Add a certification through the Licenses & Certifications section

LinkedIn has a dedicated section for certifications that sits separate from your work experience and education. To add one, sign into LinkedIn on a computer or phone, go to your profile, and click the pencil icon next to "Licenses & Certifications." Click the plus sign to add a new entry, then fill in the certification name, issuing organization, issue date, and expiration date if it has one. LinkedIn will search for the organization name as you type and show matching results — select the correct one from the dropdown to link your certification to the official organization page.

If you have a credential ID or a URL where the certification can be verified, add those in the fields provided. This helps viewers confirm the certification is real. When you finish, click "Save" and the certification appears on your profile immediately. You can add as many certifications as you have earned.

Key Takeaways

  • Certifications live in their own section on your profile, separate from jobs and education, and you reach them by clicking the pencil icon next to "Licenses & Certifications."
  • You must enter the certification name and the organization that issued it; LinkedIn will suggest matching organizations as you type.
  • Adding a credential ID or verification URL makes your certification more credible and lets viewers confirm it independently.
  • Certifications appear on your profile right after you save them and are visible to anyone who views your profile unless you hide them in privacy settings.

Where the Licenses & Certifications section appears on your profile

The Licenses & Certifications section sits below your headline and above your work experience on a desktop profile. On mobile, it appears in the same order when you scroll down. The section is visible to anyone who views your profile by default, though you can change this in your privacy settings if you want to hide it from certain viewers or make it visible only to connections.

If you have not added any certifications yet, the section does not appear until you add your first one. Once you add one, the section stays on your profile and you can add more certifications to it over time.

How to edit or remove a certification you already added

To change a certification after you have saved it, click the pencil icon next to "Licenses & Certifications" again, find the certification in the list, and click the pencil icon next to that specific entry. You can update the name, organization, dates, credential ID, or URL. Click "Save" when you finish.

To remove a certification entirely, open the edit screen the same way, find the certification, and click the trash icon next to it. Confirm the deletion and it disappears from your profile. Removing a certification does not affect your other certifications or any other part of your profile.

What information LinkedIn needs to add a certification

LinkedIn requires two pieces of information: the certification name and the issuing organization. Everything else is optional but recommended. The certification name should match what appears on your actual certificate — for example, "Google Analytics Certified Associate" rather than just "Google Analytics." The organization is the body that issued the credential, such as Google, CompTIA, or the Project Management Institute.

The issue date and expiration date are optional fields. If your certification does not expire, you can leave the expiration date blank. The credential ID and URL are also optional but add credibility — include them if the issuing organization provides them and if you want viewers to be able to verify the certification independently.

Certifications from online learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy

Many online learning platforms issue certificates of completion, and you can add these to LinkedIn the same way you add any other certification. When you complete a course on Coursera, Udemy, or similar platforms, the certificate usually includes a credential ID and a URL where it can be viewed. Use these when you add the certification to LinkedIn.

Some platforms, including Coursera, have built-in buttons that let you add a certificate directly to LinkedIn without typing the details yourself. If you see an "Add to profile" or similar button on your certificate page, click it and LinkedIn will pre-fill most of the information. You can still edit the details before saving if you want to change anything.

How certifications affect how recruiters and employers see your profile

Certifications appear prominently on your profile and in search results when recruiters look for people with specific credentials. If a recruiter searches for "Google Analytics Certified," your profile is more likely to show up if you have that certification listed. Certifications also signal to employers that you have invested time in learning a specific skill and that an outside organization has verified your knowledge.

The more recent your certification, the more weight it typically carries — a certification from this year looks stronger than one from five years ago, especially in fast-moving fields like cloud computing or digital marketing. If a certification has an expiration date and it has expired, consider removing it or noting that it is no longer active, as employers may assume an expired certification means your knowledge is outdated.

Privacy settings for your certifications

By default, your certifications are visible to everyone who views your profile. You can change this by going to your profile, clicking the pencil icon next to "Licenses & Certifications," and then clicking the visibility icon (it looks like an eye) next to the section title. You can choose to show certifications to everyone, only to your connections, or only to yourself.

You can also hide individual certifications while keeping others visible. Click the pencil icon next to a specific certification and look for the visibility option. This is useful if you want to keep a certification on your profile but do not want it to be the first thing people see, or if you want to show it only to people you know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a certification that has already expired?

Yes, you can add expired certifications to your profile. LinkedIn will show the expiration date, so viewers will know it is no longer active. You might want to keep it if it shows relevant experience, but consider whether it strengthens or weakens your profile in your field.

What if the organization that issued my certification is not in LinkedIn's dropdown list?

If the issuing organization does not appear when you search, you can type the name manually and LinkedIn will create an entry for it. The certification will still be added to your profile, though it will not be linked to an official organization page. Including a credential ID or verification URL helps confirm the certification is real.

Do I need to add a certification if I already mention it in my job description?

No, but adding it to the Licenses & Certifications section makes it more visible and searchable. Recruiters often filter by certifications, so listing it in its own section increases the chance they will find you. Mentioning it in a job description is good, but the dedicated section is more effective.

Can I add certifications I am currently working toward?

LinkedIn does not have a separate section for in-progress certifications. You can add a certification only after you have earned it and received the credential. If you want to show that you are learning something, mention it in your headline or in a job description instead.

How long does it take for a certification to show up on my profile after I add it?

Certifications appear on your profile immediately after you click save. They are visible to other users right away and will show up in recruiter searches within a few hours as LinkedIn indexes the change.