Why You See “Tell Your Network ...” and What You Can Do About LinkedIn Article Caption?

LinkedIn Article Caption

You finish a thoughtful LinkedIn article, hit publish, and then LinkedIn asks you to write one more thing: “Tell your network what your article is about.” If you’re coming from faster platforms, it can feel like unnecessary extra work.

Here’s what’s actually happening, what you can and cannot turn off, and how to use the LinkedIn article caption to make your article look clean, clickable, and easy to read.

What the LinkedIn article caption box is really for?

On LinkedIn, an article and a feed post are related, but they’re not the same object.

• The article is your long-form piece with a title, sections, formatting, and links.

• The LinkedIn article caption is the short feed text that introduces your article when it shows up in the timeline, similar to a “share message.”

  
  

So that “Tell your network…” field exists because LinkedIn wants a feed-friendly intro that helps people decide whether to click.

Can you turn off the LinkedIn article caption prompt?

Not really. There isn’t a setting that removes it entirely. LinkedIn’s publishing flow is designed so your article can be distributed through the feed, and the caption is part of that packaging.

What you can do is stop it from feeling clunky by writing a caption that is clearly a teaser, not a duplicate of your first paragraphs.

Why pasting your intro looks bad and how to fix it?

When you paste your opening paragraphs into the caption, it often feels messy because the caption area is meant for simple post text, not article-style formatting.

Instead, treat your LinkedIn article caption like a mini abstract: quick context, clear value, easy scan.

A caption format that works for dense writing

Use this 4-part structure:

1. Topic in one sentence

2. Why it matters now

3. What you’ll get inside (keep it tight)

4. A light question to invite replies

   
   

Example you can adapt:

• You’re breaking down [topic] and what it changes for [audience].

• This matters now because [timing, misconception, decision coming up].

• In the article, you’ll get:

  • What’s actually changing (and what isn’t)

  • The timeline that matters

  • The practical implications you can act on

• What are you seeing so far in your work or industry?

  
  

This keeps the feed intro skimmable while letting the article carry the depth.

Why your link sometimes opens a “stub” instead of the full article?

If people occasionally land on a preview-like page instead of the full article, a few common causes are usually at play.

1) You copied the wrong URL

You can end up with different links depending on whether you copied from an editor state, a share surface, or the published page.

What to do: after publishing, open the article as a viewer would (for example, in a private window) and copy the link from the fully loaded published article page. This aligns with LinkedIn’s publishing and sharing flow.

2) The article is still processing

Sometimes you publish and immediately share, but the page is still syncing. A fast click can produce an incomplete experience.

What to do: publish → open the article page → refresh once → confirm it loads fully → then share.

3) The viewing experience differs by device

Some readers open the link inside the LinkedIn in-app browser, and behavior can vary compared to a regular browser.

What to do: when you send the link, add one simple line: “If LinkedIn shows a preview screen first, tap the article title or header to open the full article.”

What to write in your LinkedIn article caption for research-style content?

If your article is dense, your best win is making the LinkedIn article caption easier to scan than the article itself. You’re not oversimplifying. You’re respecting how people read in the feed.

Try one of these caption styles:

• Executive summary (2 to 3 lines): plain language, no fluff

• Three takeaways: three bullets max

• Myth vs reality: “Myth: X. Reality: Y.”

  
  

Also, if a link truly matters, put it inside the article body where formatting is stable, and keep the caption focused on the hook and value.

If you hate articles, here are alternatives that still work

If articles aren’t the right container for your goal, you still have options:

1. Long-form text post: You publish as a normal post and add sources or “part 2” follow-ups in comments.

2. PDF/document post: If you care about formatting staying intact, a document upload can be a smoother reading experience.

3. Publish externally, then share on LinkedIn: If you want a more “blog-like” home, you can publish on platforms like Medium  or Substack  and use LinkedIn for distribution.

   
   

Quick checklist for a clean LinkedIn article workflow

• Use the LinkedIn article caption as a hook, not your first paragraphs

• Put formatting and links inside the article

• Share using the published article page and LinkedIn’s share flow

• Expect mobile and in-app browser behavior to vary

  
  

If you prefer a visual walkthrough, YouTube tutorials can help, below is an example:

How to write an article on LinkedIn

The question that makes everything easier

Before you choose Articles vs posts vs PDFs, be honest about what you want your writing to do:

• Do you want discussion and debate, or quiet credibility?

• Do you want full reads, or just the key points to spread?

• Do you want outcomes like consulting leads, speaking invites, or media quotes?

  
  

Once you answer that, your format choice becomes much simpler.

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EXEED Digitals | LinkedIn

EXEED Digitals | 3,777 followers on LinkedIn. LinkedIn growth for founders & corporate brands | We help founders and companies turn LinkedIn into their strongest business channel. At EXEED, we don’t “do social media.” We build LinkedIn ecosystems.. where content, community, and conversations lead to real business growth.