You've built something on the side. Maybe it's a freelance consulting practice you run on weekends, an open-source tool you launched last year, or a Substack newsletter that's quietly growing. And now you're staring at your LinkedIn profile wondering: where does this even go?
Knowing how to add side projects to your LinkedIn profile — without making it look like you're distracted from your day job or pitching yourself as a freelancer when you're not — is one of the most underrated profile skills out there. Done right, side projects signal creativity, initiative, and real-world skills that your job title alone can't communicate. Done wrong, they create confusion or raise red flags for hiring managers.
This guide gives you the exact sections to use, the copy-paste language to fill them in, and the strategic logic behind every choice.
Why Side Projects Belong on Your LinkedIn Profile
Before we get tactical, let's address the elephant in the room: will showing side projects hurt me with recruiters?
The short answer is no — if you frame them correctly.
A 2025 LinkedIn Talent Trends report found that 72% of hiring managers say demonstrated initiative outside of formal roles makes a candidate more attractive, not less. Recruiters aren't scared of side projects. They're scared of ambiguity. The goal is to present your side work as a complement to your career, not a distraction from it.
Side projects also solve a real problem for professionals: the skills gap between what your job title says and what you actually know how to do. If you're a finance analyst who built a SaaS tool in your spare time, that project speaks louder than any certification.
How to Add Side Projects to LinkedIn Profile: Choosing the Right Section
LinkedIn gives you several places to showcase side projects, and the right choice depends on what the project is and what you want it to do for you. Here's the decision framework:
| Project Type | Best Section(s) |
|---|---|
| Ongoing freelance work | Experience + Featured |
| Completed portfolio project | Projects + Featured |
| Passion project / hobby business | Projects or Experience (part-time) |
| Open-source or technical work | Projects + Skills |
| Writing, content, or creative work | Featured + Projects |
| Consulting or advisory work | Experience |
Use multiple sections strategically — they reinforce each other and improve your profile's searchability.
How to Use the LinkedIn Projects Section for Side Work
The Projects section is LinkedIn's most underused feature, and it's perfectly designed for side projects. It lets you add a title, description, associated dates, collaborators, and a link — all without implying the work was a full-time role.
How to add a project on LinkedIn
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click Add profile section
- Under "Recommended," select Add projects (or search for it)
- Fill in: Project Name, Description, Start/End Date, Project URL, and any collaborators
- You can associate the project with a current or past position, or leave it standalone
Copy-paste project description templates
For a freelance design project:
Brand Identity System for Early-Stage Startups Designed end-to-end brand identities for 12 seed-stage startups across fintech and health tech. Work included logo design, color systems, typography, and brand guidelines. Three clients went on to raise Series A rounds. Tools: Figma, Adobe Illustrator | 2024–Present
For a technical side project:
OpenRoute — Open-Source API Rate Limiter Built and maintain an open-source rate limiting library for Node.js with 2,400+ GitHub stars. Used by teams at mid-size SaaS companies to manage API traffic at scale. Tech: Node.js, Redis, TypeScript | github.com/yourhandle/openroute
For a content or writing project:
The Margins Newsletter A weekly newsletter on behavioral economics and personal finance, read by 6,800+ subscribers. Covers research-backed strategies for financial decision-making. Substack | 2023–Present
Keep descriptions tight — three to five sentences max. Lead with the outcome or scope, not the backstory.
How to Use the Featured Section to Showcase Side Projects Visually
The Featured section sits at the top of your profile, right below your About section. It's prime real estate — the first scrollable content most visitors see. This makes it ideal for side projects you want recruiters and potential clients to notice immediately.
