LinkedIn Boolean Search: The Ultimate Guide [With 15+ Examples & Templates]

If you’ve ever struggled to find relevant search results on LinkedIn, it’s time to unlock the power of Boolean search operators. 

Whether you’re a recruiter hunting for the perfect job title, a marketer researching leads, or a business owner scouting partnerships, Boolean searches help you filter out the noise and zero in on what matters. Many recruiters rely on LinkedIn Boolean search for advanced sourcing.

This guide breaks down the essentials of Boolean search strings — including quotation marks, parenthetical searches, and the right use of exact phrases — so you can use LinkedIn like a search engine pro. 

You’ll get actionable examples, ready-to-use templates, and a step-by-step explanation of how to create effective Boolean strings for your goals..

What Is LinkedIn Boolean Search?

LinkedIn Boolean search uses Boolean logic to combine keywords with operators like AND, OR, NOT, and quotes (“”). It works in both regular LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to refine your search results beyond what filters allow.

Example:

• Regular search term: marketing manager
  
• Boolean search terms: “marketing manager” OR “brand strategist”

The second search covers multiple terms and job title variations, helping you find more relevant search results.

Mastering LinkedIn Boolean search helps you find top talent faster!

You can use:

• Quotes for quoted searches to match exact terms from a job description
  
• AND to include terms
  
• NOT to exclude them
  
• Boolean strings to match specific skills or job descriptions

In regular LinkedIn, the search bar looks across all sections (headline, summary, positions), but to find only current positions you need All filters > Keywords > Title, while Sales Navigator already provides a preset list of job titles.

When & Why Use Boolean Search on LinkedIn

Use Boolean when standard search filters aren’t enough — like when looking for specific job titles, unique skill combinations, or targeting job seekers with tailored experience.

Note: Always split Boolean queries — use Title field for current positions only, and the main search bar for keywords across the whole profile, otherwise results may exclude relevant candidates.

Example Boolean query:
(“Software Engineer” OR Developer) AND (“Python” OR “Django”) NOT “Intern”
Finds developers with React skills, excluding interns.

Why it’s useful:

• Targets complex search strings
• Combine multiple specific keywords
• Get the most relevant Linkedin search results
• Great for roles like sales manager or marketing manager with many variations

A precise LinkedIn Boolean search can uncover hidden profiles. 

⚠️ Note: Boolean requires some logic and doesn’t replace filters — it enhances the search process for better precision.

To refine results, learn how to do a Boolean search on LinkedIn using operators like AND, OR, and quotes.

Where to Use Boolean Operators

Boolean operators behave differently depending on where you enter them. Knowing these nuances ensures your searches return the right candidate profiles instead of irrelevant results.

In LinkedIn Search Field

When you type a Boolean query (e.g., “sales manager” NOT intern) into the main LinkedIn search bar, LinkedIn scans the entire profile: headline, summary, current and past jobs, skills, and more.

• Example: Searching for CEO might bring up someone who was a CEO ten years ago, not only current CEOs.
  
• This can cause false positives or exclude relevant candidates if a keyword appears in an old job description.

In LinkedIn Title or Company Field

Both the Title and Company fields in LinkedIn’s advanced filters support Boolean operators as well.

• Here, the search is limited to the current position or current company only.
  
• Example: “sales manager” NOT intern in the Title field will only show profiles whose current title contains “sales manager” but excludes anyone currently listed as an intern.
  
• This is the best way to target active talent in their present role.

In Google Search

You can also use Boolean logic with Google to surface LinkedIn results directly.

• Example: site:linkedin.com/in (“software engineer” OR developer) AND Python
  
• Note: Google’s operator intitle: does not mean “current job title” on LinkedIn. Instead, it refers to the HTML title of the page indexed by Google (e.g., “John Doe – Software Engineer – Microsoft | LinkedIn”).
  
• This means results may include old titles or mismatched positions, so double-check profiles manually.

Boolean Search Operators You Can Use on LinkedIn

Boolean search helps you go beyond LinkedIn filters by combining specific keywords using Boolean logic. 

These operators let you build complex search strings but they work even better with Sales Navigator, where boolean strings apply to headlines, summaries, and job descriptions.

All you need to remember: 5 basic settings — 3 words + 2 symbols. With them, your Boolean queries can match all the keywords you need — or exclude what’s irrelevant.

