You have 220 characters to convince someone you’re worth knowing.

That’s your LinkedIn headline. It’s the first thing people see when you appear in searches, when you comment on a post, when you send a connection invitation. It’s your elevator pitch compressed into one line.

And here’s the problem: most articles about headlines have incorrect information.

They say the limit is 120 characters. Wrong. The real limit is 220 characters on desktop and 240 on mobile.

They say to put your title and that’s it. Also wrong. A headline of “CEO at [Company]” wastes the most valuable real estate on your profile.

This guide corrects the errors and gives you formulas that work for executives and founders.

The Fact Almost Nobody Gets Right: 220 Characters, Not 120

Virtually all articles about headlines cite 120 characters as the limit. This was true years ago, but LinkedIn expanded the limit significantly:

Platform	Actual Limit
Desktop	220 characters
Mobile	240 characters
Visible in searches	~120 characters
Visible on mobile/feed	~60 characters

Why does this difference matter?

Because you have almost double the space to communicate your value proposition. You’re not limited to your title. You can include your specialization, target market, and a differentiator.

How Many Characters Show on Mobile vs Desktop

Here’s the complexity: although you have 220 characters available, not all of them always show.

In LinkedIn searches: Truncates around 120 characters. The rest appears with ”…”

In mobile feed: Only approximately 60 characters are visible. The rest requires clicking on your profile.

On your full profile: All 220 characters are displayed.

Why the First 60 Characters Define Everything

60% of LinkedIn traffic comes from mobile. That means most people who find you will only see the first ~60 characters of your headline.

Strategic implication: The most important thing must come first.

Don’t put your value proposition at the end. Don’t start with “Passionate about…” or generic phrases. The first 60 characters must clearly communicate who you are and what you do.

The 5 Mistakes CEOs Make in Their Headline

1. The “CEO at [Company]” Syndrome and Nothing Else

It’s the most common error. Your headline says “CEO at Acme Corp” and that’s it.

The problem: nobody knows what Acme Corp does. Nobody knows what problem you solve. Nobody has a reason to click on your profile.

You’re wasting 200 characters of prime space.

Before: CEO at TechStart

After: CEO at TechStart | Helping SMBs automate their accounting | 500+ companies transformed

2. Using Generic Empty Phrases

“Results-oriented.” “Passionate about innovation.” “Transformational leader.”

These phrases say nothing. Anyone can use them. They don’t differentiate you.

Before: Passionate entrepreneur | Transformational leader | Results-oriented

After: Founder of LogiCorp | We reduce e-commerce logistics costs by 40%

3. Using Only Abbreviations or Internal Jargon

If your headline says “MD | P&L Owner | GTM Leader | OKR Champion”, only people from your specific industry will understand anything. And even they’ll have to guess.

Titles and acronyms have their place, but your headline should be understandable to your target audience.

4. Writing in Third Person

“John Smith is a recognized expert in…”

LinkedIn is a professional network, not a Wikipedia biography. First person is more direct and creates more connection.

5. Not Including Who You Help

The error of focusing only on yourself. “20 years of finance experience” is fine, but “I help startup CFOs prepare for funding rounds” is better.

Your headline should answer: What can I do for you?

4 Proven Formulas for Executive Headlines

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. These formulas have been proven by thousands of executives and work consistently.

EPD Formula: Expertise + Proposition + Differentiator

[Your expertise] | [What you achieve for clients] | [What makes you different]

Examples:

M&A Consultant | Closing deals for family businesses | $200M+ in transactions
Corporate Attorney | Protecting startups from costly legal mistakes | Ex-Uber Legal
Executive Coach | Developing leaders who retain talent | Proprietary methodology with 89% satisfaction

Client-Oriented Formula

I help [specific audience] to [concrete result] | [Credential or context]

Examples:

I help tech founders raise their Series A | Ex-VC with 40+ investments
I help manufacturing CEOs digitize without chaos | 15 successful transformations
I help HR directors reduce turnover by 30% | Organizational culture consultant

Formula for CEOs Looking to Position Their Company

[Title] at [Company] | [What the company does in value terms] | [Market or scale]

Examples:

CEO at FinTech Solutions | Democratizing credit for SMBs | 10,000+ companies funded
General Manager at EduTech Pro | Corporate training that actually gets completed | 50+ Fortune 500 clients
Founder of CloudTech | Migrating businesses to the cloud with zero downtime | AWS Partner

Formula for Founders Seeking Investors or Talent

Founder of [Company] | [What you're building in one sentence] | [Traction or mission]

Examples:

Founder of PropTech Inc | Building the Airbnb of flexible offices | $2M ARR
Co-founder of HealthAI | AI that detects diseases 10x faster | Y Combinator backed
Founder of ImpactFood | Eliminating food waste | 500 tons rescued

