTA slots (Slot 4)
Example 10, the direct booking link
A fractional CFO pins their Calendly with the title "Book a 20-minute fit call." Cover image is a simple "Talk to me" graphic with their headshot. Calendar bookings off this slot average 1-3 percent of profile visitors.
Example 11, the "DM me X" landing page
A founder pins a one-page site at their domain with the title "DM me AUDIT for a free profile teardown." The page repeats the offer and lists 3 past wins. Converts to DMs at 3-6 percent of profile visitors.
Example 12, the audit signup
A founder running a productized service pins the LinkedIn Profile Optimizer free audit. The title reads "Score your LinkedIn profile (3 minutes, free)." Conversion to email signup runs 5-8 percent.
How to build each Featured card in 15 minutes
The mechanics most founders get wrong are the cover image and the title, not the destination.
Cover image rules
Title rules
Destination rules
- 1200 x 627 px, JPG or PNG, under 4 MB (LinkedIn's documented spec).
- Test how it crops at thumbnail size on mobile. The face or key text should still be legible at 200 px wide.
- One bold piece of text (metric or outcome) is better than three small lines.
- Solid color or simple gradient background. Busy photo backgrounds compress badly.
- Use Canva's LinkedIn templates as a starting point if you don't have a designer.
- 60 characters or under. Featured titles truncate hard on mobile.
- Lead with the outcome or value, not the format. "Cut churn from 6% to 3% in 90 days" beats "Case study PDF."
- For lead magnets, use curiosity gaps. "The 5-touch sequence we run after a connection request" pulls 3x the clicks of "Cold outreach sequence."
- For CTAs, use a verb. "Book a 20-minute fit call" beats "Calendly booking."
- For PDFs and templates: upload directly to LinkedIn as a media asset (no signup gate for tier-1 content).
- For booking pages: use Calendly, Cal.com, or your scheduling tool. Skip multi-step forms.
- For long content (videos, landing pages): external link. Tag with UTMs so you can attribute conversions back to the Featured slot.
How Featured ties into the rest of the profile
The Featured section is downstream of the headline and About. If those don't earn the click, Featured never gets seen.
Order of optimization:
Skipping straight to Featured without fixing the upstream sections is a common mistake. Featured is a multiplier on profile-visit intent, not a generator of it.
- Headline names your audience and outcome. See the 12-step framework.
- About section hooks in the first 3 lines and ends with a CTA pointing to a Featured slot. See About section examples.
- Featured section delivers the 4-slot framework above.
- Activity (posts and comments) drives repeat profile visits. The Featured cards monetize those visits.
Mobile vs desktop rendering
The Featured section renders differently on mobile and desktop. Most founders only check desktop.
The mobile-first crop matters. Test every cover at the LinkedIn mobile app preview before publishing. A clean desktop card can render as a cropped mess on mobile.
| Element | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Cards visible without scroll | 2-3 | 1.5 |
| Cover image crop | 1.91:1 | square-ish (close to 1:1) |
| Title truncation | ~80 chars | ~40 chars |
| Position relative to About | Below About | Above About |
How to test which Featured cards work
The fastest test: rotate one slot per week and watch the LinkedIn dashboard.
Three weeks of focused rotation usually moves the average click-through on slot 1 from 4-6 percent to 9-12 percent.
- Go to your profile, click "Edit profile," scroll to Featured.
- Note your current slot 1 cover and title.
- Swap it with a variant (different metric, different cover style, different angle).
- Wait 7 days.
- Check Analytics tab on your profile for "Profile views per week" change.
- Keep the winner, swap slot 2 next week.
What to do next
If you want our 50-point audit to score your current Featured section against the 4-slot framework, the first audit is free. Per-slot grades, copy rewrites for titles, and cover image recommendations included.
Common mistakes
The patterns we see most when auditing profiles and outbound:
- Leaving Featured empty. 30 percent of profile click intent wasted. Even a rough first version beats nothing.
- Pinning random top-performing posts. Performance from 2 years ago does not justify a Featured slot today. Curation is intentional, not historical.
