On this page · 10 sections
- Three ways to upload a resume on LinkedIn
- Method 1: save a resume in Job application settings
- Method 2: upload a resume during Easy Apply
- Method 3: add a resume to the Featured section
- What recruiters and other members can see
- Privacy checks before you add a CV to LinkedIn
- Common problems and fixes
- For HR and IT teams
- How eCorpIT can help
- References
Summary. To add a resume on LinkedIn for job applications, open the Job application settings page, or go to Jobs, then Preferences, then Resumes and application data, and click Upload. LinkedIn keeps your four most recently uploaded resumes and pre-selects the one you used last in Easy Apply forms. You can also upload a Word or PDF file, ideally under 2 MB, inside a single Easy Apply form. To show a CV on your profile instead, add it to the Featured section, where signed-in viewers can download it. The two stores are separate: a resume added to your profile can't be used for job applications. Before you upload, check the resume-sharing toggle: when it is on, recruiters can find your profile through data in resumes you saved over the past two years, and LinkedIn turns it on through a prompt after you apply. Saved resumes also feed job recommendations and, unless you opt out, LinkedIn's generative AI training. No resume yet? Save to PDF turns your profile into one on desktop.
About this article. For job seekers using LinkedIn on the web or the iOS and Android apps, and HR teams receiving resumes through it. On 11 November 2026 we checked every step, label and limit against LinkedIn Help's desktop and mobile instructions, and the data protection dates against the Gazette of India. We did not test in a signed-in account, and some help pages are years old (the Featured how-to was last revised about three years ago), so a label may differ in your version. This is not legal advice, and no vendor paid for inclusion. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.
Three ways to upload a resume on LinkedIn
Pick the route by what you want the file to do: the first two are for applying, the third shows your CV to profile visitors. The table draws on LinkedIn's help pages.
| Route | Where you find it | Who sees the file | Usable for Easy Apply | Limits LinkedIn publishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job application settings | Job application settings page, or Jobs, Preferences, Resumes and application data | Hirers you apply to; recruiter search uses resume data if sharing is on | Yes | Four most recent resumes kept |
| Inside an Easy Apply form | Easy Apply button on a job post, Resume section | That hirer | Yes, and the upload is saved unless you opted out | Word or PDF; under 2 MB recommended |
| Featured section | Profile, Add profile section, Recommended, Add featured | Signed-in members, per your profile visibility; may be visible off LinkedIn | No | PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT or PPTX; 100 MB and 300 pages per file; 400 items displayed |
Method 1: save a resume in Job application settings
This is the best default if you apply through LinkedIn: one upload pre-fills later Easy Apply forms.
- Sign in on the web and open the Job application settings page at
linkedin.com/jobs/application-settings/.
- Under the Resume section, click Upload and choose your Word or PDF file.
- Alternatively, open the Jobs tab, click Preferences, then Resumes and application data, and click Upload resume.
- Repeat for role-specific versions. LinkedIn keeps up to four and pre-selects your most recently used resume.
To delete a saved resume, click the ellipsis (...) to the right of the file on either page and select Delete. Applications already submitted are not affected. You can also opt out of saving resumes altogether.
Method 2: upload a resume during Easy Apply
Use this to tailor a CV for one job, on desktop or in the app.
- Search for a job and click or tap the title to open it.
- Click Easy Apply. If you see Apply or Apply on company website instead, the application continues on the employer's site or job board, and you can't use a resume saved on LinkedIn there.
- Complete the required fields.
- Under Resume, pick a recent file or select Upload resume.
- Click Submit application.
The resume field is optional unless you are not signed in. If you submit without one, you can't reopen the application or reapply; your only option is an InMail to the job poster, if the post lists contact details. LinkedIn also sends your primary email address and full profile with every application, so an outdated profile undercuts a sharp resume.
Method 3: add a resume to the Featured section
Featured holds work samples on your profile, and visitors can download a CV added there.
On desktop:
- Click the Me icon, then View profile.
- Click Add profile section in your introduction section.
- Open the Recommended dropdown and click Add featured.
