LinkedIn Advanced search in 2025: How to do it [+Best practices]

Did you know?

That there are around 1 billion people all over the globe using LinkedIn?

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So, how do you find the right people for YOU on such a huge platform?

Because look, LinkedIn is flooding with potential leads for your business,

And if you still don’t know what LinkedIn’s advanced search is…

You ain’t gonna find them, pal.

That’s where most people underestimate LinkedIn’s search engine capabilities.

You can very easily generate quality leads while saving a lot of time, allowing you to focus on the more important things.

Which are obviously, closing more deals.

So are you ready to know how advanced search can completely change your prospecting?

…

I’ll take that as a yes.

What is LinkedIn advanced search?

LinkedIn’s Advanced Search is a powerful feature for finding people in a freakingly less amount of time.

But there’s the catch:

It’s a part of LinkedIn premium search, LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Recruiter.

So, you’ll have to dig your pockets a bit for this one.

But money brings happiness.

You can search beyond your connections, giving you a much bigger pool of people to connect with.

The cool part?

You can save your searches and pick up where you left off anytime.

Plus, unlike the free version, there's no limit on how many profiles you can check out.

And if you need to find someone specific by job title, location, or industry,

Advanced Search has got your back there as well.

So, with this feature, you can make growing your network and hunting for leads super easy and way less time-consuming.

Do I really need to be spending money to get this feature?

Is basic search not enough on its own?

Ummm.. not really.

Let’s know why:

Advanced LinkedIn Search vs. Basic Search

When it comes to finding people, companies, or jobs on LinkedIn, you have two options:

Basic Search and Advanced Search.

Both can get you results, but one is much more precise and time-saving than the other.

Let’s break it down.

Basic LinkedIn Search

This is the default search you see when you type a keyword into the LinkedIn search bar.

It works like a general search engine, showing you broad results based on your input into the search bar.

How it works:

• Type a keyword (like a job title, person’s name, or company) in the search bar.
• LinkedIn shows results for people, companies, jobs, posts, and more, all mixed together.
• You can use simple filters like People, Jobs, Companies, and Posts to separate the results into categories.

Limitations of the basic search

• Results are too broad, you’ll see a mix of everything related to your keyword.
• Limited filters: Basic filters only let you sort by category (like "People" or "Jobs").
• Super time-consuming: You end up scrolling through pages of unrelated results.
• Not ideal for targeted searches like finding decision-makers at specific companies.

So you should be using basic search when you’re looking for something simple and don’t need super precise results.

Like: Searching for a company by name, or looking for a specific person (if you know their name), or browsing for general job titles without too many specific requirements.

Advanced linkedIn search

Advanced search includes everything from the basic LinkedIn search + more precise filters.

You can filter, sort, and target your search results to get exactly what you want.

How it works

• Start with a keyword search, just like with basic search.
• Click the “All Filters” option at the top of the search results page.
• This shows you a range of filters you can use to filter your search further.

What all filters do you get?

For People Searches, you can filter by:

• Connections (1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree)
• Location (Country, city, or region)
• Current or Past Company
• Industries (Like SaaS, Finance, or Marketing)
• Title (Like "CMO" or "Business Development Manager")
• Schools (Look for alumni from specific universities)
• Service Categories (Like graphic design, coaching, or legal services)
• Keywords (Specific terms that appear on their profile)

For Company Searches, you can filter by:

• Location (Where the company is headquartered)
• Industry (What sector the company operates in)
• Company Size (Startups vs. Enterprises)
• Connections (See which companies have people you’re connected to)

For Job Searches, you can filter by:

• Date Posted (See the newest jobs only)
• Experience Level (Entry, mid-level, or senior)
• Job Type (Full-time, part-time, contract, etc.)
• Remote / On-Site (Filter for remote jobs only)
• Easy Apply (Jobs you can apply for with one click)

Benefits of advanced search

• Precision: Find exactly the prospects you’re looking for.
• Save Time: You’re not scrolling through irrelevant results.
• Control: Choose filters that match your specific goals (like finding CMOs in SaaS companies in New York).

So, which one should you use?

If you’re looking for a quick answer (like finding a company page or a job title), basic search will do.

But you need advanced search if you’re looking for leads, prospecting for B2B clients, or job searching with specific criteria.

So, basic search = limited, broad, time-consuming

Advanced search = precise, narrow, less time-taking, advanced targeting

On that note..

How to do advanced search on LinkedIn?

Finding the right connections, job opportunities, or information on LinkedIn can be a challenge, especially with so many profiles and listings.

By using a combination of filters and Boolean search operators, you can refine your search and more effectively connect with the right prospects.

Here’s a breakdown of how to use advanced search on LinkedIn:

1. Start with a basic search

The first step is to type a keyword into LinkedIn’s search bar — this could be a job title, company name, or even someone’s name.

Once you hit enter, you’ll see the usual list of results.

But if you’re using LinkedIn Premium, Sales Navigator, or Recruiter, things get interesting because you’ll unlock the advanced search filters.

These filters help you dig deeper and filter your search beyond just the standard results.

2. Use filters to get specific

After starting your search, it’s time to apply filters to really narrow down what you’re looking for.

Advanced search filters can focus your results by location, industry, current or past company, job title, and years of experience.

