Shape and style your avatar

Your avatar is your profile photo, and you can shape it to fit your style. You can change its shape, add a ring, add a soft glow, or drop the background so only you remain. This article covers the look of your avatar. To upload or crop one, see add and adjust your avatar and cover image.

Before you start

These controls live in the Designer, the panel where you change how your profile looks. You need a profile with an avatar already set. Nothing changes for visitors until you publish, so feel free to try each option and watch the preview.

Opening the avatar style controls

Open your profile.
Select Edit In Designer.
In the left sidebar, find the Avatar layer and select the pencil icon next to it.

The Avatar panel opens. The upload area sits at the top. The style controls sit below it: Size, Format, Style, Show avatar, and Background.

Making your avatar a square instead of a circle

The Format control sets the shape:

In the Avatar panel, find Format.
Select Square.

A square suits brands, businesses, and square logos. Circle is the classic personal shape and the default. The preview switches shape right away.

Using your logo as your avatar

Pick the Logo format to show your image as-is, with no crop:

In the Avatar panel, find Format.
Select Logo.

Logo keeps the whole image in view instead of trimming it to a circle or square. It works best for a PNG logo with a see-through background, so your mark sits cleanly on the page.

Removing the background behind your avatar

The Transparent style hides the backdrop so only you or your logo show:

In the Avatar panel, find Style.
Select Transparent.

When you publish a profile with a new avatar, we cut out the background for you behind the scenes. So Transparent can show you alone with no backdrop, even from a normal photo. The cut-out runs when you publish, not the moment you upload. Saving as a draft does not start it. If you uploaded a PNG that already has a see-through background, Transparent keeps it that way.

Why does my avatar have no background or a see-through background?

That's the Transparent style at work. It drops the backdrop so only the subject shows. Want a solid backdrop instead? Set Style back to Standard, Outline, or Blur. Those bring the fill back, and you can set its color in the Colors panel. A fill set under Background won't show while Transparent is on, so switch the style first.

Adding a ring or border around your avatar

The Outline style draws a colored ring:

In the Avatar panel, find Style.
Select Outline.

The ring uses your profile's colors and helps the avatar stand out against a busy cover. To change the color, change your profile's colors in the Colors panel.

What does the Blur style do?

The Blur style adds a soft, glowing halo behind your avatar:

In the Avatar panel, find Style.
Select Blur.

The glow uses your profile's color and spreads out in a soft, blurred ring around the avatar. Your photo stays sharp. It's a gentle, artistic effect. To change the glow's color, adjust your profile's colors in the Colors panel. Try Blur against a plain cover to see the glow stand out.

Making your avatar bigger or smaller

The Size control scales your avatar:

In the Avatar panel, find Size.
Drag the slider left to shrink it or right to grow it.

The avatar resizes live in the preview. You can also drag the small handle at the corner of the avatar on the stage to resize it by hand.

Hiding your avatar

To take your avatar off the page entirely:

In the Avatar panel, find Show avatar.
Turn the switch off.

Your avatar disappears from the preview and won't show to visitors once you publish. Turn it back on any time to bring it back. Your uploaded image stays saved either way.

My background didn't disappear after choosing Transparent

The cut-out runs when you publish, not when you upload. So if you set a new avatar but haven't published yet, there's nothing to wait for. Publish your profile first:

Select Publish profile (or Publish changes) in the top toolbar. Saving as a draft won't start the cut-out, so publish to kick it off.
Give it a moment. The cut-out runs in the background after you publish, so a short wait is normal.
Reopen the Avatar panel and check the preview again.

If the cut-out looks rough, the photo itself may be hard to trim. Fine details like flyaway hair or a busy background don't always cut out cleanly. A photo with clear space around the subject gives the best result. Try a cleaner shot, then publish again to redo the cut-out. You can also upload a PNG that already has a see-through background and use the Logo format.

My avatar style changes aren't showing to visitors

The Designer is a preview until you publish. Once you're happy with the shape and style, publish to push the changes live:

Select Publish profile (or Publish changes) in the top toolbar.
Or open the toolbar's save menu and select Save as draft to keep your edits private for now.

Want to check how it looks on different screens before you go live? You can preview your design and reset to defaults across device sizes. To set the overall look that frames your avatar, choose a style for your profile.