Learn how to structure your LinkedIn Boolean search using quotation marks and operators.

✅ Quick Reference Table

Operator	Purpose	Example
AND	Include all search terms	sales AND retail
OR	Include any of the terms	designer OR “UX specialist”
NOT	Exclude a term	“marketing manager” NOT senior
“quotes”	Find exact phrases	“project coordinator”
(parentheses)	Group logic & combine keywords	(“data analyst” OR “BI specialist”) AND Tableau

AND

Purpose: Finds profiles that include all the keywords listed.

Example: sales AND retail — finds profiles that contain both words.

Where: LinkedIn Search Field ✅ | LinkedIn Title/Company ✅ | Google Search ✅

OR

Purpose: Searches for any of the keywords, great for job title or skill variations.

Example: content creator OR writer

Where: LinkedIn Search Field ✅ | LinkedIn Title/Company ✅ | Google Search ✅

NOT

Purpose: Excludes unwanted results. Run not searches to avoid overqualified candidates.

Example: manager NOT senior — filters out senior roles.

Where: LinkedIn Search Field ✅ | LinkedIn Title/Company ✅ | Google Search ✅

Quotation Marks (” “)

Purpose: Finds specific phrases exactly as typed.

Example: “photography assistant” — avoids separate matches for “photography” and “assistant”.

Where: LinkedIn Search Field ✅ | LinkedIn Title/Company ✅ | Google Search ✅

Search for a specific keyword or role name without mixing results. Use LinkedIn Boolean search to narrow down candidates with specific skills.

Parentheses ( )

Purpose: Group terms and control the logic of the query.

Example: (“content creator” OR writer) AND (technology OR IT)

Where: LinkedIn Search Field ✅ | LinkedIn Title/Company ✅ | Google Search ✅

Site: Operator

Note: Google operators like site: and intitle: search the page title, not LinkedIn’s “Title” field — but since LinkedIn includes the current position in the page header, you can still find profiles this way (handy when free LinkedIn search limits are reached, or when bulk-collecting via this method).

Purpose: Use Google to search LinkedIn profiles.

Example: site:linkedin.com/in “marketing manager” AND Dubai

Where: Google Search ✅ only

Title: Operator

Purpose: Narrow Google searches to specific job titles. Great for Google X-ray search focused on specific job titles.

Example: site:linkedin.com/in intitle:”software developer”

Where: Google Search ✅ only

Mastering Boolean search on LinkedIn is like having X-ray vision—you see exactly who you need, cutting through the noise of irrelevant profiles.

Understanding the Logic & Precedence Rules

When building a Boolean string on LinkedIn — whether in Basic Search, LinkedIn Recruiter, or Sales Navigator — it’s essential to understand how the platform reads and prioritizes your logic.

LinkedIn applies standard Boolean logic rules. This means it reads queries from left to right, unless you use parentheses to group and organize your logic. 

Without them, you risk getting irrelevant results, especially when combining certain keywords across different fields like job titles, skills, specific industry or company.

💡 Why Parentheses Matter

Imagine you want to find a software engineer in fintech with design skills. If you search:

“software engineer” OR designer AND fintech

LinkedIn will read this as:

“software engineer” OR (designer AND fintech)

Which means:
You’ll get software engineers profiles that have both ‘software engineers’ and ‘fintech’ on their pages.

✅ The correct query:

(“software engineer” AND fintech) OR (designer AND fintech)

This ensures you’re getting only LinkedIn users with roles in the specific industry you’re targeting.

🔍 How Logic Flows (Precedence)

1. Quoted phrases are processed first — to match certain keywords exactly.
   
2. NOT is applied next — to exclude terms.
   
3. Then AND — to include all the keywords.
   
4. Finally, OR — to include any of the alternatives.

That’s why grouping with parentheses is critical for long or complex boolean string examples, especially in LinkedIn filters where you’re mixing multiple keywords related to roles, skills, or industries.

Tip: Always test your Boolean logic with a short version first, then build out the complexity as needed. This will help you target the right profiles and avoid missing qualified candidates.

LinkedIn Boolean Search vs Filters: Which One Should You Use?

So What’s the Difference?

• LinkedIn filters help you narrow down results. You can use geography, current company, years of experience, job title filter, and more.
  
