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Boolean Search String Generator

Turn job titles, skills, and exclusions into ready-to-paste Boolean and LinkedIn X-ray search strings for sourcing candidates on LinkedIn, Google, and job boards.

Build your search

Separate multiple terms with commas. Job titles and nice-to-haves are combined with OR; must-have skills are required (AND); excluded terms use NOT.

General / Google X-ray

Paste into Google or a job board search

("Software Engineer" OR Developer OR Programmer) AND React AND TypeScript AND (AWS OR Docker OR GraphQL) NOT (recruiter OR intern)

LinkedIn X-ray (Google)

Searches public LinkedIn profiles via Google

site:linkedin.com/in ("Software Engineer" OR Developer OR Programmer) AND React AND TypeScript AND (AWS OR Docker OR GraphQL) NOT (recruiter OR intern)

Tip: Boolean syntax varies slightly by platform. LinkedIn Recruiter and Recruiter Lite support AND/OR/NOT and quotes natively; for the free LinkedIn search, the Google X-ray string above is the reliable route.

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01 How to use it

How to use Boolean search for sourcing

Start broad with the job titles a candidate might use, grouped with OR so alternatives are all included. Add your must-have skills as required AND terms so every result has them, and put nice-to-have skills in an OR group to widen the pool without diluting quality. Use NOT to strip out noise like recruiters, interns, or unrelated industries. Wrap multi-word phrases in quotes, and add a location keyword to focus the search. For LinkedIn, the Google X-ray string finds public profiles reliably without a paid seat.

Job titles → OR group so alternative titles all match.
Must-have skills → AND so every one is required.
Nice-to-have skills → OR group to widen the pool.
Exclusions → NOT to remove irrelevant results.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a Boolean search string?
A Boolean search string combines keywords with the operators AND, OR, and NOT (plus quotes and parentheses) to precisely control search results. Recruiters use it to find candidates on LinkedIn, Google, and job boards — for example, requiring certain skills, allowing alternative job titles, and excluding irrelevant terms in a single query.
How do AND, OR, and NOT work in Boolean search?
AND requires every term to appear, narrowing results. OR matches any of the listed terms, widening results — useful for alternative job titles or interchangeable skills. NOT excludes results containing a term. Quotes keep multi-word phrases together, and parentheses group OR terms so the logic evaluates correctly.
What is a LinkedIn X-ray search?
A LinkedIn X-ray search uses Google to find public LinkedIn profiles by adding site:linkedin.com/in to your Boolean string. It's a reliable way to surface candidates without a LinkedIn Recruiter seat, since Google indexes public profiles. This generator builds a ready-to-paste X-ray string for you.
Does Boolean search work the same on every platform?
The core operators are widely supported, but syntax varies. LinkedIn Recruiter and Recruiter Lite support AND/OR/NOT and quotes natively; the free LinkedIn search is more limited, so a Google X-ray string is more dependable. Google and most job boards handle quotes and OR well but treat NOT differently, so test and refine.
Is this Boolean search generator free?
Yes. It's completely free, requires no signup, and builds strings entirely in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere until you choose to. If you'd like to turn your searches into an actual sourced-and-screened pipeline, you can ask to see how Pitch N Hire helps, but that's optional.
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From search string to sourced pipeline

Pitch N Hire (with OnJob.io sourcing and Intuvos AI screening) turns your best Boolean searches into a shortlisted, screened pipeline. Start free with the 1-user plan, or book a demo.

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