How to write a short bio for your website

A good short bio is three or four sentences: who you are, what you do and who for, one thing that shows you're good at it, and one human detail. Keep it under 100 words. Write it in the first person for a personal site ("I'm...") and in the third person if others will use it to introduce you ("Ana is...").

The formula

1. Name and role: "I'm Tomas, a carpenter in Panevėžys."
2. What you do and for whom: "I build kitchens and wardrobes for old houses where nothing is quite straight."
3. Proof: "I've fitted more than 200 kitchens in the last twelve years."
4. A human detail: "When I'm not working, I'm restoring a 1970s motorbike that may never run."

Put together, that's a bio of about 50 words that says more than most "About" pages.

Examples for different people

A teacher offering private lessons:

I'm Laura, a maths teacher with fifteen years in secondary schools. I help students who've decided they're "bad at maths" find out they aren't. Most of my students go up at least one grade in a term. I also make the best lemon cake in our building, according to my neighbours.

A job seeker:

I'm a project coordinator with five years in logistics, most recently at a regional food distributor where I ran the switch to a new warehouse system. I like messy processes and making them simple. I'm looking for a role where I can do more of that.

A photographer:

Rasa Kairytė photographs weddings and families around Vilnius. She likes real moments more than posed ones and tries to be invisible on the day. Couples often say they forgot she was there, which she takes as the highest compliment.

Mistakes to avoid

• Starting with "passionate". Everyone is passionate. Show it with a fact instead.
• Listing every job you've had. The bio is the trailer, not the film.
• Jokes that need context. A light detail is good. An inside joke isn't.
• Being too modest. If you've won an award or worked with a well-known client, say so plainly.

Read it out loud

If it sounds like something you'd never say, rewrite it until it does. People who read your bio should recognise you when they meet you.

Where it goes

Your bio usually sits near the top of a personal website, under your name and photo. Our post on what to put on a personal website shows how it fits with the rest of the page.

If you'd like help with the first draft, Vibitely's personal site builder asks you about your work in a short chat and writes a starting version you can edit.