Here’s what advanced search in Sales Navigator looks like:

It has over 50 filters on LinkedIn!!!

The more filters you use, the more specific your results become, allowing you to quickly find exactly the profiles or companies you need.

3. Use Boolean search

Using Boolean search operators can help you get super targeted results on LinkedIn.

Let’s see how:

3.1 Using AND Operator

The AND operator helps you combine multiple criteria, ensuring that LinkedIn only shows results that include all the terms you specify.

For example, searching for “Marketing AND Social Media” will give you profiles that mention both marketing and social media experience.

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This is useful when you need to narrow down your search to people with skills or roles in multiple areas at once.

3.2 Using NOT Operator

The NOT operator allows you to exclude specific terms from your search, filtering out irrelevant results.

For instance, if you’re looking for a software developer but don’t want any Java developers, you can search for “Software Developer NOT Java.”

This way, LinkedIn will exclude profiles that contain the word “Java,” saving you from sifting through unwanted results and helping you stay focused on what you need.

3.3 Using OR Operator

The OR operator broadens your search by showing results that contain any of the terms you specify rather than all.

For example, searching for “SEO OR PPC” will return profiles that have experience in either SEO or PPC.

This is especially helpful when you’re open to candidates or connections with diverse skills and want to explore more options.

3.4 Using Quotation Marks (“ ”)

Quotation marks are perfect for searching for exact phrases.

When you enclose a phrase in quotation marks, LinkedIn will only show results that include that exact wording.

For example, searching for “Chief Marketing Officer” ensures you see profiles with this specific title, rather than unrelated roles.

You can target exactly what you’re looking for without getting irrelevant results.

3.5 Using Parentheses ( )

Parentheses allow you to group terms together, which is useful when you’re combining multiple operators.

For example, if you’re looking for profiles with experience in either content marketing or SEO but want to exclude those with social media experience, you can search for “(Content Marketing OR SEO) NOT Social Media.”

Giving you more control over the search process, you can refine the results and find exactly what you need.

4. Save Your Searches for Later

If you’ve put together the perfect combination of filters and search terms, you don’t need to redo the work every time.

With LinkedIn Premium, you can save your searches so they’re easy to revisit whenever you want.

Even better, you can set up alerts so that LinkedIn will notify you when new profiles or jobs match your saved search criteria.

This is a huge time-saver if you’re consistently recruiting or prospecting.

5. Reach Out with InMail

Once you’ve found the perfect person, don’t let the opportunity slip away—reach out using LinkedIn’s InMail feature.

This is especially useful for Premium users because it lets you send a message directly to someone without needing to be connected.

You can bypass the usual connection request and get right into their inbox.

Whether you’re networking, making a sales pitch, or looking for a hire, InMail helps you make that connection quickly and directly.

6. Using SalesRobot!

(Think about all that wasted outreach efforts sorting out the bad leads )

But, I have a solution…

This feature on SalesRobot that can make searching for relevant leads easier and way less time-consuming.

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It’s called LookAlike Search, and it’s designed to help you find prospects by looking for companies that are similar to the ones you already target.

👉🏼Just type in a company name or domain, and it’ll pull up businesses with similar profiles.

This feature is perfect for expanding your reach without having to start from scratch every time.

👉🏼On top of that, you can get more precise with Person Information Filters by focusing on specific roles, seniority levels, or departments.

So you'll know exactly who to contact when you’re looking for decision-makers or people in specific teams.

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👉🏼The Company Information Filters allow you to filter your search based on employee size, location, or industry, helping you focus on businesses that align with your goals.

There’s even a Skip Duplicates option that ensures you won’t be reaching out to the same prospects already in your other campaigns.

This feature makes finding new, relevant prospects easier while cutting down on time and effort, giving you more high-quality leads on LinkedIn.

Best practices for LinkedIn Advanced Search

1️⃣ Focus on 2nd-degree connections

Targeting people who are your 2nd-degree connections can be a great start while prospecting.

Since you already share a mutual connection, it's easier to make an introduction or start a conversation.

You can use the “Connections” filter to find these people.

This will show all the 2nd-degree connections relevant to your searched keyword. (You can further filter your search using boolean search operators)

2️⃣ Use the "Past Company" filter

Connecting with people who’ve worked with your competitors or are familiar with them and your industry is a great move because:

They’re already familiar with the industry and the challenges you face, making them more likely to engage in a meaningful conversation.

So now, the real question is:

Does LinkedIn’s advanced search come without limitations?

LinkedIn has great advanced search features, but you can’t ignore the fact that they can be a hassle to use manually.

Like, spending endless hours searching for the perfect leads…

Then, sending personalized messages to each one of them…

Then, following up…

Then, keeping track as well???😩

Ugh, I’m tired already.

This is where SalesRobot comes to the rescue!

It helps you:

✔️Find prospects that are lookalikes of ones you already target

✔️Send personalized connection requests

✔️Follow up with several prospects at once

✔️Track how your campaigns are performing

All on autopilot + while keeping things friendly and personal.

How awesome is that!?

Plus, SalesRobot’s features won’t break your bank.

So, does this sound like something you could use?

(I think it should)

Sign up for a free trial now, and check it out yourself!

See you!

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