Free professional bio template.
Write one bio, then cut it to fit: a two-line version for introductions, a short one for programmes and profiles, and a long one for your website and media kit. A note on each part and a filled-in example. Free, no sign-up.
What is inside
- 01
Before you write
Who reads it, where, and what they should do next.
- 02
Two-line bio
About 25 to 35 words, for introductions, bylines and profiles.
- 03
Short bio
About 50 to 100 words, one paragraph.
- 04
Long bio: your work now
What you do today and what it has achieved.
- 05
Long bio: how you got here
The background that explains your work.
- 06
Long bio: beyond work
Something human, and what is next.
- 07
First-person version
The short bio as "I", for LinkedIn and your own site.
- 08
Proof points
Results, awards and press to swap in for different readers.
- 09
Next step
Where the reader goes: book, hire, invite or read.
Free download
Download the bio template
No sign-up and no email: the files download straight away.
Put the finished bio in your media kit. Founders: our guide to ranking your name on Google covers where a bio helps most.
How to use the template
Start with who will read the bio and what you want them to do next, then write the long version: three paragraphs on your work now, how you got here and something beyond work. Cut it down to the short and two-line versions, keeping the same facts in the same order. The filled-in example shows all three for a fictional founder.
Write in the active voice and show rather than tell: "she manages front-desk teams at three clinics" says more than "a skilled operations leader". Both points come from the Boise State University Writing Center, which describes the same three formats (long, short and two-line) and suggests reviewing your bio at least every six months.
First person or third person?
Use the third person ("Dana Okafor is") wherever someone else presents you: press, media kits, event programmes, your company website and author pages. Use the first person ("I am") where you speak for yourself: LinkedIn, your personal site and social profiles. The template includes both, with the same facts.
Bios for founders and executives
A founder bio does two jobs: it introduces you, and it is often the text journalists and search engines reuse when someone looks you up. Lead with your name, role and company in the first sentence, put a number in the second, and keep one version that never changes so the same facts appear everywhere.
A bio says who you are; coverage shows someone else thought it worth writing about. Our PR & Media Placements service writes an editorial feature about you or your company from a short brief, with your name in the headline, and you approve every word before it goes live. It costs $249 for one publication, $499 for three and $999 for eight, with no retainer, and on the four core titles the approved feature is live within 24 hours of your approval (business days) or you get a full refund. Features are sponsored content, labelled as such, as our disclaimer states. For founders, our founder and executive PR builds those features to rank on your name.
Frequently asked.
How long should a professional bio be?
It depends where it appears: about 25 to 35 words for a two-line bio, 50 to 100 for a short bio and 200 to 300 for a long one. Write the long one first and cut it down.
Should a bio be in the first or third person?
Third person where someone else presents you (press, programmes, company website); first person where you speak for yourself (LinkedIn, your own site).
What should a professional bio include?
Your name, role and company, what you do and for whom, your strongest proof points with numbers, the background that explains your work, and where the reader should go next.
How often should I update my bio?
At least every six months, and whenever your role, company or headline achievement changes.
Is the template really free?
Yes. The Word file, the PDF guide and the example download straight away, with no sign-up and no email.
More free tools.
Get your story published.
An editorial feature about you or your company, from $249. Live within 24 hours of your approval on the four core titles, or your money back.