How the LinkedIn algorithm works
LinkedIn's feed is driven by comments in the first 60 minutes and dwell time. Always put links in the first comment, never in the post body. Native video and PDF carousels reach further than text-only.
By Tayyab, Founder
Where these numbers come from. The LinkedIn profile cites 2 sources, listed below: a statement by the platform and a third-party study.
- Stated by the platformLinkedIn creator-mode documentation, 2024
- Third-party studyJust Connecting 2025 study on link placement and first-hour comments
How the feed is assembled
In our LinkedIn model, shares and reposts count for 5 likes, then comments at 4 and saves at 2. Bars show multiples of a like.
- Shares and reposts5x a like
- Comments4x a like
- Saves2x a like
- Likes1x a like
The first-hour cliff
LinkedIn is checked 60 minutes after a post goes out, as the first hour ends.
60 min
Check point
45%
Stall line vs your median
Comments, shares
Signals read
Our model treats a post below 45% of your own median engagement by then as stalled. Comments and shares count most in that window.
Best posting windows
Our LinkedIn curve has 2 posting windows across 2 days, led by Tuesday 07:00 to 09:00 UTC at 2.68x a median hour. Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday have none.
TuesdayStrongest
07:00 to 09:00 UTC
2.68x
Wednesday
08:00 to 10:00 UTC
2.68x
Times are UTC. Each figure is a multiple of a median hour.
Link policy
Our LinkedIn profile keeps links out of the post body, where one costs about 50% of reach, so yours goes in the first comment.
Not allowed
In the post body
-50%
Reach cost in the body
In the first comment
Where yours goes
We publish without the link and post it as the first comment. How the first comment works.
Posting cadence and cooldowns
The queue holds LinkedIn to 2 posts a day and 7 a week, at least 8 hours apart. Seven days at the daily ceiling would be 14, so the weekly cap of 7 is the one that binds.
8h
Minimum gap
2
Posts per day, max
7
Posts per week, max
Format mechanics
Native video leads on LinkedIn in our profile, at +50% against a plain post, ahead of carousel (+40%), poll (+20%), single image (+20%) and text-only post (+10%). Article (-30%) sits below it.
Reach by format
- Native video+50%
- Carousel+40%
- Poll+20%
- Single image+20%
- Text-only post+10%
- Standard post0%
- Article-30%
Hard limits
- Formats we publish
- Post, Article and Carousel
- Ideal length
- 1200 to 1500 characters
- Platform limit (enforced)
- 3000 characters
- Hashtags for reach
- 3 ideal, 5 before it costs you, end of post
- Images per post
- 20
- Video
- up to 1800s, 200MB
- Image formats
- jpeg, png, gif
3-5 specific tags beat 0 or 5+. Avoid generic #leadership #motivation tags and tag with topic communities instead.
How Content Drifter applies this to your LinkedIn posts
Each row pairs one of the LinkedIn numbers above with what the product does about it.
A link in the body costs about 50% of LinkedIn reach in our model.
We publish without it, post it as the first comment and rewrite the body so it still reads whole.
Link in the first commentLinkedIn engagement peaks around 07:00 to 09:00 UTC on Tuesday, roughly 2.68x a median hour.
An unscheduled post takes the next open peak slot in your timezone. On Pro and up those slots are ranked against this curve and your own posting history.
Best time to post schedulingNative video outperforms a plain post by about 50% on LinkedIn.
Generation writes for the formats that carry a lift on LinkedIn, not one body cross-posted everywhere.
Per-platform publishingOn LinkedIn, a post below 45% of your median engagement at minute 60 is read as stalled in our model.
On Business and Agency plans with the boost engine switched on, we run that check at minute 60 against your own median, so a stall surfaces while it can still be acted on.
The algorithm-aware enginePosting more than 2 times a day, or inside 8 hours of your last post, works against you on LinkedIn.
The queue honours that spacing when it assigns slots, counting posts you already published as well as ones you have queued.
The queueLinkedIn posts land best between 1200 and 1500 characters, against a platform limit of 3000.
The pre-publish check names the rule a post breaks instead of handing you a score.
Pre-publish performance read
Recent LinkedIn algorithm changes
Only changes a person has reviewed appear here.
We have not published a recorded change for LinkedIn since our last check. A person reviews every shift our daily canary flags before it appears here. How we watch for changes.
LinkedIn algorithm questions
What is the best time to post on LinkedIn?
Our strongest LinkedIn window is 07:00 to 09:00 UTC on Tuesday, about 2.68x a median hour, then 08:00 to 10:00 UTC on Wednesday. Times are UTC, and the queue converts them to your timezone.
What does the LinkedIn algorithm reward most?
Shares and reposts carry the most weight, about 5x a like in our model, then comments at 4x and saves at 2x. LinkedIn's feed is driven by comments in the first 60 minutes and dwell time. Always put links in the first comment, never in the post body. Native video and PDF carousels reach further than text-only.
Do links hurt reach on LinkedIn?
Yes. Our LinkedIn profile keeps links out of the post body, where one costs about 50% of reach, so yours goes in the first comment.
How often should I post on LinkedIn?
The queue holds LinkedIn to 2 posts a day and 7 a week, at least 8 hours apart. Seven days at the daily ceiling would be 14, so the weekly cap of 7 is the one that binds. The queue applies those caps on your own calendar day, not UTC.
Which post format performs best on LinkedIn?
Native video carries the largest lift on LinkedIn in our model, roughly 50% above a plain post, ahead of carousel at 40%.
How long should a LinkedIn post be?
Between 1200 and 1500 characters; LinkedIn allows 3000, which is where we stop you. Hashtags work best at 3 and start costing reach above 5.
How soon can I tell if a post is working on LinkedIn?
Minute 60. Our model reads a post below 45% of your own median engagement at that point as stalled, and comments and shares count most.
Every network we publish to
One record, one page, for each of the 9 networks.