• Boolean search lets you go deeper. You can target specific skills, exclude certain titles with NOT operators, and combine terms using multiple operators like AND, OR, and parentheses.

🧠 When to Use What

Scenario	Best Tool
Quick overview of candidates in a city	Filters
Searching for a job seeker with 2 job titles	Boolean
Filtering by industry trends or location	Filters
Excluding “intern” roles from search	Boolean
Need to match specific skill + keyword combo	Boolean
Just browsing for networking opportunities	Filters

With LinkedIn Sales Navigator Boolean search, you can target leads more precisely by combining filters and Boolean logic.

🔍 Boolean vs Filters: Comparison Table

Feature	Boolean Search	LinkedIn Filters
Precision	🎯 Very high – you get accurate results	⚙️ Moderate – broader matches
Complexity	🧩 Higher – requires knowing the logic	🧃 Low – click-and-go
Speed	🚀 Slower at first, faster long-term	⚡ Fast for quick searches
Availability	🌍 Works in all LinkedIn tiers (more powerful in Recruiter/Sales Nav)	🌐 Available in all versions

🧩 Final Verdict

Use LinkedIn filters for speed and simplicity.
Use Boolean search when you need surgical accuracy.

And the real magic? Combine both powerful tools.

15+ Real Boolean Search Examples for LinkedIn

Tired of vague results? Use these ready-made Boolean strings to supercharge your LinkedIn search. Grouped by scenario, each one is crafted for precision — just copy, tweak, and go. 

Boost your outreach with targeted LinkedIn Boolean search strategies.

By Job Title

Use Boolean search in the Title field to target only current roles; the main search bar also shows past positions. With OR and quotes, you can quickly find matching job titles — Boolean search on LinkedIn is your secret weapon.

Use Boolean search in the Title field to target only current roles; the main search bar also shows past positions. With OR and quotes, you can quickly find matching job titles — Boolean search is your LinkedIn secret weapon.

“product manager” OR “project manager”

“software engineer” OR developer

“marketing manager” AND content

By Skills

Target profiles based on specific skills or tech stacks — and exclude what you don’t need.

(“UI design” OR “UX research”) AND Figma

Python AND “data analysis”

SEO AND “content strategy” NOT internship

By Industry + Location

Combine industry terms with geographic filters to localize your talent search.

(“sales director” OR “VP of sales”) AND SaaS

(manager OR “team lead”) AND operations

(entry-level OR junior) AND “digital marketing”

By Seniority + Function

Dial in on seniority level and job function to narrow results to your ideal candidate.

(“sales director” OR “VP of sales”) AND SaaS

(manager OR “team lead”) AND operations

(entry-level OR junior) AND “digital marketing”

By Company + Exclusion

Search for talent at specific companies while filtering out interns, contractors, or other noise.

“software engineer” AND “Google” NOT intern

(“content manager” AND Stripe) NOT contractor

(accountant OR controller) AND “PwC” NOT audit

Recruiter-Focused Searches

Ideal strings for finding recruiters, sourcers, and HR pros across industries.

(recruiter OR “talent acquisition”) AND “tech hiring”

“technical sourcer” AND “startup”

(“HR business partner” OR “HRBP”) AND SaaS

Sales/Prospecting Examples

Use these to uncover leads in sales, marketing, or business development roles.

(“head of marketing” OR CMO) AND “health tech”

(“sales enablement” OR “revenue ops”) AND B2B

(“business development” OR “partnerships”) AND “consumer brands”

Creative/Hard-to-Find Talent

Spot niche creatives and non-traditional roles that filters alone often miss.

(“3D artist” OR “motion designer”) AND Blender

(“copywriter” OR “brand storyteller”) AND DTC

(“content creator” AND YouTube) NOT influencer

Our templates simplify your LinkedIn Boolean search setup.

Pro Tips to Improve Your Boolean Searches

Tired of digging through digital haystacks? Let’s sharpen that Boolean blade:

• Mix ANDs & ORs like a cocktail:
  (founder OR CEO) AND (“artificial intelligence” OR AI) = only the good stuff, no fluff.
• Use Geography & Industry filters to slice smarter

Boolean can’t filter for geography — LinkedIn can. Let each tool do its job.

• Use quotes like a boss:
  “digital marketing” gets you exactly that — not digital and marketing somewhere 10 words apart.
  
