TL;DR: LinkedIn Boolean search is a method of searching for information using advanced search options, such as quotation marks and parentheses. In this guide, we share expert tips on how to search for information on LinkedIn using various Boolean search operators.
Quality matters more than quantity. However, this rule does not always seem to apply to LinkedIn search results. Scrolling hundreds of profiles is pointless unless there are those that match your ideal criteria.
If you want to be in control of your results, you definitely need a LinkedIn Boolean search. This method helps polish strategies and find more targeted prospects and candidates.
Outline:
What is a Boolean search on LinkedIn?
You’re probably already familiar with LinkedIn’s advanced search options that make finding jobs, leads, and connections way easier. These capabilities are truly impressive, but Boolean operators are like LinkedIn search on steroids. They allow for complex queries that are super-targeted and specific, giving you, in turn, more control over the results.
So, what exactly is it? LinkedIn Boolean search basically refers to a way of finding relevant LinkedIn profiles by pairing keywords with logical operators (OR, AND, or NOT). This approach comes with a wealth of benefits when compared to regular LinkedIn filters.
Let’s quickly go through them:
- Enhanced targeting
LinkedIn filters generally help find quality profiles, but oftentimes, these results are way too broad. In contrast, by using Boolean search operators, you can easily pinpoint people with very specific skills.
- Increased flexibility
As you may know, LinkedIn keyword search doesn’t always return relevant and specific results. With Boolean operators, you can bypass these limitations and apply multiple search criteria at the same time.
- Greater inclusivity
It’s no secret that professionals might get creative with the way they label themselves. Boolean operators can help you bring them to light by letting you search all variations at once.
- Noise reduction
By simply using LinkedIn filters, you can’t exclude irrelevant people. With Boolean search, you have no trouble weeding out profiles that don’t match your criteria.
Remember, LinkedIn advanced search filtering options and Boolean search aren’t mutually exclusive. Using them all at once returns far greater results.
How LinkedIn Boolean search works
Boolean search is all about using logic to narrow down your results. Think of each keyword as creating its own group of profiles. From there, you can mix and match — or even leave some out — to get closer to the exact people you’re trying to find.
On LinkedIn, Boolean helps refine your results by using modifiers that can either exclude/ include information or group specific keywords. Using this method, you can easily target profiles based on the following criteria: job titles, skills, industries, etc.
Getting started with Boolean is easy; just type relevant keywords and one or several of these modifiers:
- OR (can have)
- NOT (doesn’t have)
- AND (must have)
We’ll break each of them down in detail in the next sections, but for now, let’s consider this example:
Say you’re a recruiter who is searching for skilled data analysts, and you want to avoid entry-level candidates. In this case, simply use the “NOT” operator along with “data analyst” and “junior.” And just like this, the results will rule out candidates that don’t match your desired experience level.
LinkedIn Boolean search operators are currently available in the following places:
- LinkedIn search bar
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator (Advanced lead generation tool)
- LinkedIn Recruiter (Professional hiring platform)
Hopefully, you now have a much more solid understanding of Boolean search. Let’s move on to the operators themselves.
Essential LinkedIn Boolean search operators
There are a few key Boolean modifiers available on LinkedIn and each of them adds a different level of control to your searches.
| Boolean operator | Use |
| AND
|
Results include all keywords linked with AND |
| OR | Results include either one or all specified keywords |
| NOT | Excludes a keyword from your search |
| Brackets () | Group multiple search strings and set priorities |
| Quotation marks “” | Search for exact phrases or keywords |
Let’s get into the ins and outs of each of them.
1. AND operator – combine multiple keywords
The “AND” operator is used to return results that are must-haves in your search. When applying this modifier, you’re basically telling the search engine that your ideal profiles must include all the listed terms.
Examples:
- business AND analyst
- accountant AND finance AND CPA
- product AND manager
2. OR operator – expand search scope
The “OR” operator is used to return results that have at least one of the terms listed on their profiles. It’s a “can have” modifier that typically broadens your search output.
Examples:
- “business analyst” OR “systems analyst”
- Helpdesk OR “help desk” OR “technical support”
- “sales OR marketing OR advertising”
3. NOT operator – exclude specific terms
The “NOT” operator is used to filter out unwanted terms from your search. By applying this modifier, you’re going to narrow down your results and exclude irrelevant terms for you.
Examples:
- “business analyst” NOT “technical support”
- “programmer NOT manager”
- (Google OR Salesforce) NOT LinkedIn
4. Quotation marks (“”) – exact match search
Quotation marks can be used if you want to see the exact phrase in your results. When adding quotes, the search engine is going to look for specific matches written in the same order as your input. They can also be paired with modifiers and used to search for terms that include punctuation.
Examples:
- “business analyst”
- “product manager”
- “graphic designer”
5. Parentheses () – group multiple conditions
Parentheses are used for slightly more complex searches, allowing you to combine terms and different modifiers. By adding parentheses to your queries, you’re telling the search engine to prioritize the terms inside them.
Parentheses should be used to group terms connected by “OR” when there are other Boolean operators in the search.
Examples:
- (“business analyst” OR BA) AND “data mapping” (the results will return individuals who have a business analyst or BA and data mapping on their profile).
- “project manager” AND PMI AND (budgeting OR “financial monitoring”) (you’ll see people who have both “project manager” and PMI on their profile, plus either budgeting or financial monitoring).
