adleaderCheat sheet · bookmark this
LinkedIn ad specs & character limits
Every LinkedIn ad format on one page. Always double-check in Campaign Manager — LinkedIn updates limits from time to time.
The rule that matters most: the "…see more" cutoff
On mobile, LinkedIn shows roughly the first 150 characters of intro text (about 2–3 lines). Desktop shows a bit more. Your hook must fit before the cut.
Your team isn't slow. Your handoffs are. Ops teams lose hours a week chasing status updates across 4 different tools and …see more
Single Image
- Image size
- 1200 × 628 (1.91:1) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1)
- File
- JPG, PNG or GIF · max 5 MB
- Intro text
- 600 chars max · ~150 before "see more"
- Headline
- 200 max · keep under 70
- Description
- 300 max · often hidden
Document / Carousel
- Page size
- 1080 × 1080 (1:1) or 1080 × 1350 (4:5)
- File
- PDF, PPT or DOC · max 100 MB
- Pages
- Up to 300 · 5–10 performs best
- Intro text
- ~150 chars before "see more"
Video
- Aspect ratio
- 1:1 or 4:5 for mobile feed · 16:9 for desktop
- Length
- 3 s – 30 min · aim for 15–30 s
- File
- MP4 · max 200 MB
- Captions
- Burn in or upload SRT — most watch muted
- Hook
- Make the first 3 seconds count
Thought Leader Ad
- Source
- An organic post from a team member
- Copy
- 3000 chars · first ~150 show in feed
- Media
- Text, image, video or document
- Tip
- Write like a person, not a brand
Ad policy checklist
- ✓No ALL-CAPS words for emphasis
- ✓No gimmicky punctuation (!!!, ???, ★)
- ✓No guaranteed results ("double your revenue")
- ✓Back up stats and claims with a source
- ✓No implied knowledge of personal traits ("Are you struggling with debt?")
- ✓Landing page must match the ad's offer