Free tool
Boolean search generator for recruiters
Enter job titles, must-have skills, nice-to-have skills and terms to exclude. The generator groups them with the right operators and parentheses and returns two strings you can copy: one for LinkedIn, job boards and your ATS, and one Google X-ray query that searches public LinkedIn profiles. It runs in your browser.
Build your search string
Separate terms with commas. Terms with a space are put in quotation marks automatically. Leave fields empty that you do not need.
Fill in at least one job title.
How does the generator build the string?
It follows the structure most sourcers use by hand. Job title variants are combined with OR inside parentheses, because a candidate needs only one of them. Every must-have skill is added with AND. Nice-to-have skills form a second OR group, so at least one of them has to appear. Exclusions are added with NOT.
The parentheses are not decoration. According to LinkedIn's help pages, LinkedIn processes quotation marks first, then parentheses, then NOT, AND and finally OR. Without parentheses, a string like developer OR engineer AND java would be read as developer OR (engineer AND java), returning every developer regardless of skills. Operators must be in capitals on LinkedIn, and wildcards such as an asterisk are not supported.
How do you use the result on LinkedIn and in Google?
- 01
LinkedIn and LinkedIn Recruiter
Paste the boolean string into the keyword field. Set the location with LinkedIn's own location filter instead of adding it as a keyword: a city in the keyword field also matches people who once studied or worked there.
- 02
Job boards and your ATS
Most CV databases and applicant tracking systems accept AND, OR, NOT, quotes and parentheses. Check the search help of your system: some use a minus sign instead of NOT, or need operators in capitals.
- 03
Google X-ray search
Paste the X-ray query into Google. It starts with site:linkedin.com/in to limit results to public profile pages, uses spaces as an implicit AND, adds the location as a phrase and excludes terms with a minus sign, as documented in Google Search Help.
- 04
Review and refine
Scan the first twenty results. Too many irrelevant profiles: add a must-have or an exclusion. Too few: remove a must-have or add title variants. Two or three rounds are normal.
What do good boolean strings look like?
Three examples, each built from the generator's fields. Adjust the terms to the language candidates actually use on their profiles, which is often not the language of your vacancy text.
Backend developer
Titles: backend developer, software engineer. Must-have: java. Nice-to-have: spring, kotlin. Exclude: intern. Result: ("backend developer" OR "software engineer") AND java AND (spring OR kotlin) NOT intern. More search patterns for this market are on the software engineer sourcing page.
Registered nurse in the Netherlands
Titles: verpleegkundige, wijkverpleegkundige. Must-have: BIG. Exclude: student. Result: (verpleegkundige OR wijkverpleegkundige) AND BIG NOT student. Many nurses do not keep a detailed LinkedIn profile, so combine this with other channels; see sourcing nurses.
Electrician with a safety certification
Titles: elektromonteur, servicemonteur. Must-have: NEN 3140. Result: (elektromonteur OR servicemonteur) AND "NEN 3140". The certificate code is quoted because it contains a space. More on this market: sourcing electricians.
Questions about boolean search strings
Is the boolean search generator free?
Yes. It runs in your browser, needs no account and does not send what you type to a server.
Why do I get no results on LinkedIn?
Usually the string has too many AND terms. Every must-have removes profiles; move skills that are not strictly required to the nice-to-have field. Also check that operators are in capitals.
Can I use the X-ray query for sites other than LinkedIn?
Yes. Replace site:linkedin.com/in with another domain, for example a code repository or a professional directory. Only public, indexed pages are found.
Does LinkedIn support wildcards like developer*?
No. LinkedIn's help pages say wildcards are not supported, so add the variants you need (developer, developers, development) as separate OR terms.
When is a boolean string not enough?
When the market is small, titles vary widely or you need to assess hundreds of profiles against the whole vacancy. Then the search is the easy part and assessing and approaching take the time. The AI sourcing guide covers what changes then.
Skip the string. Start from the vacancy.
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