Boolean search operators: cheat sheet for LinkedIn and Google
Each search reads boolean operators in its own way. The table shows what LinkedIn search, LinkedIn Recruiter and Google accept, with the source of each rule.
Operators by search
| Operator | LinkedIn search | LinkedIn Recruiter | Google X-ray |
|---|---|---|---|
| AND | Yes, in upper case | Yes, in upper case | Not needed: Google requires every word. AND does not count toward the 32-word limit |
| OR | Yes, in upper case | Yes, in upper case | Yes. OR and | do not count toward the 32-word limit |
| NOT | NOT in upper case | NOT in upper case | A minus before the word: -intern |
| "quotes" | Exact phrase | Exact phrase in Keywords, Job titles and Companies | Exact phrase |
| ( ) | Grouping | Grouping | Work in our tests |
| + and - | Not officially supported | Not officially supported | The minus excludes a word |
| * | Not supported | No rule in the Recruiter help | Replaces one word inside a phrase. Sources differ about more words |
| site: | - | - | Limits results to one site, for example site:linkedin.com/in |
Limits
- LinkedIn search limits the number of operators in one search. LinkedIn does not publish the number.
- LinkedIn Recruiter and Recruiter Lite have no limit on the number of operators.
- Google reads the first 32 words of a search and drops the rest without a message. Our test on 22 October 2026 confirmed the limit.
Order on LinkedIn
LinkedIn reads a string in this order: quotes, parentheses, NOT, AND, OR. Parentheses around each OR group keep the meaning clear.
Example
LinkedIn search
("Data Engineer" OR "ETL Developer") AND Spark AND Airflow NOT intern
Google X-ray
site:linkedin.com/in -site:business.linkedin.com ("Data Engineer" OR "ETL Developer") Spark Airflow -intern
9 of 32 words