Add a certification through the Licenses & Certifications section

LinkedIn has a dedicated section for certifications, separate from your work experience and education. To add one, sign in to your LinkedIn account 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.

Fill in the certification name exactly as it appears on your credential — for example, "AWS Certified Solutions Architect" rather than "AWS cert" or "cloud certification." Add the issuing organization (Amazon Web Services, CompTIA, Google, Coursera, or whoever granted it). If the certification has an expiration date, enter that too. LinkedIn will then ask if you want to add a credential ID or URL where someone can verify it — this is optional but makes your certification more credible.

Once you save, the certification appears on your profile in a section employers and recruiters can see. You can reorder certifications by dragging them, so put your most relevant ones first.

Key Takeaways

  • Certifications live in their own section on LinkedIn, separate from jobs and education, and you add them through the pencil icon on your profile.
  • Use the exact official name of the certification and the organization that issued it so recruiters recognize what you have.
  • Adding a credential ID or verification URL makes your certification harder to fake and more useful to someone checking your background.
  • You can list certifications that are currently active or expired, and you can reorder them to put the most relevant ones at the top.
  • LinkedIn lets you set an expiration date for certifications that renew, so your profile stays accurate without manual updates.

Why certifications matter on LinkedIn

Recruiters and hiring managers search LinkedIn by certification — they filter for "Google Cloud Certified" or "Certified Kubernetes Administrator" when they have an open role. If your certification is not on your profile, they will not find you, even if you have the skill. Adding it takes two minutes and puts you in front of people actively looking to hire.

Certifications also signal that you have met a third-party standard. An employer trusts a CompTIA Security+ certification more than a claim you learned security on your own, because CompTIA sets the test and maintains the standard. LinkedIn makes that trust visible by giving certifications their own section instead of burying them in your summary.

What information to include with each certification

The certification name and issuing organization are required. Everything else is optional but useful. If your certification has an ID number or code (most do), add it — this lets someone verify you actually hold it by checking the issuer's database. For example, CompTIA publishes a searchable registry of Security+ holders, and Google publishes a directory of certified professionals.

The credential URL is a link to your badge or certificate online. Many certification programs now issue digital badges through platforms like Credly, which generate a unique URL you can share. Paste that URL into LinkedIn so recruiters can click through and see proof. If you do not have a URL, leave it blank — do not make one up.

The expiration date is important if your certification renews. AWS certifications expire after three years. CompTIA certifications expire after three years unless you renew. If you set the expiration date, LinkedIn will remind you when it is coming due, and your profile will automatically show "Expired" if you do not renew by the important date. This keeps your profile honest.

How to add certifications from online learning platforms

If you completed a course on Coursera, Udacity, edX, or LinkedIn Learning, check whether it issued you a certificate or badge. Coursera and Udacity issue certificates for most paid courses and specializations. LinkedIn Learning issues certificates for completed courses. These are not the same as industry certifications like AWS or CompTIA, but they still belong on your profile.

Add them the same way: go to Licenses & Certifications, click the plus sign, and enter the course name as the certification name and the platform (Coursera, Udacity, LinkedIn Learning) as the issuing organization. Include the completion date. If the platform issued you a shareable certificate or badge, paste the URL so recruiters can verify it.

Be honest about what you are listing. A "Google Cloud Fundamentals" course from Coursera is not the same as "Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer," which requires passing a proctored exam. Recruiters know the difference. List both if you have both — the course shows you are learning, and the certification shows you passed a test.

Updating or removing certifications

If a certification expires and you do not renew it, you can either delete it or leave it on your profile with the expiration date visible. Most people delete expired certifications to keep their profile current. To delete one, click the pencil icon next to Licenses & Certifications, find the certification, and click the trash icon.

If you renew a certification, update the expiration date so it reflects your new renewal date. If the certification ID changed, update that too. LinkedIn does not automatically update these details, so you have to do it yourself.

Making your certifications visible to recruiters

Certifications are visible on your public profile by default, which means recruiters searching LinkedIn can see them. You can control who sees your profile overall through your privacy settings, but you cannot hide individual certifications from people who can see your profile.

If you want recruiters to find you by certification, make sure your profile is set to "Open to work" and that your headline or summary mentions the field you work in. A profile that says "Open to work" with "AWS Certified Solutions Architect" in the Licenses & Certifications section will show up in recruiter searches for AWS-certified candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a certification I am currently working toward?

LinkedIn does not have a section for certifications in progress. Add it only after you have passed the exam and received the credential. If you want to show you are studying, mention it in your headline or summary instead — for example, "Cloud Engineer | Pursuing AWS Solutions Architect Certification."

What if my certification does not have an expiration date?

Leave the expiration date field blank. Some certifications, like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), do expire and require renewal. Others, like many vendor certifications from older programs, do not. Check your credential paperwork or the issuer's website to be sure.

Does LinkedIn verify certifications automatically?

No. LinkedIn does not check whether your certifications are real. That is why adding a credential ID or verification URL matters — it lets someone else verify you if they want to. Employers often check certifications during background screening, so list only ones you actually hold.

Can I add a certification from a company training program?

Yes, if it is a recognized credential. Internal training certificates from your employer usually do not belong on LinkedIn unless the company is well-known for that training. Industry certifications (CompTIA, AWS, Google, Microsoft, Cisco) always belong. If you are unsure, add it — recruiters will recognize it if it is legitimate.

What order should I list my certifications in?

Put the most relevant ones first. If you are a cloud engineer, put your AWS or Google Cloud certifications at the top. If you are in security, put your security certifications first. Recruiters often scan the top few items, so lead with what matters most for the jobs you want.