LinkedIn now shows Sponsored Content in the right rail. Should I leave it on?
LinkedIn is testing a new desktop placement: eligible single image ads can also show in the right rail of LinkedIn pages, not only in the feed. It covers Brand awareness, Engagement, Website visits and Website conversions ad sets, and LinkedIn says right-rail ads "won't be charged at this time." Leave it on for awareness and traffic ad sets if blended reporting is fine, since those impressions are free for now. Turn it off, with the Right Rail checkbox under Placements, when you need clean numbers or a controlled test. Results aren't split by placement, and there's no preview.
As of October 2026.
What changed
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Where single image ads show on LinkedIn | The feed | The feed, plus the right-hand side of desktop LinkedIn pages when Right Rail is checked |
| Which ads | No Sponsored Content on the right rail | Single image ads, currently horizontal images only, in Brand awareness, Engagement, Website visits or Website conversions ad sets |
| Cost | Feed delivery charged | Feed charged as normal; right rail "won't be charged at this time" |
| Setting | None | A Right Rail checkbox in the ad set's Placements section |
| Reporting | Feed results | Feed and right rail combined, with no split by placement "at this time" |
| How the ad looks | The feed layout | One of six right-rail variations that LinkedIn picks; text may be truncated and the image cropped |
| Preview and forecasting | Available for the feed | Not available for the right rail "at this time" |
The right rail isn't new for LinkedIn ads: Dynamic ads and text ads already run there. What's new is Sponsored Content in it, and LinkedIn says delivery "is intended to automatically optimize overall campaign performance across placements." LinkedIn also says the placement "is currently being tested and may not be available to you at this time," so you may not see the checkbox yet.
Who it affects
- Single image ads with horizontal images, in ad sets using one of the four objectives above, on ad accounts where the test is available. LinkedIn's recommended horizontal size for single image ads is 1200 x 628 pixels (1.91:1).
- Not other formats. Carousel, video, document and other Sponsored Content formats aren't eligible. Neither are ad sets with other objectives, such as Lead generation.
- Desktop only. LinkedIn describes the right rail as the right-hand side of desktop LinkedIn pages.
- Separate from LinkedIn Audience Network. Audience Network shows your ads on other sites and apps; the right rail is on LinkedIn itself. LinkedIn says you can have both on. If you're deciding about Audience Network as well, see should you turn off LinkedIn Audience Network?
Is it on by default? LinkedIn's help page doesn't say. Influent, a LinkedIn agency, wrote in its October 5, 2026 recap that eligible campaigns "can opt in or out of right-rail delivery, and some may be selected by default." Check your ad sets rather than assume.
What to do now
- Check each eligible ad set. Open the ad set to edit it, go to Placements, and look at Right Rail. Select the checkbox to turn it on or clear it to turn it off, then click Next or Save and Exit.
- Leave it on where reach is the goal. For Brand awareness, Engagement and Website visits ad sets, right-rail impressions cost nothing for now and add desktop presence. The cost is clarity, not money.
- Turn it off where you need clean numbers. That means A/B tests, benchmarks, client reports on CPM or click-through rate, and Website conversions ad sets you're judging on cost per conversion. Results are combined and right-rail delivery isn't charged, so blended metrics such as CPM and click-through rate can shift when you switch it on, even if nothing changed in the feed.
- Check your creative for the right rail. There's no preview. Text may be cut off, and in the truncated-text variation LinkedIn crops the top and bottom of the image. Keep your logo and key words away from the top and bottom edges.
- Write down when you change the setting. A note in the ad set name or your change log explains a sudden CPM or click-through rate shift later.
- To measure it, run two copies. Run two otherwise identical ad sets for the same dates, one with Right Rail on and one off, and compare cost per result. They reach the same audience, so treat the result as a rough read, not proof.
- Re-check LinkedIn's page before you plan budgets. Pricing, reporting, preview and forecasting are all described as "at this time," so expect them to change.
Dates to watch
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 14, 2026 | Influent's September recap lists Sponsored Content on the right rail as an alpha (third party) |
| October 5, 2026 | Influent's October recap calls it a public alpha and says some campaigns may be selected by default (third party) |
| About October 21, 2026 | LinkedIn's help page on the placement was last updated (it showed "5 days ago" on October 26) |
| Not announced | When, or whether, LinkedIn starts charging for right-rail delivery |
| Not announced | Reporting split by placement, plus ad preview and forecasting for the right rail |
| Not announced | Whether more formats, image shapes or objectives become eligible, and when the test ends |
Sources
- Sponsored Content right rail ad placement - LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help, checked October 26, 2026
- Single image ads advertising specifications - LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help, checked October 26, 2026
- LinkedIn Product Updates: October 2026 Recap - Influent (third party), checked October 26, 2026
- LinkedIn Product Updates: September 2026 Recap - Influent (third party), checked October 26, 2026
