How to start a bio

A simple formula for the first line

Most good bios open with one of three things. Pick the one a stranger most needs.

1. Your role: "Physiotherapist", "Indie game developer", "Wedding florist". Best when people search for what you do.
2. Your name and role: "I'm Priya, a dog trainer in Bristol." Best for your own page, a work bio or anywhere people already know your face.
3. What you make: "Sourdough and celebration cakes, baked in Leeds." Best for small businesses and creators, where the product matters more than the person.

After the opening, add one line that narrows it down: a town, a speciality or a type of customer. "Physiotherapist for runners in Glasgow" is more useful than "Passionate about movement". Then finish with the next step: "Book a session below", "New videos on Fridays" or "Email me for commissions".

Opening lines by platform

Each platform gives you a different amount of room, so the same opening line has to work at different lengths.

• Instagram: a bio can be up to 150 characters, according to Instagram's help centre. That's room for your role, one detail and a call to action.
• X: the bio field allows 160 characters. Your location and website have their own fields, so leave them out of the bio itself.
• LinkedIn: the headline is the line under your name, and LinkedIn shows it in search results. Open it with the words people would search for, such as your role and field. The longer About section is where a fuller bio goes.
• Your own page: a Liite page has room for a few sentences. Open with the same first line as your social bios, so people know they've found the right person.

How to start a professional bio

A work bio, for a company website or a conference, usually runs to a short paragraph. Start with your name, your role and your organisation in one sentence. Follow with what you focus on, one or two things you've done that you can back up, and something human, such as where you live or what you do outside work.

Avoid opening with how long you've been "passionate" about something. Readers want to know what you do now. Leave numbers out unless they're true and you're happy to be asked about them.

How to write a bio note

A bio note is the short third-person paragraph printed with an article, a talk or a book. It starts with your full name, then your current role: "Dr Amaka Obi is a lecturer in public health at the University of Leeds." Then add your main area of work, one or two published or notable pieces, and where people can find you.

Keep it to the length the editor or organiser asks for. If they don't say, three or four sentences is usually enough. Write it in the third person, because someone else will print or read it out. The generator below writes in the first person for social profiles, so use it to find your opening line and the detail that sets you apart, then switch it to "he", "she", "they" or your name yourself.

Write it with the generator

The tool below is set to a Liite page, which allows about 300 characters, and a professional tone. Type a sentence or two about what you do, where and who it's for, and it writes five bios that open in different ways. Change the platform to Instagram, TikTok, X or LinkedIn to get versions cut to fit.

Before you publish

Read the first line on its own. If a stranger would understand what you do from those few words, it works. Read the bio aloud: anything you wouldn't say to a person, cut. Check every fact, especially anything the generator phrased for you, and keep the same first line across your profiles so people recognise you. If you want to check how long a bio you've edited is, paste it into the character counter.

For an Instagram bio in particular, see how to make a good Instagram bio.