Best Times to Post on LinkedIn in 2026: Data-Backed Guide

Timing matters on LinkedIn. The difference between posting at 7 AM and 2 PM can mean thousands of additional impressions. But generic advice like "post on Tuesday mornings" misses the point. The best time to post depends on your audience, your niche, and how LinkedIn's algorithm actually works in 2026.

This guide breaks down the data behind optimal posting times, explains why timing affects reach, and shows you how to find the perfect posting schedule for your specific account.

Why Posting Time Matters on LinkedIn

LinkedIn's algorithm evaluates your post within the first 60-90 minutes after publishing. During this window, the algorithm measures early engagement signals: likes, comments, shares, and dwell time. Posts that generate strong early engagement get pushed to wider audiences. Posts that underperform get limited distribution.

This means posting when your audience is actively scrolling dramatically increases your chances of getting that crucial early engagement. If you post at 3 AM when your audience is asleep, your post sits with zero engagement for hours. By the time people wake up, the algorithm has already decided your post doesn't deserve distribution.

Timing isn't everything—content quality matters more—but it's a meaningful multiplier. Great content posted at the wrong time underperforms. Good content posted at the right time often outperforms.

The Best Times to Post on LinkedIn in 2026

Based on aggregated data from millions of LinkedIn posts, here are the optimal posting windows:

Best Days

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: These are the highest-engagement days. Professionals are in work mode, actively checking LinkedIn between meetings and tasks.

• Monday: Good but slightly lower engagement. People are catching up from the weekend and may have overflowing inboxes.

• Friday: Moderate engagement. Activity drops off after lunch as people mentally check out for the weekend.

• Saturday and Sunday: Lowest engagement overall, but competition is also lowest. Some niches see strong weekend performance.

Best Times (in your audience's timezone)

• 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM: People check LinkedIn while having coffee, commuting, or starting their day. This is prime time for reaching professionals before their calendars fill up.

• 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch hour scrolling. People take breaks and catch up on their feed.

• 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: End of workday wind-down. Professionals scroll before heading home or transitioning to personal time.

Times to Avoid

• Before 6 AM: Most professionals aren't awake or checking LinkedIn.

• 9 AM - 11 AM: Deep work hours. People are in meetings or focused on tasks.

• 2 PM - 4 PM: Afternoon slump. Lower engagement as people power through their workday.

• After 9 PM: Personal time. Most professionals have logged off for the day.

Optimal Posting Times by Niche

Different audiences have different habits. Here's how timing varies by niche:

B2B and Enterprise

Best times: 7-8 AM and 12 PM on Tuesday-Thursday. Decision makers check LinkedIn early before their days fill with meetings. Avoid posting late afternoon when enterprise professionals are in back-to-back calls.

Founders and Startups

Best times: 7-9 AM and 5-6 PM on weekdays. Founders are early risers who check LinkedIn before diving into work. Evening posts catch them during their wind-down.

Marketing and Creative

Best times: 8-9 AM and 1 PM on Tuesday-Thursday. Marketers often check LinkedIn as part of their morning routine and during lunch breaks. Friday afternoons can work well for lighter content.

Tech and Engineering

Best times: 8 AM and 12 PM on Tuesday-Thursday. Technical audiences often have focused morning work blocks, so lunch hour performs well. Early morning catches them before deep work begins.

Sales and Revenue

Best times: 7-8 AM and 5-6 PM on Monday-Thursday. Sales professionals are active early before calls start and in the evening when they're prospecting or catching up.

Coaches and Consultants

Best times: 7-8 AM and 12 PM on Tuesday-Thursday. Your clients—founders, executives, professionals—are most active during standard business hours. Weekend mornings can also perform surprisingly well.

How to Find Your Personal Best Time

Generic advice gets you started, but your optimal time depends on your specific audience. Here's how to find it:

Step 1: Identify Where Your Audience Lives

Check where most of your followers and connections are located. If you're targeting US East Coast professionals, post at 7 AM ET. If your audience is in Europe, adjust for CET. If it's global, consider posting twice daily to catch different timezones.

Step 2: Test Different Time Windows

For two weeks, post at different times while keeping content quality consistent. Track impressions, engagement rate, and comments for each post. Look for patterns.