15 Examples of Effective Headlines

Headlines for CEOs and General Managers

CEO at Industrial Group | Sustainable manufacturing for automotive | Carbon neutral 2025
General Manager at ConsultCorp | Digital transformation for family businesses | 100+ projects
CEO & Founder at TechBridge | Connecting tech talent with Silicon Valley startups
General Manager at LogiSmart | Reducing last-mile e-commerce costs by 35% | 200+ clients
CEO at Financial Group | Investment banking for the middle market | $500M in transactions

Headlines for Founders and Entrepreneurs

Founder of EdTech Global | Bringing quality education to remote communities | 50,000 students impacted
Co-founder of PayEasy | Digital payments for the 40% of Americans without bank accounts | Backed by a16z
Founder of TalentHub | Tech recruiting for hypergrowth startups | 2,000+ devs placed annually
Founder of AgriTech Solutions | Helping farmers double yields with AI
Co-founder of LegalBot | Automating contracts for SMBs | 10,000 documents generated monthly

Headlines for Consultants and Executive Freelancers

Strategy Consultant | Helping SMB CEOs scale from $10M to $50M | Ex-McKinsey
Fractional CFO | World-class finance for growing startups | 30+ companies advised
Founder Advisor | Preparing startups for Series A | 15 successful rounds accompanied
Personal Brand Consultant | Positioning executives as LinkedIn thought leaders | 200+ C-level clients
Interim CMO | Growth marketing for B2B SaaS | Ex-HubSpot, Ex-Salesforce

How Your Headline Affects Being Found on LinkedIn

Your headline isn’t just for impressing humans. It also affects how LinkedIn shows you in searches.

Keywords and Visibility

LinkedIn indexes your headline for its internal search engine. If someone searches “fintech consultant,” LinkedIn checks:

Your headline
Your About section
Your work experience
Your skills

The headline carries significant weight because LinkedIn assumes it contains your most important descriptors.

Practical implication: Include the keywords you want to be found for.

If you want to be found as “fintech CEO,” those words should be in your headline, not just in your experience.

Your Headline Appears in More Places Than You Think

Your headline is displayed in:

Search results
Your card when you comment on posts
Connection invitations you send
“People you may know” suggestions
Your signature when you publish articles
InMail messages

Each of these is an opportunity to communicate your value. If your headline is generic, you lose all those opportunities.

Final Checklist to Optimize Your Headline

Before saving your new headline, verify:

Structure:

Do the first 60 characters communicate the essential?
Are you using the 220 available characters strategically?
Are you including separators (|) to facilitate reading?

Content:

Is it clear what you do?
Is it clear who you help?
Do you include some differentiator or credential?
Are you avoiding generic empty phrases?

LinkedIn SEO:

Do you include keywords relevant to your industry?
Do you mention your geographic market if relevant?

Readability:

Is it understandable without prior knowledge of your company?
Are you avoiding abbreviations only insiders would understand?
Is it in first person (not third)?

Frequently Asked Questions About LinkedIn Headlines

How many characters does the LinkedIn headline have?

The limit is 220 characters on desktop and 240 on mobile. However, in searches and in the feed only approximately 60-120 characters are shown before truncating.

What should I put in my LinkedIn headline if I’m a CEO?

Don’t just put “CEO at [Company].” Take advantage of the 220 characters to include: what your company does, who you help, and some differentiator or impact metric. Example: CEO at TechCorp | Automating processes for manufacturing | 200+ plants transformed

Should I only put my title in the headline?

No. Your title is important but insufficient. The headline is your opportunity to communicate value, not just your hierarchical position. Combine title + value proposition + differentiator.

Should I use emojis in my headline?

Generally not for executives. Emojis can work for content creators or more informal roles, but for CEOs and founders they usually detract from professionalism. If you use them, maximum one relevant emoji.

Does the headline affect LinkedIn searches?

Yes, significantly. LinkedIn uses the headline to index your profile. Keywords in your headline affect whether you appear when someone searches those terms. Include the words you want to be found for.

How often should I update my headline?

Review it when: you change roles, launch a new product/service, reach an important milestone, or change your market focus. Minimum one review every 6 months to ensure it’s still relevant.

Your Headline Is Your Digital First Impression

Think about all the times you’ve decided to connect (or not) with someone on LinkedIn. Their headline probably influenced that decision.

You have 220 characters. Use them.

Don’t waste them on your generic title. Don’t fill them with empty buzzwords. Don’t let most of them get truncated without communicating anything.

Communicate who you are, who you help, and why they should care. That’s all your headline needs.

The natural next step is to optimize your About section, where you have 2,600 characters to expand your story. Check out our About section guide for executives.

Don’t have time to optimize your LinkedIn profile? At Mazkara Studio we help founders and executives build their personal brand while they focus on their business. Schedule a call →

Try our free LinkedIn Scorecard to diagnose your complete profile, including headline, About, and visibility factors.