How to Add Certifications to LinkedIn: Step-by-Step (2026)

Certifications sit in a dedicated section of your profile and give recruiters a verifiable signal of your skills. This guide covers the current flow on desktop and the mobile app, how to pull certificates in from LinkedIn Learning and outside providers, what each field does, and how the section actually orders your entries.

Once a major credential is live, it is worth announcing the promotion or milestone properly and pairing it with a strong headline so the credential shows up where people look first.

Add a Certification on Desktop

1. Sign in to LinkedIn and go to your profile (click your photo, then View Profile).
2. Click the Add profile section button near the top of your profile.
3. Open the Recommended dropdown.
4. Select Add licenses & certifications.
5. Fill in the fields (see The Fields Explained below).
6. Click Save.

If the Licenses & certifications section already exists on your profile, scroll to it and click the + icon to add another entry, or the pencil icon to edit an existing one.

Add a Certification on the Mobile App

The iOS and Android apps use the same flow:

1. Tap your profile photo, then View Profile.
2. Tap Add section.
3. Tap Recommended, then Add licenses & certifications.
4. Complete the fields and tap Save.

If the section is already on your profile, scroll to Licenses & certifications and tap the + icon to add another, or the pencil icon to edit one. There is no functional difference between the entries you add on mobile and desktop, so use whichever is in front of you.

Add a Certification from LinkedIn Learning

If you completed a LinkedIn Learning course or learning path, you do not need to type anything in by hand:

1. In LinkedIn Learning, click your profile picture and choose My Library.
2. Click Learning History.
3. Click More (...) next to the completed course.
4. Select Add to profile.
5. Optionally check Share with network to post the completion, then confirm.

The certificate appears under your Licenses & certifications section, and any skills tied to the course are added automatically unless you unselect them. Note that a LinkedIn Learning Certificate of Completion is not the same as a professional certification earned through an independently proctored exam. Both can live in this section, but label them honestly.

Adding Certificates from Google, Coursera, AWS, and Others

Most reputable providers, including Coursera, Google, Microsoft, and AWS, offer an Add to profile or Add to LinkedIn button on your completion or credential page. Clicking it pre-fills the certification name, issuing organization, issue date, and credential ID, so you only review and save. This is the most reliable way to add an external certificate, because it also attaches the verification URL for you.

If a provider does not offer that button, add the certificate manually using the desktop or mobile steps above and paste the verification link into the Credential URL field yourself.

The Fields Explained (Credential ID, URL, and Skills)

The credential URL and ID are the fields most people skip, and they are the ones that matter most. A certification with a working Show credential link is something a recruiter can confirm in one click, while a bare entry with no verification is easy to doubt. If your issuer provides a badge (Credly is common), use its public URL here.

How Certifications Display on Your Profile

Each entry appears in the Licenses & certifications section with its name, the issuing organization and logo, the issue date (and expiration if set), and a Show credential button when you added a URL. Associated skills are listed on the entry and also feed your Skills section. There is no separate "verified badge" that LinkedIn stamps on ordinary certifications; the credibility comes from the working credential link and matching issuer.

Reordering and Editing Certifications

To edit or remove an entry, click the pencil icon on the section, then the pencil next to the specific certification.

Ordering is where a lot of older advice is wrong: LinkedIn does not let you manually drag certifications into a custom order. The section sorts automatically, generally placing credentials with no expiration date first, then more recently issued ones, with alphabetical order as a tiebreaker. If you want your strongest credentials near the top, the honest levers are keeping issue dates accurate and removing outdated or irrelevant entries so the list stays short and current.

Best Practices

• Use the official name. "PMP - Project Management Professional" reads as legitimate; "Project Management" does not.
• Always add the credential URL when you have one. It turns a claim into something verifiable.
• Associate relevant skills so the credential reinforces the rest of your profile.
• Keep the list curated. A handful of relevant, current certifications beats a long list of loosely related ones.
• Do not delete valuable expired credentials outright. Add the expiration date so the history is clear, and renew the ones that still carry weight.
• Add top acronyms to your headline sparingly, for example "Marketing Manager | PMP", so the credential is visible before someone scrolls.

When you add a certification worth sharing, it can also anchor a short post. If you are stuck on what to write, our LinkedIn post ideas guide has angles for milestone announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do certifications show up on my LinkedIn profile?

They appear in a dedicated Licenses & certifications section, showing the name, issuing organization and logo, issue and expiration dates, associated skills, and a Show credential button when you have added a credential URL.

Do I have to add a credential ID and URL?

No, both fields are optional, but they are the most valuable ones. Adding a credential URL gives your profile a Show credential button that lets recruiters verify the certification in one click, which makes the entry far more convincing than a bare name and date.

How do I add a LinkedIn Learning certificate automatically?

In LinkedIn Learning, open My Library, click Learning History, click More (...) next to the completed course, and select Add to profile. The certificate is placed in your Licenses & certifications section and related skills are added automatically unless you unselect them.

Can I add certificates from Coursera, Google, AWS, or Microsoft?

Yes. Most reputable providers give you an Add to profile or Add to LinkedIn button on your credential page that pre-fills the name, issuer, date, credential ID, and verification URL. If a provider does not offer that button, add the certificate manually and paste the verification link into the Credential URL field.

How do I add a certification that never expires?

While filling in the certification, tick the This credential does not expire checkbox. LinkedIn then hides the expiration date field for that entry.

Can I manually reorder my certifications?

No. LinkedIn does not offer manual drag-and-drop ordering for this section. It sorts automatically, generally putting credentials with no expiration date first, then more recently issued ones, with alphabetical order as a tiebreaker. Keeping issue dates accurate and removing outdated entries is the practical way to control what appears near the top.

Should I add free online course certificates?

Yes, as long as they come from reputable sources like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or edX and are relevant to your field. Keep the list curated so the certifications that matter most are not buried among minor ones.

Related Resources

• How to Add Your Resume to LinkedIn
• How to Add a Promotion on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Headline Examples
• LinkedIn Image Specs Guide
• LinkedIn Post Ideas Guide
• What Is LinkedIn InMail?
• LinkedIn Marketing Guide
• LinkedIn Summary Generator