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LinkedIn cover photo mistakes, and how to fix each one.

Nine mistakes I see on LinkedIn profiles of founders and teams. Each one takes minutes to fix.

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The most common LinkedIn cover photo mistakes are the default image, the wrong size, text hidden by the profile photo, small words, too many messages and a banner that does not match the company brand.

The right size for a personal profile is 1584 x 396 px. Below are nine mistakes with a fix for each, and a checklist to run on your own profile.

By Vedran Obradović · Updated 7 November 2026

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Nine LinkedIn cover photo mistakes.

Check your own profile as you read.

Mistake 1

The default image

No banner says you did not care. Fix: put up a simple on-brand banner today.

Mistake 2

Wrong size

A stretched or cut banner looks cheap. Fix: use 1584 x 396 px.

Mistake 3

Words under your photo

Your profile photo covers the left side. Fix: move key words toward the middle and right.

Mistake 4

Small text

Most people look on a phone. Fix: make text big enough to read at arm length.

Mistake 5

Too many messages

Three offers say nothing. Fix: one idea per banner.

Mistake 6

A stock photo with no meaning

A handshake or a skyline helps nobody. Fix: use your pattern, your product or one clear line.

Mistake 7

Off-brand colours and fonts

The page, site and profile look unrelated. Fix: use brand colours and fonts.

Mistake 8

Old content

A launch banner from last year. Fix: swap it after the date.

Mistake 9

Team mismatch

Every person has a different style. Fix: one tool for the team.

Social Studio in a Brand OS Portal, making on-brand designs for LinkedIn
Social Studio in a Brand OS Portal: designs that stay on brand.

The two-minute phone test.

Do this on your own profile now.

  • Open your profile on your phone, not your laptop
  • Read your banner at arm length. Can you read every word?
  • Does your profile photo cover any word?
  • Ask one colleague: what does this person do? If they hesitate, fix the line
  • Compare with your company page. Do they look related?

Sizes for every banner and photo are in LinkedIn banner size for company and team.

Free tool

Is your brand behind the banner clear?

A clean banner starts with a clear brand. Answer a few short questions and get your score and what to fix next.

Open the full tool: Brand Check

Words to use when you fix it.

Cover photo fix kit
Replace the default image with one line:
I help [who] [get what].

Replace a stock photo with:
Your brand pattern + your name + your role.

Replace many offers with:
One offer. One reader. One next step.

Before you upload:
- Size 1584 x 396 px
- Key words in the middle or right
- Brand colours and fonts
- Checked on a phone

More ideas in LinkedIn banner ideas for founders and what to write on a LinkedIn banner.

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The biggest mistake is a mismatched team.

One bad banner is small. Twenty different ones are a pattern.

When every person makes their own banner, buyers see a company with no standard. The fix is not a stricter email. It is one tool with the brand inside. See matching banners for the whole team.

This is what a brand portal is for. The team stops asking for files and starts making. A designer is still right for strategy and a new identity. The portal handles the daily work after that.

Deepsea Networks brand, main image

Deepsea Networks

Brand OS Core Portal. The CEO writes and designs an on-brand LinkedIn post in about 3 minutes.

MTG brand, main image

MTG

Brand OS Pro Portal. The team makes its own posts. No waiting.

LinkedIn cover photo checklist.

0 of 9 done

LinkedIn Banners

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Make a banner with no mistakes baked in.

This is a real tool from a real Brand OS Portal, on the MTG brand. It makes the right size with your brand inside.

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I made short videos of the tools. Hear me explain them, then scroll through every one at work. Real tools, on a real brand.

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Social StudioPick a design, change the words, download.
Motion PostsType one line, get a video.
Sales docs and decksDocs and decks in your brand, this week.
Email signaturesYour brand in every email.
Voice CheckCheck words against your voice.

Every tool at work

Social StudioPosts people stop to read. Change the words, keep the look.
Motion PostsType one line. Get a video.
Logo StudioThe right logo, any size, any colour, any file.
Pattern LabPatterns drawn from your own logo.
Pitch deck made in Brand OS Portal for MTG
Pitch Deck BuilderTell it your story. Get the slides in your brand. This deck was made for MTG.
Campaign BuilderPlan a campaign in your brand.
Print docsDocuments that look like you.
Image GraderCheck photos against your brand.
Voice CheckCheck your words against your voice.
Signature BuilderYour brand in every email.
AI to templateBring an AI result into your brand look.

See yours for free

Brand OS Portal

Try more Brand OS Portal tools.

Logo Studio, Motion Posts, Pattern Lab, Social Studio and LinkedIn banners. Real tools on a real brand. No email needed.

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Straight answers.

What size should a LinkedIn cover photo be?

For a personal profile, 1584 x 396 px.

Why is my LinkedIn banner blurry?

Usually the image is too small and was stretched. Make it at 1584 x 396 px from the start.

Where does my profile photo cover the banner?

It sits over the left side, so keep key words toward the middle and right. Test on your phone.

Should I use a photo or text on my banner?

Short text on a calm background, or your brand pattern, works well. Avoid stock photos that mean nothing.

Is a LinkedIn banner important?

Yes. It is the biggest part of your profile that people see. A clear one tells people what you do in two seconds.

How can my whole team have good banners?

Give them a banner tool with your brand inside. See Brand OS Portal.

Read next.

LinkedIn banner ideas for founders: seven that work.

What to write on a LinkedIn banner: a formula and 20 lines.

LinkedIn banner size for your company page and your whole team

One more thing.

Death List Five. Five headaches, one portal. Sound on.

Film B. Made for your phone.

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