- Click the Add icon at the upper right of the Featured page, choose media and select your file.
- Give it a clear title, such as
Resume, November 2026, and click Save or Done.
In the LinkedIn app (iOS or Android):
- Tap your profile photo, then View profile.
- Tap Add section, then Recommended, then Add featured.
- Select the media type, pick the file and tap Save or Done.
LinkedIn supports PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT and PPTX documents on desktop, iOS and Android, up to 100 MB and 300 pages. A PDF keeps fonts and layout fixed. To replace a CV, add the new file and delete the old one, since LinkedIn's Edit option is for a sample's title and description. Remove from featured unpins an item; Delete removes it from your profile permanently. Featured displays up to 400 items. Announcing your search in a post too? See how to bold text in a LinkedIn post.
What recruiters and other members can see
- Applications: the hirer for that job sees the resume you attach, plus your full profile and primary email address.
- Recruiter search: with resume sharing on, your profile can appear when recruiters search for skills, experience, education or accomplishments that match resumes you saved in the past two years. You need at least one saved resume, the feature works only in English, and recruiters don't get the full file unless you send it or apply.
- The toggle's name: an older help page says Share resume data with recruiters; newer pages say Share resume data with hirers, and add that hiring products may then show certain resume data on your profile.
- Featured: viewers must be signed in, featured items are not discoverable through search, and they follow your profile visibility settings. A resume attached to your profile or a post is visible to anyone viewing it and may be visible off LinkedIn, so treat it as public.
- Open to Work in India: you can add a notice period or availability to join, and an expected annual salary. LinkedIn shows these to recruiters only, whatever your Open to Work visibility.
Privacy checks before you add a CV to LinkedIn
- Strip personal details from the featured copy: home address, date of birth, phone number and ID numbers. An email address is enough.
- Keep the full version in Job application settings, where only the hirers you apply to receive it.
- Check the resume-sharing toggle after you apply. LinkedIn switches it on through a post-application prompt; turn it off there or in settings.
- Review the AI setting. Saved resumes feed job recommendations, AI match features and, LinkedIn says, AI model improvement. Switching off Data for Generative AI Improvement stops future training use but does not undo past training.
- Job hunting quietly? LinkedIn tries to hide your shared resume data from Recruiter users at your current and related companies, using the employer marked as current on your profile, but says it can't guarantee complete privacy. Keep that field accurate.
- Name files clearly, for example
Asha-Rao-Product-Manager-2026.pdf, so you pick the right one of your four saved versions.
Common problems and fixes
- No Easy Apply button: the employer takes applications on its own site or job board. Upload your resume there.
- Upload fails or hangs: LinkedIn's first suggestion is a different browser. Check the file is Word or PDF and ideally under 2 MB; compress image-heavy PDFs.
- Featured option missing: the path is Add profile section (desktop) or Add section (app), then Recommended; try the other platform. Featured exists only on individual profiles, not company Pages.
- No resume yet: on desktop, click Me, open your profile card, click More or Resources in the introduction section and choose Save to PDF. It is not in the mobile app, needs an English profile and language setting, may not reach every member, and allows 200 PDFs a month, including other members' profiles. LinkedIn's Resume Builder is an alternative, but not every member has it.
For HR and IT teams
Candidates who apply through Easy Apply send you their resume, email address and full profile. In India, those resumes are digital personal data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The DPDP Rules, 2025 appeared in the Gazette on 13 November 2025, and Rules 3, 5 to 16, 22 and 23, which include notices, security safeguards, breach reporting and erasure, take effect eighteen months later, on 13 May 2027. Our DPDP Rules checklist for 13 May 2027 maps those duties. If resumes flow from LinkedIn into an ATS or HRMS, set a retention period, restrict who can export CVs and log access. Teams that use AI to screen candidates should also read our note on California's ADMT rules for AI hiring tools.
How eCorpIT can help
eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our HR tech and HRMS team builds recruitment and HRMS workflows that take in candidate resumes with set retention periods and access controls. Talk to us at /contact-us/.
Last updated: 11 November 2026.
