How to Format Text in LinkedIn Posts (Bold, Italic, Strikethrough)
LinkedIn does not have a native formatting toolbar for feed posts. You cannot press Cmd+B to bold a word in a standard LinkedIn post — but you can get bold, italic, strikethrough, and more using Unicode characters that LinkedIn renders just fine. Here is exactly how to do it.
Why LinkedIn formatting works this way
LinkedIn's post composer is a plain text field. It does not interpret HTML or markdown — asterisks stay as asterisks, and underscores stay as underscores. The formatting workaround uses Unicode Mathematical characters: a separate block of characters in the Unicode standard that look identical to bold or italic versions of the Latin alphabet but are technically different characters.
When you paste 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 text into LinkedIn, LinkedIn is rendering standard Unicode — the same standard it uses for emoji and other special characters. No tricks, no hacks, no risk of your post being penalised. It is how most high-performing LinkedIn posts get their formatting.
How to bold text in a LinkedIn post
- 1Go to the LinkedIn Text Formatter tool.
- 2Type or paste the text you want to format in the input box.
- 3Click Copy next to the Bold style row.
- 4Paste the result directly into your LinkedIn post composer. It renders as bold text on desktop and mobile.
The same steps work for italic, bold-italic, and strikethrough — just select the corresponding style row before copying.
Available formatting styles
| Style | Example | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 | Post openers, key phrases |
| Italic | 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 | Quotes, emphasis within copy |
| Bold Italic | 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 | CTAs, key takeaways |
| Strikethrough | o̶l̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ | Myth-busting posts, before/after |
Where LinkedIn formatting works
- Feed posts — the most common use case. Bold openers and section headers increase scroll-stopping ability.
- LinkedIn bio / About section — bold your job title, key skills, or a standout line. This is underused and makes bios scannable.
- Comments — bold a key point in a comment to draw attention to your response in a long thread.
- Captions on images and documents — the same Unicode trick works here.
- Headline field — your LinkedIn headline is plain text, but Unicode bold makes key words stand out in search results and connection requests.
The one place it does not apply: LinkedIn Articles have a native rich text editor with real bold, italic, and heading support. Use those native controls for articles instead of Unicode.
Tips for using LinkedIn formatting effectively
- Bold your first line. The LinkedIn feed shows approximately 2–3 lines before the "see more" truncation. A bold opener signals that the post is worth expanding.
- Use formatting sparingly. A post where every other line is bold has no contrast. Reserve bold for the 2–3 most important phrases per post.
- Numbers and symbols stay unformatted. Unicode mathematical blocks only cover A–Z and a–z. Numbers and punctuation render in your original style regardless of the format you select.
- Test on mobile before posting. Unicode renders correctly on all platforms, but paste your test post into the LinkedIn app on your phone to confirm before publishing.
The quick way to format LinkedIn posts
The LinkedIn Text Formatter handles all of this in one step. Paste your full post, copy each section in the style you want, and reassemble in LinkedIn. It supports bold, italic, bold-italic, strikethrough, and more — free, no login required.
Try XreplyAI free →FAQ
- How do you bold text in a LinkedIn post?
- LinkedIn does not have a native bold button for posts. Use Unicode Mathematical Bold characters: type your text into a LinkedIn text formatter, select the Bold style, copy the result, and paste into your LinkedIn post or bio.
- Can you italicise text in a LinkedIn post?
- Yes, using the same Unicode trick. Unicode Mathematical Italic characters paste directly into LinkedIn posts, bios, and comments and render as italic text.
- Does LinkedIn support markdown formatting?
- No. LinkedIn posts do not render markdown. Asterisks do not create bold and underscores do not create italic. The only way to get formatted text in LinkedIn feed posts is to use Unicode characters.
- Will Unicode bold text work in LinkedIn articles?
- LinkedIn Articles have a native rich text editor with real bold, italic, and heading support — use those native controls instead. Unicode formatting is only needed for feed posts, bios, comments, and captions.
- Does bold text in LinkedIn posts affect the algorithm?
- There is no confirmed algorithmic penalty for Unicode formatted text. Bold characters are widely used in high-performing LinkedIn posts and can improve dwell time by making posts more scannable.