• Exclude junk with a clean NOT:
  consultant NOT “independent” = saves you from those solo warriors.
  
• Parentheses are your new BFF:

•  They help organize chaos: (VP OR “vice president”) AND (Fintech OR Crypto) — tidy and deadly effective.
  
• Sales Navigator Hack:
  Use Boolean in the keywords field only — LinkedIn ignores it in other filters (yes, really).
  
• Work in batches:
  For long lists (e.g., 20+ job titles), break them into chunks. Boolean hates TL;DR.
  
• Copy-Paste Zen:
  Write queries in Google Docs or Notepad to keep your sanity. One slip in a parenthesis = Boolean meltdown. Keep a LinkedIn Boolean search cheat sheet handy to quickly recall syntax for finding the right profiles.”

Save time by using LinkedIn Boolean search filters correctly.

Can You Automate LinkedIn Boolean Searches? (And Should You?)

⚠️ Reminder: LinkedIn doesn’t allow scraping. Use carefully, warm up your account, don’t overload.

🏗 Step 1. Create Campaign in Linked Helper

Instead of running two campaigns (companies + people), just use the Employees extractor:

• Go to Create campaign → Employees extractor.

• It collects organizations from LinkedIn search and immediately scrapes employees from the People tab.
  
• Boolean search supported (e.g. “CEO” OR “Founder” OR “CMO”).

👉 Guide: Employees extractor template
🔍 Step 2. Filters & Keywords

Linked Helper uses LinkedIn’s own filters.

1. Filter companies in LinkedIn Search (location, size, industry).

Click on “Start Collecting” to gather profiles from target companies. 

2. Add keywords in Employees extractor (CEO, CMO, Founder, etc.).

Now let’s find the humans behind the brands.

In the keyword settings, you can specify job titles using Boolean string. 

3. Set employee limits per company (e.g. max 60).

📊 Step 3. Run & Get Results

Once you’ve set up filters for companies and positions, click “Start.”

• Linked Helper visits each company → collects People tab profiles → applies Boolean filter.

Then you can:

• Export to Excel.
• Send profiles to another campaign (invites, messages).
• Build LinkedIn Ads audiences (300+ companies).
• Scrape profile info: names, titles, summaries, and more.
• Export to spreadsheet, tag contacts, and start mapping your outreach.

🎁 Try It Free

Ready to test-drive it?

Download Linked Helper and get a 14-day free trial — no credit card, no fuss.

Step-by-Step: Build a Boolean Search Campaign from Scratch

Boolean search on LinkedIn lets you build smart queries with AND, OR, and NOT to uncover hidden gems in the talent or lead pool.

🔍 Step-by-Step: Build a Boolean Search Campaign from Scratch

1. Define Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

LinkedIn Boolean search helps you find more relevant profiles by combining keywords logically.

• Industry: e.g. SaaS, FinTech, Marketing Agencies
  
• Job Titles: e.g. Marketing Manager, Head of Growth, CTO
  
• Seniority: e.g. C-level, VP, Manager
  
• Location: e.g. US, Canada, Western Europe
  
• Company Size: e.g. 11–50, 51–200 employees
  

🎯 Tip: Write down these filters — they’ll shape your Boolean string.

2. Build the Boolean String

Use operators to create a targeted string. 

LinkedIn Boolean Search Examples:

(“marketing manager” OR “growth manager” OR “head of marketing”) 

AND (“SaaS” OR “software”) 

NOT (“intern” OR “freelancer”)

Operators to use:

• OR — includes any of the terms
  
• AND — all terms must be present
  
• NOT — excludes terms
  
• “” — exact phrase
  
• () — group logic
  

🎯 Tip: Avoid noise. Use NOT to filter out irrelevant roles or industries.

3. Test Your String

• Use LinkedIn, Google (site:linkedin.com/in/), or sales tools like Sales Navigator.
  
• Look at the first 10–20 profiles:
  
  • Do they match your ICP?
    
  • Too broad? Add more AND or NOT
    
  • Too narrow? Remove filters or adjust keywords
    

4. Segment and Save

Once the string works:

• Save the search (in your tool or doc)
  
• Create multiple variations by:
  
  • Changing job titles
    
  • Switching industries
    
  • Narrowing by location or seniority
    

🎯 Tip: Label strings clearly (e.g. “US SaaS CMOs”) for future use.

