How to Make a LinkedIn Profile Photo with AI
By Peter Zhu, Founder ·
To make a LinkedIn profile photo with AI, upload one clear photo of your face, apply a LinkedIn preset so the AI adds professional attire, a clean background, and warm lighting, then download and crop it square. It takes about thirty seconds, costs nothing to try, and — done right — still looks authentically like you. Here's the full workflow, plus how to get the size and the likeness right.
July 23, 2026 · 5 min read
Make your LinkedIn photo in 3 steps
1. Upload one clear photo of your face
You don't need a good photo — you need a clear one. Any recent selfie or casual shot works as long as your face is well-lit and in focus, looking roughly at the camera. Skip heavy filters, sunglasses, and group shots; the AI restyles what it can see, so a clean starting frame gives a clean result. JPG, PNG, or WebP all work.
2. Let the AI restyle it into a professional look
With the LinkedIn preset, the AI swaps in smart professional attire, a softly-blurred neutral background, and warm approachable lighting — while keeping your real face, features, and expression. Prefer the sharpest result? Pick a portrait-strong model like Nano Banana Pro; want to try for free first? Shotari's own model runs on your free daily credits.
3. Download, crop square, and set it as your photo
LinkedIn shows your photo as a circle cropped from a square, so generate at a 1:1 ratio or crop the result square before uploading (400×400px minimum). Download, set it on your profile, and you're done — the whole thing takes about thirty seconds.
Start from the LinkedIn Profile Photo Maker, which loads the preset for you — or use the editor and describe the look yourself.
What makes a LinkedIn photo actually work?
A genuine, slightly-smiling expression and direct eye contact do more than any outfit — they read as approachable and credible, which is exactly what recruiters and cold-outreach recipients respond to. Keep the background clean and neutral so nothing competes with your face, and frame head-and-shoulders rather than full body. The AI handles attire, background, and lighting; you supply the real expression by starting from a photo where you look like yourself.
Will it still look like me?
Yes — a good LinkedIn AI tool enhances your real photo instead of inventing a face. On Shotari the preset explicitly preserves your identity, facial features, and genuine expression; only the attire, background, and lighting change, and it's tuned to look realistic rather than over-retouched. That authenticity is the point: a photo that doesn't look like the person who shows up to the interview does more harm than an old one.
Is an AI profile photo allowed on LinkedIn?
Yes, as long as it genuinely represents you. LinkedIn's authenticity expectations are about not misrepresenting who you are — enhancing your own real photo (attire, lighting, background) is fine; generating a fictional face is not. Because this workflow starts from your actual photo, it stays on the right side of that line.
Try it on your own photo
Run one photo through the LinkedIn Profile Photo Maker for free. Want a more formal, corporate look instead? The professional headshot style aims stricter and more business-formal. Getting a result that ignores half your prompt? Our prompt-writing guide helps, and pricing shows how to remove the watermark for the final image.
FAQ
How do I make a LinkedIn profile photo with AI?
Upload one clear photo of your face, apply the LinkedIn preset so the AI adds professional attire, a clean background, and warm lighting, then download and crop it square (400×400px minimum). It takes about 30 seconds and keeps your real face.
Is the LinkedIn photo maker free?
Free to try — you get 20 credits at signup plus 10 free credits daily. Free-tier output carries a watermark; a small amount of paid credits removes it, which you'll want for an actual profile photo.
Will the AI photo still look like me?
Yes. The preset preserves your identity, facial features, and genuine expression — only attire, background, and lighting change. It's designed to look realistic, not over-retouched.
What size does a LinkedIn profile photo need to be?
LinkedIn displays profile photos as a circle cropped from a square, 400×400px minimum. Generate at a 1:1 ratio or crop the result square before uploading.
Can I use my AI LinkedIn photo for other profiles too?
Yes — a clean head-and-shoulders headshot works for X, a company About page, a speaker bio, or an email signature. Generate once with paid credits for a watermark-free, commercially usable image and reuse it everywhere.