What to put on a portfolio website (and what to leave off)

A portfolio website has one job: to make the right person think “this is who we need” and get in touch. Everything on it should help that happen. This guide covers what to include, what each section should say, the extras that suit different professions, and the things that quietly weaken a portfolio.

The six sections almost every portfolio needs

Whatever your field, these sections cover what visitors look for, in roughly this order:

• Intro: your name, what you do and a clear next step
• About: a short, human summary of your background
• Work or projects: your best pieces, explained
• Experience and education: a brief timeline
• Skills: specific and grouped
• Contact: easy ways to reach you

If you haven’t built the site yet, our step-by-step guide on how to create a portfolio website covers planning and publishing.

An intro that says who you are in one line

The top of the page should answer three questions in a few seconds: who are you, what do you do, and what should I do next? A good intro is one or two lines, not a paragraph.

Add a friendly, recent photo and one main button. “Contact me”, “See my work” or “Download CV” are all good, depending on your goal.

An about section in your own voice

Write three to five sentences the way you would introduce yourself at a meeting. Mention where you studied or worked, what you enjoy about your work, and what you are looking for now. A personal detail is fine if it helps people remember you, but keep it short.

Avoid empty phrases like “hard-working, passionate team player”. Everybody says them. Show those qualities through your projects instead.

Your work: the section that matters most

This is why people visit. Choose three to six pieces that are your strongest and closest to the work you want next. Put the best first, because many visitors won’t scroll to the end.

For each piece, include:

• A clear title and a picture: a screenshot, photo, diagram or video thumbnail
• One or two sentences on the problem or brief
• Your role, especially if it was team work
• The tools or methods you used
• The outcome: launched, delivered, used by a client, graded, presented or published
• A link to the live project, code, video or document if one exists

Experience, education and skills

Keep the timeline short: job title, organisation, dates and one line on what you did. Your CV holds the full detail, so link to it or offer a download. If you need a clean one, you can create a professional CV online and keep the two in sync.

For skills, group them and be specific. “Figma, Adobe Illustrator, brand guidelines” or “React, Node.js, MongoDB” tells a visitor far more than a long list of buzzwords. Skip percentage bars; nobody knows what “80% JavaScript” means.

Proof that backs you up

Proof makes your claims believable. Add whatever genuinely applies to you:

• Certificates from recognised courses, linked where they can be verified
• Awards, competition results and scholarships
• Publications, conference talks and media mentions
• Short quotes from clients, supervisors or teachers, used with their permission and their real name and role
• Videos of talks, demos or performances

Never invent testimonials or inflate results. People in the same industry talk to each other, and one discovered exaggeration can undo everything else on the page.

Contact details people can actually use

Make contact effortless. A professional email address, a phone or WhatsApp number if you are comfortable sharing it, and the links that matter for your field (LinkedIn for most professionals, GitHub for developers, Behance or Dribbble for designers). Put contact details near the top as well as at the bottom so nobody has to search.

A digital business card on the same link can help too: people who meet you in person can scan a QR code and save your contact to their phone.

What to add for your profession

Students and fresh graduates

Lead with education, your thesis or final-year project, and activities such as clubs, competitions, volunteering and internships. Show that you finish what you start.

Developers

Link to live projects and code. Explain what each project does in plain language before you list the technology, and mention one or two technical decisions you are proud of.

Designers, photographers and video creators

Quality images and video are everything. Show the process behind one or two projects, not just the final result, and keep file sizes small enough to load quickly on mobile data.

Writers, marketers and communicators

Link to published pieces, campaigns and results you can speak to. A short note on the goal and your role turns a list of links into evidence.

Teachers, researchers and other professionals

Publications, courses taught, talks, professional memberships and areas of expertise. For doctors, lawyers and consultants, your chamber or office hours and how to book matter more than a gallery.

What to leave off

• Old or weak work that no longer represents your level
• Sensitive personal details such as your NID number, full home address or date of birth. A CV sent to one employer is different from a public website anyone can read.
• Confidential client work you don’t have permission to show. Describe it in words instead, without names.
• Broken links and “coming soon” sections. Hide a section until it has something in it.
• Walls of text. Short paragraphs and headings are easier to read on a phone.

Once you know what goes on your site, putting it together is the quick part. Our portfolio website builder has these sections ready to fill, can draft them from your CV with AI, and lets you preview everything free before you publish. If you want a broader site with writing and videos, see how a personal website can grow from the same start.