What to feature
- A link to your project's website or landing page
- A portfolio piece, case study PDF, or GitHub repo
- A LinkedIn post you wrote about the project (this also boosts that post's visibility)
- A media article or press mention about your work
How to add it
- Click Add profile section → Recommended → Featured
- Choose from: Posts, Articles, Links, or Media
- For external projects, use Links — paste the URL and customize the headline and description
Featured section copy example
Headline: Side Project: Built a No-Code Analytics Dashboard for Small Businesses
Description: After spending years watching small business owners make decisions without data, I built Dashly — a no-code analytics tool that connects to Shopify, Square, and QuickBooks. Currently used by 200+ small business owners. Click to explore.
The visual card this generates acts like a mini-advertisement for your work. If you have a project with a clean logo or screenshot, it will stand out immediately in a sea of text-heavy profiles.
How to Add Side Projects to LinkedIn Using the Experience Section
The Experience section carries the most weight with recruiters and LinkedIn's search algorithm. If your side project is substantial — especially if it generates revenue, has clients, or has been running for more than six months — it deserves an Experience entry.
When to add a side project as Experience
- You're actively freelancing and want clients to find you
- The project has produced quantifiable results (revenue, users, clients served)
- You want the skills associated with it to appear in recruiter searches
- The work is ongoing and professional in nature
How to frame it without undermining your primary role
The key is your employment type field. LinkedIn lets you select:
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Freelance
- Self-employed
- Contract
- Internship
Always use Freelance or Part-time for side work. This immediately signals to any reader that this is supplementary — not competing with your main role.
Copy-paste Experience entry examples
Freelance consultant:
Independent Marketing Consultant | Freelance Self-employed | Jan 2024 – Present
Work with Series A–C B2B SaaS companies on go-to-market strategy and content marketing. Engagements typically run 3–6 months and focus on pipeline generation and positioning.
• Helped 4 clients reduce CAC by an average of 28% through repositioned messaging • Built content programs that generated 40%+ of inbound pipeline within 90 days • Clients include companies in HR tech, legal tech, and climate tech
Passion project / side business:
Founder, Quiet Stack | Part-time Quiet Stack | Mar 2023 – Present
Building a curated directory of privacy-first software tools for remote teams. Bootstrapped to 1,200 monthly active users and $800 MRR without paid advertising.
Notice the specificity. Numbers do the heavy lifting. Even modest numbers ("12 clients," "800 subscribers," "$800 MRR") demonstrate real traction and make the entry credible.
How to Write a LinkedIn About Section That Includes Side Projects Without Confusing Readers
Your About section is where you control the narrative. If you have meaningful side projects, one or two sentences in your About section can tie everything together — without making your profile feel scattered.
The formula
[Primary professional identity] + [core expertise] + [side project as proof point or dimension]
Example:
I'm a senior product manager at a Series B fintech company, where I lead our consumer lending product. Outside of that, I run a part-time UX consulting practice helping early-stage founders validate product ideas before they build — work that keeps me sharp on the fundamentals.
This approach works because it:
- Leads with your primary identity (no confusion)
- Frames the side project as additive, not competing
- Shows intellectual curiosity and initiative
How to Optimize Side Project Entries for LinkedIn Search
Adding side projects is only half the equation. You also want them to help recruiters and clients find you for those skills.
Keyword strategy for side projects
- Include the specific skills, tools, and technologies in your project descriptions (not just in the Skills section)
- Use terms that clients or recruiters actually search: "freelance UX designer," "React developer," "B2B copywriter," "growth consultant"
- Add relevant skills to your Skills section and endorse them — LinkedIn's algorithm weights skills that appear across multiple sections of your profile
Connect your projects to your Skills section
When you add a project in the Projects section, LinkedIn lets you associate specific skills with it. Use this. If your side project involves Figma, Python, or content strategy, tagging those skills creates a richer signal for search ranking.
If you're actively posting content about your side project work, tools like Writio can help you create consistent LinkedIn posts that build your authority in that space over time — turning your profile into an inbound funnel rather than a static resume.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Adding Side Projects to LinkedIn
Mistake 1: Listing a side project as full-time experience
Using "Full-time" employment type for a weekend project is a red flag for any recruiter who notices the timeline overlap with your main job. Always use Freelance, Part-time, or Self-employed.
