# Boolean search in recruiting

Boolean search is a way of combining keywords with operators such as AND, OR, and NOT, along with quotation marks and parentheses, to build a precise search query, so a recruiter can narrow a large candidate database down to people with a specific mix of skills and experience.

The technique works largely the same way across most resume databases, LinkedIn, and ATS candidate search tools.

**Boolean search** — Boolean search uses a small set of logical operators to control how a search engine combines keywords. AND requires both terms to appear ("recruiter AND sourcing"); OR returns results matching either term, useful for synonyms ("recruiter OR \"talent acquisition\""); NOT excludes a term ("recruiter NOT intern"); quotation marks search for an exact phrase; and parentheses group terms so operators apply in the right order, for example ("recruiter" OR "talent acquisition") AND "boolean search" NOT intern. Recruiters use this to search resume databases, LinkedIn Recruiter, and the candidate search inside an ATS, since a single keyword usually returns too many or too few results to be useful on its own. A well-built Boolean string can turn a search of thousands of profiles into a short, specific list matching a role's actual requirements, though it still depends on candidates having used the right words in their own profile or resume.

The main limitation of Boolean search is that it only matches literal words. A candidate who describes the same skill with different terminology than the recruiter searched for won't show up, even if they're a genuine fit, which is why some newer candidate search tools use semantic matching instead, matching on meaning rather than exact keyword strings. Boolean search still gets heavy use in sourcing work specifically, since it remains the standard method most resume databases and LinkedIn support directly.

## Frequently asked questions

### What do AND, OR, and NOT do in a Boolean search?

AND requires both terms to be present, OR matches either term (useful for synonyms), and NOT excludes results containing a specific word, letting a recruiter build a precise search query.

### Why use quotation marks in a Boolean search?

Quotation marks search for an exact phrase instead of the individual words separately, so "talent acquisition" only matches that specific phrase rather than any result containing talent or acquisition.

### Does Boolean search work on every recruiting platform?

Most resume databases, LinkedIn Recruiter, and ATS candidate search tools support standard Boolean operators, though the exact syntax can vary slightly between platforms.

## Related pages

- [Candidate sourcing](/glossary/sourcing)
- [Passive candidates](/glossary/passive-candidates)

## Be found by more than a keyword

A completed AI interview on Intervieux gives you something concrete to be found by, beyond wherever your resume happens to use the right words.

Start practicing free: https://www.intervieux.ai/register · Hire with Intervieux: https://www.intervieux.ai/employers/signup