5. Launch the Campaign

• Plug results into your outreach tool (e.g. LinkedIn automation, email tool)
  
• Personalize messages per segment
  
• Track replies and performance by segment

Free Boolean Search Templates (Copy + Paste)

Below you’ll find ready-to-use Boolean search templates that you can copy and paste directly into LinkedIn.

These templates are designed to save you hours of manual work — no need to build search strings from scratch.
Just adapt the job titles, keywords, and locations to fit your target audience, and you’re ready to go.

Use them to quickly test hypotheses, identify ICP segments, and accelerate your outreach workflow.

🔍 Template 1: Find Marketing Decision-Makers in SaaS Companies

(“Head of Marketing” OR “Marketing Director” OR “VP of Marketing”) 

AND (“SaaS” OR “Software”) 

AND (“B2B”) 

AND (“United States” OR “UK”) 

NOT (“intern” OR “freelancer”)

🧑‍💻 Template 2: Find Tech Founders in Early-Stage Startups

(“Founder” OR “Co-Founder” OR “CEO”) 

AND (“Startup” OR “Early-stage”) 

AND (“Tech” OR “AI” OR “Fintech”) 

AND (“San Francisco” OR “London” OR “Berlin”)

 Template 3: Find HR and Talent Acquisition Leaders

(“Head of Talent” OR “Talent Acquisition Manager” OR “Recruiting Lead” OR “HR Director”) 

AND (“Tech” OR “Startup”) 

AND (“Hiring” OR “Scaling teams”) 

AND (“Europe” OR “USA”) 

NOT (“consultant”)

💰 Template 4: Find Investors Interested in AI or Web3

(“Angel Investor” OR “Venture Capitalist” OR “VC”) 

AND (“AI” OR “Web3” OR “Blockchain”) 

AND (“Portfolio” OR “Backing startups”) 

NOT (“real estate” OR “crypto trading”)

📱 Template 5: Find E-commerce Brand Owners

(“Founder” OR “Owner” OR “Co-Founder”) 

AND (“E-commerce” OR “DTC” OR “Shopify”) 

AND (“Beauty” OR “Skincare” OR “Fashion”) 

AND (“USA” OR “Canada” OR “Australia”)

Final Thoughts: Mastering LinkedIn Boolean Search for Growth

Whether you’re hiring a unicorn or hunting C-suite leads, Boolean search on LinkedIn gives you Sherlock-level precision with just a few operators and quotation marks. Here’s a quick-fire list to make it work like a pro:

• ✅ Use quotes for exact matches – “marketing director” is not the same as just marketing + director.
  
• 🚫 Avoid generic terms – Words like “professional” or “experienced” bring messy results.
  
• 🎯 Use parentheses to group terms and avoid logic fails: (founder OR ceo) AND (saas OR fintech)
  
• 🧠 Save your best strings – Use a doc or Notion to store your high-performing Boolean queries.
  
• 💥 Combine filters + Boolean – Filters = broad strokes, Boolean = laser targeting.
  
• 📊 Try Linked Helper – Automate search, visit, and collect profiles at scale (don’t go spammy, keep it human).
  
• 📍 Test > Refine > Repeat – Boolean is trial and error. Adjust based on results, like A/B testing your search.

Mastering LinkedIn Boolean search operators is like holding the key to a secret VIP room of top-tier candidates and leads.

FAQs About LinkedIn Boolean Search

The real magic begins when you mix LinkedIn Boolean search operators with intent and a strong coffee.

Can I do a Boolean search on LinkedIn?

Yes! Both free and paid LinkedIn versions support Boolean in the main keyword bar (Sales Navigator gives extra depth).

What is an example of a Boolean search?

Example: “Product Manager” AND (Fintech OR SaaS) NOT “intern” – this finds people with the title Product Manager in those industries, but excludes interns.

How to do an advanced search on LinkedIn?

Use filters like Location + Industry, then layer with Boolean strings in the keyword/title fields for precision.

How to do a Boolean search on LinkedIn sales navigator?

Just paste your Boolean string in the Keyword, Title, or Company fields – it supports all operators (AND, OR, NOT, “”, ()).

What is an example of a Boolean search in recruitment?

Example: (“Software Engineer” OR Developer) AND (“Python” OR “Django”) NOT “Intern” – perfect to target mid-level tech talent.