- Same intent in every slot. Four PDFs, all gated lead magnets. The reader sees a wall of asks. Mix proof, lead magnet, demo, CTA.
- Tiny title text on the cover image. Mobile users can't read it. Test at 200 px wide before publishing.
- No UTMs on external links. You can't attribute booked calls back to the Featured slot if you never tagged the link. Use Google's URL Builder for clean UTMs.
- Updating once and forgetting. Featured assets drift like profiles do. Refresh every 60-90 days, especially the metric-led case study.
- Burying the booking link in Slot 4 every time. If you run a productized service with a fast booking path, sometimes the CTA goes Slot 1. Test placement order.
- Stock photography covers. Indistinguishable from every other profile. Custom graphics, even rough ones in Canva, outperform stock by 2-3x on click-through.
What to do next
If you want to run this against your own LinkedIn profile, the LinkedIn Profile Optimizer audit takes about 3 minutes and gives you a prioritised fix list.
Frequently asked questions
What should go in the Featured section on LinkedIn?
Four cards covering different buyer-journey stages: proof (case study or top post), lead magnet (gated PDF or audit), demo or Loom video, and a direct CTA (booking link or "DM me" page). One intent per slot, not four versions of the same ask.
How many items can you pin to Featured?
LinkedIn shows 4 cards by default with horizontal scroll for more. Pin 4 to 6 maximum. Past 6, the scroll behavior buries cards and the section feels cluttered.
What size should LinkedIn Featured cover images be?
1200 x 627 px, JPG or PNG, under 4 MB. Test the mobile crop (close to 1:1 aspect ratio) before publishing. Text on the cover should remain readable at 200 px wide.
Does the LinkedIn Featured section help with SEO?
Yes, indirectly. Featured cards keep visitors on your profile longer, which is a positive engagement signal in LinkedIn's ranking algorithm. See the LinkedIn profile ranking guide.
Should I pin LinkedIn posts or external links in Featured?
Mix of both. Pin your single best-performing post for proof, but use external links for lead magnets, demos, and CTAs. External links give you control over the destination and let you tag with UTMs for attribution.
How often should I update my LinkedIn Featured section?
Every 60-90 days minimum. After any role change, product launch, or major win (raise, press, milestone), update within a week. Stale Featured assets signal a dormant profile.
Can I add a YouTube video to the LinkedIn Featured section?
Yes, as an external link. LinkedIn auto-generates a video preview from the YouTube thumbnail. For best results, upload to YouTube as unlisted with a custom thumbnail that shows your face.
What's the best LinkedIn Featured layout for a B2B founder?
Slot 1: case study with named client or metric. Slot 2: free audit or playbook PDF. Slot 3: 60-second founder selfie video. Slot 4: direct Calendly booking. This pattern converts at 6-10 percent of profile visitors across the 47 founder rebuilds we've tracked.
Should I use a Featured section if my profile is a job-search profile?
Yes, but flip the slots. Slot 1: portfolio piece or work sample. Slot 2: case study from a past role. Slot 3: short intro video. Slot 4: link to your resume or personal site. The framework is the same; the assets shift to fit recruiter intent.
How do I know if my Featured section is working?
Track three metrics weekly: total profile views (LinkedIn dashboard), click-throughs to your Featured destinations (UTM-tagged in Google Analytics), and inbound DMs that mention an asset by name. If profile views are up but Featured clicks aren't, the cover images or titles need work.
Can I copy someone else's Featured section?
You can copy the structure (4-slot framework, cover style, title format) but never the content. Featured assets are personal proof, your client wins, your videos, your offer. Copying assets reads inauthentic the moment a buyer recognizes the source.
What's the worst Featured section mistake?
Empty. Followed closely by: one post from 3 years ago. Both signal a profile that has not been touched recently. Even a rough 4-card v1 beats either.
Does LinkedIn Premium change what you can do in Featured?
No. Featured is the same on free and Premium accounts. Premium adds InMail credits and search filters, neither of which touch the Featured section.