Sample testing schedule:

• Week 1: Post at 7 AM on Monday, 12 PM on Tuesday, 5 PM on Wednesday, 8 AM on Thursday

• Week 2: Rotate and post at different times on different days

Step 3: Analyze Your Data

After testing, review which time slots generated the most engagement. Pay attention to:

• Impressions: Raw reach of your post

• Engagement rate: Likes + comments + shares divided by impressions

• Comment depth: Longer comments indicate higher-quality engagement

• Profile visits: Did the post drive people to check you out?

Step 4: Commit to Your Winning Times

Once you identify 2-3 time slots that consistently perform well, build your posting schedule around them. Consistency helps the algorithm learn when to expect your content and helps your audience develop a habit of looking for your posts.

Posting Frequency: How Often Should You Post?

Timing and frequency work together. Here's what the data shows:

• 1 post per day: The sweet spot for most creators and professionals. Enough to stay visible without overwhelming your audience.

• 3-5 posts per week: Strong results for people who can't post daily. Aim for Tuesday-Thursday at minimum.

• 2+ posts per day: Can work for established creators with large audiences, but risks fatigue for smaller accounts.

More important than frequency is consistency. Posting once a day for 30 days beats posting 5 times one week and disappearing the next.

How the LinkedIn Algorithm Uses Timing

Understanding how LinkedIn's algorithm treats timing helps you optimize your strategy:

The First Hour Test

LinkedIn shows your post to a small subset of your network first—typically your most engaged connections. If these people engage quickly, the algorithm expands distribution. If they don't, your post gets limited reach.

This is why timing matters: you want that initial test audience to be online and active when your post goes live.

Velocity Signals

The algorithm measures how quickly engagement accumulates. A post that gets 10 comments in the first hour signals higher quality than a post that gets 10 comments over 10 hours. Fast engagement begets more distribution.

Extended Distribution Windows

Unlike platforms with 24-hour content cycles, LinkedIn posts can stay active for days. A strong post can continue getting impressions 48-72 hours after publishing. But this extended life only happens if the post passes the initial timing test.

Scheduling Tools for Consistent Timing

Manually posting at optimal times isn't sustainable. Scheduling tools help you maintain consistency without being glued to your phone at 7 AM.

When choosing a scheduling tool, look for:

• Timezone support: Schedule in your audience's timezone, not just your own

• Analytics integration: See which scheduled times perform best

• Queue management: Batch content creation and let the tool handle timing

• Flexibility: Easy to reschedule if breaking news or timely content needs to jump the queue

Growth Terminal includes scheduling with AI-powered content creation, so you can draft posts, schedule them for optimal times, and track performance all in one place. The platform learns your best-performing time slots and can suggest optimal posting windows based on your actual data.

Common Timing Mistakes to Avoid

Posting at the Same Time Every Day Without Testing

Many people pick a time and stick with it forever. But your audience changes, their habits shift, and the platform evolves. Test your timing quarterly to ensure you're still hitting peak engagement windows.

Ignoring Timezones

If your audience is primarily in London but you're posting at 9 AM Pacific, you're hitting them at 5 PM—end of their workday. Always think in your audience's timezone, not your own.

Chasing Viral Times Instead of Your Times

What works for a general audience may not work for your specific niche. A solopreneur audience might be active at 6 AM. Enterprise executives might check LinkedIn at 7 PM after their kids go to bed. Follow your data, not generic advice.

Overthinking Timing at the Expense of Content

Timing can boost a good post by 20-30%. But a poorly written post at the perfect time still underperforms. Get your content strategy right first, then optimize timing as a multiplier.

Quick Reference: Best Times to Post on LinkedIn

Here's the summary for easy reference:

• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

• Best times: 7-8 AM, 12 PM, 5-6 PM (in your audience's timezone)

• Avoid: Late night, early afternoon, weekends (unless your data shows otherwise)

• Frequency: 1 post per day or 3-5 per week minimum

• Key principle: Post when your audience is active, not when it's convenient for you

Building a Complete LinkedIn Growth System

Timing is one piece of the puzzle. To grow consistently on LinkedIn, you need:

• Strong content that provides value

• Consistent posting schedule at optimal times

• Active engagement with comments and other creators

• Analytics to understand what's working

• Systems to maintain output without burning out

Growth Terminal brings all these pieces together. AI-powered content creation helps you maintain volume. Scheduling ensures consistent timing. Analytics show which posts drive growth. Smart Replies help you engage efficiently. The result is a complete system for LinkedIn growth, not just isolated tactics.

If you're ready to grow on LinkedIn with the right timing, the right content, and the right tools, start building your system here.