How to Bold or Italicize Text in LinkedIn Posts: Complete Guide (2026)

Introduction

LinkedIn doesn't offer built-in formatting buttons for bold or italic text like you'd find in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Yet you've probably seen posts with eye-catching bold headlines or italicized emphasis and wondered how to do it yourself.

The truth is, LinkedIn's native text editor is deliberately simple. But there's a workaround that professionals use to make their posts stand out: Unicode text generators and special character formatting. This guide will show you exactly how to add bold, italic, and other text styles to your LinkedIn posts, comments, and profile sections.

Whether you're trying to emphasize key points, create visual hierarchy, or simply make your content more readable, text formatting can significantly improve engagement on your posts.

Why Text Formatting Matters on LinkedIn

Before we dive into the how-to, let's talk about why this matters.

Improved Readability: Formatted text breaks up walls of text and helps readers scan your content quickly. On a platform where the average user scrolls fast, this is critical.

Visual Hierarchy: Bold headers and italicized quotes create structure that guides readers through your message. This is especially valuable for longer posts (over 150 words).

Increased Engagement: Posts with clear formatting typically see higher engagement rates. When your content is easier to read, people are more likely to read it completely and interact with it.

Professional Appearance: Well-formatted posts signal that you've put thought and effort into your content, which enhances your personal brand.

Methods to Bold or Italicize Text on LinkedIn

Method 1: Unicode Text Generators (Recommended)

This is the most popular and reliable method. Unicode text generators convert your regular text into special Unicode characters that appear bold, italic, or in other styles.

How it works:

1. Write your LinkedIn post in a separate document or text editor
2. Copy the text you want to format
3. Paste it into the Glad AI LinkedIn Text Formatter
4. Select your desired style (bold, italic, bold italic, etc.)
5. Copy the formatted output
6. Paste it into your LinkedIn post

Recommended Tool:

The Glad AI LinkedIn Text Formatter is specifically designed for LinkedIn users. It offers bold, italic, bold italic, and other professional formatting styles with a clean, simple interface optimized for quick formatting.

Pros:

• Works consistently across all LinkedIn features (posts, comments, articles, profile sections)
• No special technical knowledge required
• Free and accessible

Cons:

• Adds an extra step to your posting workflow
• Text may not be searchable by LinkedIn's algorithm
• Some screen readers may not interpret formatted text correctly (accessibility concern)

Method 2: Copy-Paste from Pre-Formatted Text

Some users maintain a document with pre-formatted Unicode characters that they copy and paste as needed.

How to set this up:

1. Use a Unicode generator to create commonly used formatted text (your name, common phrases, headers like "Key Takeaway:")
2. Save these in a notes app or document
3. Copy and paste whenever you need them in LinkedIn posts

This works well if you use the same formatted elements repeatedly (like section headers or your signature).

Method 3: Mobile App Keyboard Extensions

Some third-party keyboard apps for iOS and Android offer text formatting options that work within LinkedIn's mobile app.

Examples:

• Fonts (iOS): Provides formatted text directly from your keyboard
• Cool Fonts (Android): Offers multiple font styles including bold and italic

Note: Results can vary based on your device and LinkedIn app version. Always preview before posting.

Step-by-Step: Formatting Your LinkedIn Post

Here's a practical walkthrough for creating a formatted LinkedIn post:

Step 1: Draft Your Content

Write your complete post in a text editor. Identify which parts should be bold (usually headers or key phrases) and which should be italic (typically quotes, emphasis, or subtext).

Step 2: Format Section by Section

Don't try to format your entire post at once. Instead:

• Copy your first header
• Paste into the Glad AI Text Formatter
• Select "Bold Text"
• Copy the formatted result
• Paste it back into your draft

Repeat this process for each section you want to format.

Step 3: Review for Readability

Read through your formatted post. Make sure the formatting enhances readability rather than overwhelming it. A good rule of thumb: if more than 30% of your post is formatted, you've probably overdone it.

