diff --git a/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/mapping.py b/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/mapping.py
index 2532c3c..798d53a 100644
--- a/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/mapping.py
+++ b/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/mapping.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def line_item_locale(audience: Audience) -> dict[str, str]:
     Derived from the first audience geo if it is a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
     code; defaults to en/US otherwise.
     """
-    country = audience.geos[0].upper() if audience.geos else "US"
+    country = audience.geos[0].strip().upper() if audience.geos else "US"
     if pycountry.countries.get(alpha_2=country) is None:
         country = "US"
     return {"country": country, "language": "en"}
diff --git a/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/targeting.py b/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/targeting.py
index c2b1297..79ad08e 100644
--- a/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/targeting.py
+++ b/src/yieldagent/integrations/linkedin/targeting.py
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ async def _resolve_geos(self, audience: Audience) -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]
         """
         urns: list[str] = []
         unresolved: list[str] = []
-        for code in audience.geos:
+        for raw in audience.geos:
+            code = raw.strip().upper()
             name = _country_name(code)
             urn = None
             if name:
diff --git a/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_mapping.py b/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_mapping.py
index b5dfaa7..aac2465 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_mapping.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_mapping.py
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@
 
 from datetime import date
 
-from yieldagent.domain import CreativeAsset, Flight
+from yieldagent.domain import Audience, CreativeAsset, Flight
 from yieldagent.integrations.linkedin.mapping import (
     campaign_run_schedule,
     creative_content_reference,
     flight_to_run_schedule,
+    line_item_locale,
     post_article_content,
 )
 
@@ -74,3 +75,13 @@ def test_post_article_content_defaults_source_when_no_landing_url() -> None:
 
 def test_creative_content_reference_wraps_post_urn() -> None:
     assert creative_content_reference("urn:li:share:123") == {"reference": "urn:li:share:123"}
+
+
+def test_line_item_locale_strips_and_uppercases_geo() -> None:
+    # A padded/lowercase code must still produce a valid locale, not fall back to US.
+    locale = line_item_locale(Audience(description="x", geos=["pt "]))
+    assert locale == {"country": "PT", "language": "en"}
+
+
+def test_line_item_locale_defaults_to_us_for_unknown_code() -> None:
+    assert line_item_locale(Audience(description="x", geos=["ZZ"]))["country"] == "US"
diff --git a/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_targeting.py b/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_targeting.py
index 04d9c6e..bc41ed7 100644
--- a/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_targeting.py
+++ b/tests/integrations/test_linkedin_targeting.py
@@ -105,6 +105,21 @@ async def test_unknown_geo_code_is_unresolved_not_guessed() -> None:
     assert resolved.unresolved == {"geos": ["ZZ"]}
 
 
+async def test_geo_codes_are_normalized_before_lookup() -> None:
+    resolver = TargetingResolver(_FakeTargetingClient())
+    resolved = await resolver.resolve(Audience(description="x", geos=[" us ", "Pt"]))
+    # Whitespace/case variations still resolve to the same URNs.
+    assert _clause_facets(resolved.criteria) == {FACET_LOCATIONS: [_US_GEO, _PT_GEO]}
+    assert resolved.unresolved == {}
+
+
+async def test_unresolved_geo_is_reported_normalized() -> None:
+    resolver = TargetingResolver(_FakeTargetingClient())
+    resolved = await resolver.resolve(Audience(description="x", geos=["zz "]))
+    # Unresolved output is the normalized code, not the raw padded input.
+    assert resolved.unresolved == {"geos": ["ZZ"]}
+
+
 async def test_enum_facets_resolve_and_surface_misses() -> None:
     resolver = TargetingResolver(_FakeTargetingClient())
     resolved = await resolver.resolve(