In today’s hyper-competitive digital job market, your LinkedIn profile is often your first impression sometimes long before a recruiter ever reads your résumé. Certifications have become a powerful credibility marker, especially with the rise of online skill-based hiring.
But here’s the catch: LinkedIn does not allow a traditional drag-and-drop feature to manually rearrange certifications, leaving millions of users wondering how to reorder their credentials strategically.
The good news? There are smart ways to rearrange or strategically reorder your LinkedIn certifications so the most relevant ones appear first boosting your profile’s visibility, increasing recruiter interest, and helping you present your professional journey in the strongest possible way.
This article breaks down what you can and can’t change on LinkedIn, how to work around limitations, and the best strategies to highlight your expertise effectively.
What Does “Rearranging Certifications on LinkedIn” Actually Mean?
LinkedIn displays your certifications in the order they were added to your profile, not necessarily based on importance. There is no native option to drag, drop, or manually shuffle the order.
So “rearranging certifications” refers to techniques or workarounds that help you:
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Showcase top certifications first
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Improve profile organization
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Support your job-search goals
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Present a stronger personal brand
This is especially useful if you have:
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Multiple tech, marketing, or management certifications
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Old certifications appearing above new ones
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Certifications that are no longer relevant to your current career path
Why Rearranging Certifications Is Important
Prioritizing certain certifications makes your LinkedIn profile more compelling. Here’s why:
✔ Recruiters skim quickly
Most hiring managers spend 6–8 seconds on an initial glance. Your top certifications must speak immediately.
✔ It boosts keyword ranking
LinkedIn’s algorithm (and job-matching tools) looks heavily at certifications and skills.
✔ It strengthens your personal brand
When your most impressive credentials appear first, your expertise becomes instantly clear.
✔ It helps align your profile with your goals
If you’re transitioning careers (e.g., finance → data science), reordered certifications can redirect your professional narrative.
How to Rearrange Certifications on LinkedIn: Step-by-Step
Since LinkedIn doesn’t offer a direct “reorder” option, the following proven methods help you achieve the same result.
Method 1: Delete and Re-add Certifications in Your Desired Order
This method gives you the most control.
Steps:
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Go to your LinkedIn Profile
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Scroll to the Licenses & Certifications section
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Click the pen icon on the certification you want to move
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Click Delete
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Re-add the certification in the order you prefer
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Continue until all certifications appear from most important → least important
Best For:
People with 5–20 certifications who want a clean, accurate, impressive order.
Warning:
Deleting and re-adding may temporarily affect:
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LinkedIn search indexing
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Profile activity visibility
However, this usually normalizes within a day or two.
Method 2: Use the “Issue Date” to Influence Order
LinkedIn sometimes arranges certifications chronologically.
Steps:
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Edit a certification
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Change the Issue Date to reorder
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Make sure year and month align with the priority you want
Tip:
Place key certifications with the most recent dates at the top.
Method 3: Group Certifications by Organization for Cleaner Presentation
If rearranging doesn’t fully solve your problem, grouping helps.
How to do it:
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Add multiple certifications from the same issuer (Google, Meta, AWS, etc.)
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These will appear together naturally
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Add your strongest certifications from that issuer last to make them rise to the top
This creates a cleaner, more professional-looking section.
Method 4: Feature Important Certifications in the “Featured” Section
This is an industry secret many top professionals use.
Steps:
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Go to your profile
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Navigate to the Featured section
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Click Add → Link or Add → Media
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Paste the certification link or upload the certificate
Why this works:
It places your top certifications above your entire profile, even before Experience.
Method 5: Convert Certificates Into “Skills” and Pin Key Skills
Certifications often validate skills use this to your advantage.
Steps:
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Scroll to Skills
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Add skills that relate to your most important certifications
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Pin the top 3 skills
This indirectly highlights those certifications and helps in keyword ranking.
Method 6: Use the “About” Section to Highlight Priority Certifications
Your “About” summary is prime real estate.
Add a line like:
“Certified in Google Data Analytics, Meta Ads Planning, and AWS Cloud Practitioner.”
This ensures recruiters notice your key credentials instantly.
Who Should Rearrange LinkedIn Certifications?
Reordering certifications is especially beneficial for:
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Job seekers
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Students & freshers with multiple online course certificates
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Professionals transitioning careers
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Tech experts with several cloud or coding certifications
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Freelancers wanting to showcase niche expertise
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Entrepreneurs who want to highlight credibility
When Should You Reorder Certifications?
Experts recommend rearranging when:
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You earn a new, more valuable certification
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You change industries
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You update your resume
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You start applying for new roles
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You complete major training programs
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Your certification list becomes cluttered
FAQs
1. Can you manually reorder certifications on LinkedIn?
No. LinkedIn does not offer a drag-and-drop feature.
2. Will recruiters notice if my certifications are out of order?
Yes. Recruiters often check certifications first, especially in tech and marketing roles.
3. Does deleting and re-adding certifications affect visibility?
Temporarily yes, but it re-indexes usually within 24–48 hours.
4. Can I hide old or irrelevant certifications?
Yes, you can delete or temporarily remove them.
5. Will rearranging certifications help with job search ranking?
Absolutely. LinkedIn uses certification keywords in its algorithm.
Conclusion
Rearranging certifications on LinkedIn may seem like a small detail, but it can make a huge difference in your professional visibility. When your top achievements appear first, you create a stronger narrative, capture recruiter attention, and boost your chances of standing out in a competitive market.
If this guide helped you, share the article, drop a comment, or pass it to someone trying to improve their LinkedIn profile today.