Step 4: Post to LinkedIn

Copy your final formatted text and paste it directly into LinkedIn's post composer. The formatting will be preserved.

Step 5: Preview Before Publishing

LinkedIn shows a preview of how your post will appear. Check that:

• Formatting appears as intended
• Line breaks are preserved
• Special characters display correctly

Best Practices for LinkedIn Text Formatting

Don't Overuse Formatting: Too much bold or italic text creates visual noise. Use formatting strategically to highlight 2-3 key elements per post.

Maintain Accessibility: Remember that some screen readers struggle with Unicode text. If accessibility is important to your audience, use formatting sparingly and ensure your message makes sense without it.

Test on Multiple Devices: Formatted text may appear differently on desktop, mobile web, and the LinkedIn app. Check your post across platforms if possible.

Combine with Line Breaks: Formatting works best when combined with proper spacing. Use single-line paragraphs and white space to create visual breathing room.

Stay Professional: While Unicode generators offer decorative fonts and styles, stick to professional formatting (bold, italic) for business content. Save the fancy scripts for personal accounts.

Consider Your Audience: If you're posting in professional or corporate contexts, minimal formatting typically performs better than heavy styling.

What You Cannot Do on LinkedIn (As of 2026)

LinkedIn's native editor doesn't support:

• Underlining text
• Changing font colors
• Adjusting font sizes (beyond what's preset)
• Creating clickable formatted links with custom anchor text
• Bullet points that copy-paste reliably (though you can use Unicode bullet symbols: •, ▪, ▸)
• Tables or complex layouts

For these features, you'd need to create a LinkedIn article or share a document/image instead.

Formatting for Different LinkedIn Features

LinkedIn Posts: Full Unicode formatting support. This is where formatted text works best.

LinkedIn Comments: Formatting works, but use it even more sparingly. A bold reply can stand out, but overformatted comments can appear spammy.

LinkedIn Articles: The article editor has built-in formatting tools (bold, italic, headers, lists). You don't need Unicode generators here.

Profile Sections: Formatting works in your About section, Experience descriptions, and other text fields. However, use it minimally to maintain professionalism.

LinkedIn Messages: Unicode formatting works in direct messages, but it's rarely appropriate in professional communication.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Formatting doesn't appear: Make sure you're copying the formatted Unicode text, not the original text. Also check that you're pasting as plain text rather than rich text.

Strange characters appear: This usually means the Unicode characters aren't supported on the viewer's device. Stick to basic bold and italic to minimize this issue.

Post looks different after publishing: LinkedIn sometimes processes text differently when posting. Always use the preview feature before publishing.

Formatting disappears when editing: If you edit a post after publishing, you may need to reformat the text. Keep your formatted version saved elsewhere for easy copy-paste.

Alternatives to Text Formatting

If text formatting seems like too much work, consider these alternatives for creating visual interest:

Emojis: Strategic emoji use can break up text and add visual markers (📌 for key points, 💡 for insights)

Line Breaks and Spacing: White space is powerful. Single-line paragraphs create natural emphasis without formatting.

LinkedIn Carousel Posts: Create multi-slide PDF posts with formatted text in a design tool like Canva.

Images with Text: Design quote graphics or infographics that include your formatted text as part of the image.

LinkedIn Polls: These have built-in visual structure and high engagement rates.

Conclusion

LinkedIn doesn't make text formatting obvious, but with Unicode generators, you can easily add bold and italic styling to your posts. The key is using formatting strategically to enhance readability and emphasize important points, not to overwhelm your readers.

Remember these core principles:

• Use Unicode text generators for reliable formatting across all LinkedIn features
• Format strategically, keeping accessibility in mind
• Test your posts across devices before publishing
• Combine formatting with proper spacing and structure for maximum impact

Text formatting is one small tool in your LinkedIn content strategy. When used thoughtfully, it can help your posts stand out in a crowded feed and communicate your message more effectively.