How to Preview Your LinkedIn Posts Before Publishing (And Why It Matters)

You spend 30 minutes crafting the perfect LinkedIn post. You hit publish. Then you check it on your phone and realize the entire hook is cut off, the formatting looks broken, and the post that seemed perfect in your browser looks completely different.

This happens more than people admit.

LinkedIn's post composer shows you one thing; the actual feed shows another. What works on desktop might fail on mobile. And the "see more" truncation can cut your carefully crafted hook at exactly the wrong spot.

This guide covers how LinkedIn actually displays posts, what varies between devices, and how to preview properly before publishing.

How LinkedIn's "See More" Actually Works

Every LinkedIn post gets truncated in the feed. Users see the first few lines, then "...see more" if there's additional content.

Here's what most people get wrong: the truncation point isn't fixed.

Factors that affect where "see more" appears:

1. Device type: Mobile truncates earlier than desktop
2. Line length: Shorter lines use more of your character budget
3. Line breaks: Each line break counts toward the limit
4. Emojis: Some emojis count as multiple characters

Approximate truncation points:

But these are approximations. The real limit varies by content structure.

Why the First 2 Lines Are Everything

The content above "see more" is all most people will ever see.

If those two lines don't earn the click, the rest of your post—no matter how brilliant—doesn't exist.

This means your first two lines need to:

• Create enough curiosity to click
• Make sense as a complete thought (in case they don't click)
• Not get cut off mid-sentence

The worst truncation scenario:

You write: "The biggest mistake I see founders make is thinking that they need to..."

It truncates to: "The biggest mistake I see founders make is thinking that they..."

The reader gets nothing. The hook dies halfway through the payoff.

The solution:

Write your first statement as a complete, standalone line under 100 characters. Then preview to verify it displays fully.

Mobile vs Desktop: The Differences That Matter

Most creators write posts on desktop, but most readers view them on mobile. This creates a preview gap.

What changes between desktop and mobile:

Text Display

Desktop: Posts appear in a wider column, so lines wrap less frequently. Mobile: Narrower screen means more line wrapping.

A line that takes one row on desktop might take two on mobile. This affects pacing and where emphasis falls.

Visual Weight

Desktop: Shorter posts can look thin in the wider feed. Mobile: The same post fills the screen and feels substantial.

This matters for post length decisions. What seems like "not enough" on desktop might be perfect for mobile.

Truncation Point

Desktop: More characters visible before "see more." Mobile: Fewer characters visible.

Always optimize for mobile truncation, since it's more restrictive and more common.

Image Display

Desktop: Images display in a larger format. Mobile: Images are scaled down, text in images may become hard to read.

If your post includes images with text, check that it's legible at mobile size.

The "See More" Click Decision

When someone sees your truncated post, they make a split-second decision: click to expand or keep scrolling.

This decision is based on:

1. Do I understand what this is about? The truncated content should establish topic clearly.

2. Is this relevant to me? Within those 140-180 characters, have you signaled who this is for?

3. Is there a payoff coming? The truncation should create curiosity, not confusion.

Common mistakes that kill "see more" clicks:

The slow build-up:

"I've been thinking lately about something that happened to me last week when I was..."

By character 140, you've said nothing interesting. Why would anyone click?

The buried hook:

"Hope everyone's having a great week! Quick thought: The most important thing I learned about sales is..."

The actual hook starts after your character budget is spent.

The incomplete tease:

"This changed every..."

Cut off mid-word. Feels broken rather than intriguing.

The effective preview:

"I was wrong about cold email for 3 years.

Here's what finally worked..."

Clear topic. Implies valuable revelation. Creates clean curiosity.

How to Preview Properly

LinkedIn's native composer shows your post in a certain width, but it doesn't show exactly how truncation will work or how it appears on mobile.

Method 1: LinkedIn's mobile app

Before publishing, open LinkedIn on your phone. Start creating a post with the same content. The preview in the composer will approximate mobile display.

Method 2: Browser resize

Narrow your browser window to phone width (~400px). This approximates mobile line wrapping, though not perfect.

Method 3: Preview tools

Use a dedicated preview tool that shows mobile and desktop views side-by-side with accurate truncation. Our free LinkedIn preview tool does exactly this.

What to check in preview:

• Does the first line display completely on mobile?
• Is the hook clear before "see more"?
• Do line breaks appear where intended?
• Is any text awkwardly split between lines?
• Does the overall visual rhythm look right?
• Are emojis/formatting displaying correctly?

Line Breaks and Character Counting

Line breaks are powerful for formatting, but they come with a cost: each line break uses characters from your visible preview budget.

Example:

This single paragraph uses about 180 characters:

"I spent two years building an audience the wrong way. Daily posting, engagement pods, all the 'best practices.' Nothing worked until I simplified everything."

This multi-line version uses the same words but may truncate earlier on mobile:

"I spent two years building an audience the wrong way.

Daily posting.

Engagement pods.

All the 'best practices.'

Nothing worked until I simplified everything."

Both have the same content, but the second has more line breaks eating into your preview budget.

The tradeoff:

• More line breaks = better readability once expanded
• More line breaks = less content visible before "see more"

For hooks, prioritize density. Get the key information in first. After "see more," you can breathe more with formatting.

Hashtag and Tag Positioning

Hashtags and @ mentions display differently and affect preview:

@ mentions: Become links with the person's name (which might be longer than expected). "Thanks @John" might become "Thanks John Smith, MBA, CEO."

Hashtags: Display as clickable links but maintain their text length.

Best practices:

Put hashtags at the end of your post, not in the opening lines. They're not part of your hook, and they take up preview space.

Avoid @ mentions in your first two lines unless they're essential to the hook.

Image and Document Previews

Posts with attachments display differently:

Single images: The image appears below your text preview. Text truncation works the same, but the image becomes the visual anchor.

Document/Carousels: The first slide appears as a large preview. This becomes the primary visual; your text truncates even earlier because attention goes to the document.

No attachment: Your text has to do all the work. Truncation matters more.

Implication: If you're posting a carousel, the first slide IS your hook. The text above "see more" matters less because people are looking at the visual.

The Preview Checklist

Before publishing any post, run through:

Hook check:

• First line complete and under 100 characters
• Topic clear within first 2 lines
• "See more" creates curiosity, not confusion

Mobile check:

• Previewed on actual mobile device or accurate simulator
• Line breaks appear as intended
• Nothing cut off awkwardly

Format check:

• Bold/italic displaying correctly (unicode)
• Emojis rendering properly
• Spacing between sections as intended

Visual check:

• Images (if any) look good at mobile size
• Document first slide is compelling (if carousel)
• Overall post has visual rhythm

When to Post Without Perfect Preview

Preview is important, but don't let it become an excuse for not posting.

If you've checked the basics—first line complete, hook clear, no obvious formatting breaks—you're good enough.

Marginal preview optimization won't make or break your post. Content quality and resonance with your audience matter 10x more.

Use preview to catch real problems, not to endlessly tweak.

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Preview Your Posts Accurately

Our free LinkedIn post preview tool shows exactly how your post will appear on mobile and desktop, including "see more" truncation.

Paste your post, see the preview, adjust if needed.

Preview your post →

Related Reads

• Why You Should Preview LinkedIn Posts Before Publishing (And How to Do It)
• How to Analyze Your LinkedIn Posts (And Actually Learn From the Data)
• LinkedIn Formatting: How to Use Bold, Italics, and Line Breaks That Actually Work