LinkedIn posts don't have a bold button, so to bold text on LinkedIn you use a formatter that turns your letters into Unicode characters that look bold, then copy and paste the result into your post. The same trick works for italics, underline and strikethrough. Bullet points and line breaks need no tool: type them straight into LinkedIn. Only LinkedIn articles and newsletters have real formatting.
Here's how to do each one, and when formatting helps or hurts. Checked on 10 November 2026.
How to bold text in a LinkedIn post
- Open our free LinkedIn text formatter.
- Type or paste your post.
- Select the words you want in bold and click Bold. (Click again to remove it.)
- Copy the post and paste it into LinkedIn's post box.
The bold survives the paste because it isn't formatting: each letter is swapped for a Unicode "mathematical bold" character that looks bold anywhere text is shown, including posts, comments and your headline.
How to write in italics on LinkedIn
Exactly the same: select the words in the formatter and click Italic, then copy and paste. You can also combine bold and italic, or use underline and strikethrough the same way.
How to add bullet points on LinkedIn
You don't need a tool for bullets. Type a bullet character at the start of each line:
- On a Mac, Option + 8 types •.
- On Windows, Alt + 0149 on the number pad types •.
- On a phone, copy a • from anywhere and paste it, or use a simple dash or an arrow-like symbol such as ▸.
Press Enter between items; LinkedIn keeps each on its own line. The formatter also has bullet and numbered list buttons if you'd rather not type the symbols.
How to add line breaks and spacing
LinkedIn keeps the line breaks you type, including blank lines between paragraphs. Short paragraphs, one or two sentences each, with a blank line between them are much easier to read on a phone than a block of text.
If your line breaks disappear after pasting, you probably pasted from a tool that strips them. Paste into a plain text editor first, or type the breaks directly in LinkedIn.
How to format a LinkedIn article or newsletter
LinkedIn articles and newsletters use a full editor with real formatting: headings, bold, italic, lists, links, quotes and images. Select text and use the toolbar, or the usual keyboard shortcuts. None of that is needed for a regular post, and none of it carries over into one.
When formatting helps, and when it hurts
Helps:
- One or two bold phrases to make a key point scannable.
- Bullet lists for steps or takeaways.
- Short paragraphs and white space throughout.
Hurts:
- Accessibility. Screen readers may read Unicode bold letters one at a time or skip them. Keep formatting to a few words, never whole sentences.
- Search. LinkedIn search doesn't match Unicode letters to normal words. Keep names, keywords and hashtags in plain text.
- Trust. Whole posts in bold or italic look like spam. Use it like you would in an email: sparingly.
Preview before you post
Formatting changes how much of your post fits before LinkedIn's "...more" cut-off. Our formatter shows where the fold falls as you type, and our post preview tool shows the whole post as it will look in the feed. More in how to preview a LinkedIn post.
Formatting posts you schedule
Unicode bold and bullet characters are just text, so they survive scheduling tools. In Postbase, paste formatted text into the LinkedIn version of a post, check the preview, and schedule it. The X version of the same post can stay plain.
Available channels
Customize per channel
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Frequently asked questions
Can you bold text in a LinkedIn post?
Not with a button. Use a LinkedIn text formatter to convert words to Unicode bold characters, then paste them into your post. Only LinkedIn articles and newsletters have a real bold button.
How do you italicise text on LinkedIn?
The same way: select the words in a formatter, click Italic, then copy and paste the text into LinkedIn.
Does bold text work in LinkedIn comments and headlines?
Yes. Unicode bold characters work anywhere LinkedIn shows text, including comments, your headline and your About section.
Does LinkedIn support Markdown?
No. Asterisks and underscores show up as typed. Use a formatter for bold and italic, and type bullets and line breaks directly.
Is bold text bad for LinkedIn reach?
There's no evidence LinkedIn penalises it. But overuse makes posts harder to read and less accessible, and bold words don't show up in LinkedIn search.
How do I add bullet points to a LinkedIn post?
Type a bullet character (Option + 8 on a Mac, Alt + 0149 on Windows) at the start of each line, press Enter between items, or use a formatter's list button.
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