Mistake 2: Writing vague descriptions with no outcomes
"Worked on various design projects for clients" tells a recruiter nothing. Every project description should answer: What did you do, for whom, and what happened as a result?
Mistake 3: Burying projects where no one sees them
The Projects section appears near the bottom of your profile by default. If your side work is a key part of your professional identity, use the Featured section to bring it to the top — that's where eyes go first.
Mistake 4: Including every side project you've ever touched
Curate ruthlessly. A LinkedIn profile with 12 half-finished projects looks unfocused. Two or three well-described, results-oriented projects look like a pattern of initiative.
Mistake 5: Not updating your headline
Your headline is the most visible text on your profile. If you're actively seeking freelance work through your side project, consider adding it: "Senior Data Engineer @ Acme | Freelance Analytics Consultant". This one change can dramatically increase inbound inquiries.
Putting It All Together: A Real-World Profile Strategy
Here's how a software engineer with a freelance mobile app consulting practice might structure their profile:
- Headline: Software Engineer @ TechCorp | Freelance iOS Consultant for Health & Wellness Apps
- About section: Two sentences on primary role, one sentence on consulting practice and what makes it unique
- Featured: Link to consulting website or a case study post about a client win
- Experience: Primary role (full-time) + "Independent iOS Consultant" (Freelance, with 3 bullet points and numbers)
- Projects: Two specific apps built for clients, with links to App Store listings
- Skills: Swift, UIKit, SwiftUI, Mobile App Development — all associated with both the Experience entry and Projects
This structure means a recruiter landing on the profile immediately understands the full picture. A potential consulting client landing on the same profile sees exactly the same thing — and knows what to do next.
If you're building your LinkedIn presence around your side project, consistency matters. Posting regularly about the work you're doing — lessons learned, client results, behind-the-scenes decisions — is what turns profile visitors into inbound leads. Writio is built specifically to help professionals do this without spending hours every week on content creation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add side projects to LinkedIn without it looking like I'm job hunting?
The framing is everything. Use "Freelance" or "Part-time" as the employment type, and write descriptions that emphasize what you built or delivered — not that you're available for hire. Keeping your primary role prominently featured in your headline and About section signals that you're settled in your career, not searching.
Can I add a side project to LinkedIn if it has no clients or revenue yet?
Yes. Use the Projects section rather than Experience for early-stage work. Describe what you're building, the problem you're solving, and any early traction (beta users, waitlist signups, GitHub stars). Frame it as a learning initiative or passion project — that's honest and still impressive.
Should I add my side project to the Experience section or the Projects section?
If the project is ongoing, generates income, or has real clients, use Experience (with Freelance or Part-time employment type). If it's a portfolio project, completed work, or passion project without a formal business structure, use Projects. You can also use both — an Experience entry for the business and Projects entries for specific deliverables within it.
Will adding a side project to LinkedIn confuse recruiters about my availability?
Only if you're unclear about your primary role. Lead with your main job in your headline and About section, and recruiters will understand the context immediately. Most experienced recruiters in 2026 view side projects as a positive signal — they demonstrate that you're proactive and continuously building skills.
How do I add a freelance side project to LinkedIn if I work full-time at a company with a conflict of interest policy?
First, check your employment agreement — some companies restrict certain types of outside work. If your freelance work is permitted, keep the description general enough that it doesn't reference competitors or clients that might create a conflict. Focus on the skills and outcomes rather than the specific industry or company names. When in doubt, consult HR before publishing.
Your LinkedIn profile is a living document, not a one-time resume upload. The professionals who get the most from it — whether they're looking for a new job, attracting consulting clients, or building a reputation in their field — treat it as a platform, not a form to fill out. Adding your side projects thoughtfully is one of the highest-leverage updates you can make.
If you want to go further and turn your LinkedIn profile into an inbound engine, Writio can help you build the content presence that makes your profile work even harder.