Sales Navigator Boolean Search: 2026 Tutorial

Does Sales Navigator Provide a Boolean Search?

Yes — Sales Navigator supports boolean search, allowing you to combine keywords with operators like AND, OR, and NOT, and then refine results using LinkedIn filters such as company size, seniority, industry, and location.

If you’re using LinkedIn for sales or marketing, boolean search is one of the most powerful ways to reduce noise and focus only on relevant prospects.

According to LinkedIn, Sales Navigator users can see up to a 17% higher win rate compared to non-users. Mastering boolean search helps you take full advantage of that potential.

Generate a LinkedIn Boolean Search Automatically (Free)

Writing boolean queries manually is slow and error-prone — especially when searches become complex.

Instead, you can use the free LinkedIn Boolean Search Tool by Scrupp to generate:

boolean search strings

Sales Navigator–ready queries

Recruiter-compatible searches

Just describe your ideal prospect and copy the result directly into LinkedIn.

👉 Try the Free LinkedIn Boolean Search Tool

What Is LinkedIn Boolean Search?

LinkedIn boolean search is a technique that combines words and phrases using boolean logic to control how search results on LinkedIn are generated.

This method is officially supported by LinkedIn and documented in LinkedIn Help resources. It allows you to:

define a specific job, skill, or role

match profiles more precisely

exclude irrelevant results

Boolean search evaluates each LinkedIn profile against your query logic instead of relying on loose keyword matching.

Why Use Boolean Search on LinkedIn?

Using LinkedIn for sales or marketing requires precision.

LinkedIn boolean search helps you:

refine your search results

remove unsuitable profiles

find the most relevant decision-makers faster

improve targeting in LinkedIn prospecting

When combined with Sales Navigator filters, boolean search becomes a powerful tool for building high-quality lead lists.

Keyword Strategy in LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Before writing any boolean query, you should understand:

who your target audience is

how they describe themselves

which terms appear in their job titles and profiles

Best Practices for Keyword Selection

Demographic deciphering
Understand job levels, industries, and regions before selecting keywords.

Profile keyword integration
Keywords should match how people write their own profiles — not internal job descriptions.

Search criteria optimization
Combine keywords with filters like company size and geography.

Result monitoring
Review search results and adjust keywords if results are too broad or too narrow.

💡 Tip: You can speed this up by using a boolean generator instead of testing combinations manually.

Types of Keyword Searches in Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator supports two main keyword approaches:

1. General Keyword Boolean Search

This is LinkedIn’s core search method. You enter keywords into the search bar, and LinkedIn returns:

profiles

companies

posts

jobs

You can then refine results using filters such as:

location

industry

seniority

company size

2. Current Job Title Boolean Search

This search focuses only on the current job title field.

It’s especially useful when:

job title accuracy is critical

past roles are irrelevant

you want cleaner lead lists

Boolean Search Operators on LinkedIn

To run a boolean search correctly, you must understand the following operators.

AND — Find Profiles Containing Multiple Terms

Use AND to require two or more keywords.

Example: Marketing AND Sales

LinkedIn will only return profiles that include both terms.

OR — Find Profiles Containing Any of the Terms

Use OR when searching for variations, synonyms, or alternative spellings.

Example: "Vice President" OR "V.P." 

NOT — Exclude Unwanted Results

Use NOT to remove profiles containing certain words.

Example: Director NOT Executive NOT Sales

This is essential for removing irrelevant seniority levels or roles.

Quotation Marks — Search for an Exact Phrase

Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.

Example: "Sales Manager" 

Without quotes, LinkedIn interprets this as:

Sales AND Manager

Using quotes dramatically improves accuracy and reduces irrelevant results.

Parentheses — Combine and Group Queries

Parentheses allow you to create complex searches by grouping terms.

Example:

Assistant AND (Marketing OR Sales) 

This matches:

Assistant AND Marketing

Assistant AND Sales

Parenthetical searches are critical for advanced targeting.

Boolean Search String Examples

Here are common boolean string examples used in Sales Navigator:

Sales Manager AND B2B

(Founder OR CEO) AND SaaS

Marketing NOT Agency

These examples show how keywords and operators work together to produce targeted search results.

💡 Shortcut: The Scrupp Boolean Search Tool generates these strings automatically and applies best practices by default.

Boolean Search on Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator lets you use LinkedIn boolean search together with advanced filters such as:

company size

industry

geography

seniority

This combination allows you to search to find decision-makers quickly and efficiently.

Boolean Search on LinkedIn Recruiter

LinkedIn Recruiter also supports boolean search and is widely used for:

candidate sourcing

niche role hiring

technical skill matching

Recruiters rely heavily on:

quoted searches

parenthetical searches

multiple terms and exclusions

Refining and Broadening Your Search

Boolean search allows you to refine or broaden results by adjusting keywords and operators.

Refine Your Search to Quickly Improve Results

add exclusions

use exact phrases

narrow job titles

Search to Quickly and Efficiently

avoid overly long queries

test variations

combine filters with boolean logic

This approach helps you quickly and efficiently find the most relevant profiles.

Advanced Boolean Search Strategies & Tips

Once you master the basics, consider these advanced techniques:

Nest Parentheses for Precision

Example:

(Director OR "Head Of") AND (Marketing OR Sales) AND (SaaS OR "Software as a Service") NOT (Intern OR Junior)

Iterate Instead of Overcomplicating

Start broad → review results → refine gradually.

Avoid Common Mistakes

forgetting quotation marks

misplacing operators

over-filtering too early

ignoring result quality

From Boolean Search to Exported Leads

Boolean search helps you find prospects.
To use them, you need to export and enrich the data.

This is where Scrupp comes in.

With Scrupp, you can:

export Sales Navigator leads

clean names and titles

enrich verified emails

prepare data for CRM or outreach tools

Popular Tools for Sales Navigator Export & Enrichment

How Do I Search for Keywords on Sales Navigator?

Open your Sales Navigator account

Go to Leads

Enter keywords in the search bar

Apply filters (location, industry, size)

Run the search and review results

Remember: Sales Navigator is a premium LinkedIn product and requires an active subscription.

Skip Manual Boolean Search — Generate It Instantly

Manual boolean search is slow and easy to break.

Use the free LinkedIn Boolean Search Tool to:

generate correct queries

avoid syntax errors

test variations faster

move directly to exporting leads

👉 Open the Free LinkedIn Boolean Search Tool