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💡 Expert note Boolean search operators won’t work if you fail to properly format them. Keep these simple rules in mind:
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How to use LinkedIn Boolean Search for sales prospecting
Oftentimes, LinkedIn prospecting feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Filters and keywords are helpful, but the results they return might lack depth and precision. And honestly, why would anyone limit their full potential when things can be done way better?
That’s exactly why it’s worth introducing Boolean search into your marketing and sales routine and turning it into a powerful prospecting tool.
Despite sticking to the general rules mentioned above, make these tips part of your strategy:
- Find decision-makers based on job titles: Connecting with those who have the most control over purchasing is always a good idea. Titles, more often than not, vary by company and region. Use Boolean search operators wisely to uncover your key targets.
A good string might look this way: “CEO” OR “Founder” OR “Managing Director” OR “Chief Executive Officer” OR “President”
And make sure not to limit your coverage by adding synonyms and equivalents: “Co-Founder,” “Owner,” or “Business Partner.”
- Don’t waste time on irrelevant leads: We’ve all heard the golden rules of effective marketing and sales: personalization and precise targeting. When operating from this perspective, it’s easy to see that not every lead is worth chasing.
Use Boolean search to help you exclude irrelevant industries, locations, etc. Try it this way: “Marketing Director,” NOT “Retail,” NOT “Hospitality,” NOT “India.”
- Use Boolean search to find competitors’ customers: Targeting competitors’ audience means going down the path of least resistance. These people already know and see the value in your offer. By searching with Boolean operators, you can find profiles that mention competitors’ tools.
For example, (“Growth Marketer” OR “Marketing Manager”) AND (“HubSpot” OR “Mailchimp”).
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🎁 Bonus tip To eliminate the need to manually gather leads’ profile information, use the LinkedIn prospect finder extension. Upon activation, you can:
Once you’ve saved your leads, you’re ready to launch your outreach campaign with automated LinkedIn prospecting tools. |
How to use LinkedIn Boolean search for recruitment
If sifting through tens of thousands of LinkedIn profiles feels overwhelming, Boolean operators may add a breath of fresh air for recruiters. Not only does it give you the upper hand by helping you find more relevant candidates, but it also uncovers hidden talents.
Having said that, approaching your search with the right headspace is vital. To achieve the best possible results, build Boolean strings keeping these things in mind:
- Use understanding of the role for shaping the query: Think of alternative ways to put what you’re looking for. Take a step back to brainstorm common synonyms for job titles you’re interested in; don’t forget about acronyms and jargon. Reflect on required skills & industry-specific terminology, and consider terms your ideal candidate might use on their LinkedIn.
- Have a reference point for the ideal candidate: Begin the search only with a clear goal in mind. There’s no use in pointlessly spending hours looking for something if you have no outlined expectations. Specific objectives make your efforts more guided & targeted and create a standard for evaluating results.
- Test various LinkedIn Boolean search strings to learn what works best: Analyze the results you’re seeing and use this experience to optimize the strategy. Examine closely those LinkedIn profiles, checking whether they match your expectations. Tweak your approach if they don’t.
Once you’ve locked in a solid list of matches, it’s high time to introduce some additional tools to make the next steps feel less chaotic. After all, finding quality candidates is just half the battle.
It’s safe to assume no one probably wants to repeat the cycle of copying and pasting the same messages over and over again. Let alone keeping track of follow-ups and making sure they are timely.
Chances are, you’ve spotted lots of skilled people, so automating the next steps just feels reasonable, especially with today’s LinkedIn outreach automation capabilities that go far beyond LinkedIn messages and extend to likes, profile visits, and connection requests.
Plus, there is no longer a need to struggle with spreadsheets and manually collecting candidates’ data. These days, you can use LinkedIn Email Finder instead. It’s an extension that, once activated, lets you automatically find and save candidates’ email, job titles, and other details.
This way, you can effortlessly scale your outreach with clean and enriched data once your search is over.
Common LinkedIn Boolean search mistakes and how to avoid them
LinkedIn Boolean search can be highly effective, but only when done right. Even small mistakes can greatly skew your results. Watch for these mistakes not to end up in such a scenario:
- Using too many keywords without parentheses: Formatting is what really matters when building your Boolean strings on LinkedIn. This way, you help the search engine understand how the logic should be organized and what it should find. To avoid off-target results, ensure parentheses are in place.
- Forgetting to use NOT to exclude irrelevant results: Ruling out irrelevant search output helps save time and effort that you would otherwise spend cleaning data. Using the “NOT” operators lets you keep industries, locations, etc, out of your results.
- Limiting your keywords to job titles only: By relying on job titles exclusively, you might accidentally exclude quality profiles. Make sure skills, tools, and certifications are part of your LinkedIn Boolean search strings.
By sticking to these simple practices, you can rest assured that you aren’t missing out on relevant search results and LinkedIn profiles.
Final thoughts
Boolean search is a truly smart yet simple way to accelerate your hiring and prospecting efforts. Not only does it save time, but it also gives you more control of a LinkedIn strategy. Not embracing Boolean search means missing out on targeted and accurate results.
Be very specific about your goals, and always ask yourself relevant questions. This way, you’ll have a reference point against which you can evaluate your results. Also, make sure you’ve ruled out irrelevant profiles and ensure that the search isn’t limited to job titles.
And last but not least, don’t forget to add Snov.io to the mix for automating what can be automated. These days, working smarter is more important than working harder.
