Most people search the internet by typing natural language and hoping for the best. But search engines support structured syntax - logical operators and special commands - that let you precisely control what you find. Learning this syntax is like learning keyboard shortcuts: a small upfront investment that compounds into massive time savings.
The core insight: every search is a filter. Boolean operators and search syntax let you stack filters deliberately instead of relying on the algorithm to guess what you want.
Boolean Logic: The Foundation
Three operators form the basis of all structured search:
| Operator | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AND | Both terms must appear (narrows) | python AND django |
| OR | Either term can appear (broadens) | manager OR director |
| NOT / - | Exclude a term (narrows) | jaguar -car |
Grouping with parentheses controls evaluation order:
marketing OR sales AND manager→marketing OR (sales AND manager)(not what you want)(marketing OR sales) AND manager→ managers in either field (what you want)
Quotes force exact phrase matching:
machine learning→ pages with both words anywhere"machine learning"→ pages with that exact phrase
These work across almost every search platform - Google, LinkedIn, job boards, academic databases.
Google: The Power User Toolkit
Filtering Where to Search
| Operator | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
site: | Search only one website | site:reddit.com productivity |
filetype: | Only specific file types | filetype:pdf machine learning |
intitle: | Term must be in page title | intitle:"how to" investing |
inurl: | Term must be in the URL | inurl:blog |
related: | Find similar websites | related:nytimes.com |
Refining What You Find
| Operator | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
"phrase" | Exact phrase match | "confirmation bias" |
-term | Exclude results with term | python tutorial -beginner |
* | Wildcard placeholder | "the * of knowledge" |
AROUND(X) | Two terms within X words | "remote work" AROUND(5) "productivity" |
after: / before: | Filter by date | AI ethics after:2025-01-01 |
num1..num2 | Number range | laptop $500..$1000 |
Practical Combos
Find academic resources on a topic:
site:.edu filetype:pdf "research paper" behavioral economics
Search multiple sites at once:
"investment analysis" site:reddit.com OR site:medium.com
Find recent discussions, exclude noise:
"interest rates" after:2025-06-01 -site:pinterest.com -site:facebook.com
Find how two concepts are discussed together:
"confirmation bias" AROUND(5) "investing"
Discover documents on government sites:
filetype:pdf site:.gov "financial regulation"
LinkedIn: Boolean for People Search
LinkedIn supports boolean but with key differences from Google:
The Rules
- Operators MUST be UPPERCASE -
AND,OR,NOTwork;and,or,notare ignored - No wildcard
*- spell out variations with OR - No
-operator - useNOTinstead - Always quote multi-word titles -
"Product Manager"notProduct Manager
Practical Patterns
Find specific roles in specific industries:
"Product Manager" AND (SaaS OR "B2B" OR "Enterprise Software")
Find decision makers:
(CEO OR Founder OR "Managing Director") AND (startup OR "Series A")
Find candidates with skills, exclude levels:
("Software Engineer" OR Developer) AND (Python OR Java) NOT (Junior OR Intern)
Cover title variations:
("VP of Sales" OR "Vice President of Sales" OR "Head of Sales" OR "Sales Director")
LinkedIn-Specific Tips
- Use the Title filter (in Recruiter/Sales Navigator) for job title matching - keyword search scans the entire profile
- Combine boolean with LinkedIn’s built-in filters (location, industry, company size) for best results
- Test incrementally - start broad, add operators one at a time, watch result counts
Platform Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| AND | AND or space | AND or space |
| OR | OR | OR |
| Exclude | - | NOT |
| Exact phrase | "phrase" | "phrase" |
| Wildcard | * | Not supported |
| Proximity | AROUND(X) | Not supported |
| Grouping | ( ) | ( ) |
Key Takeaway
Search is a skill, not just a text box. The difference between a naive search and a structured boolean query can be the difference between finding noise and finding exactly what you need.