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Boolean search syntax and operators

Precise search built with Boolean operators, for when natural-language prompts return too much noise or you need exact phrase matching.

How-toRequires an account

Outcome

A search using Boolean logic for keyword precision.

Prerequisites

  • Manual Filters open, with the Keyword or Boolean Search field available

Steps

  1. Open the search dashboard and switch to Manual Filter.
  2. Find the Keyword or Boolean Search field.
  3. Enter your query using the operators below.
  4. Click Find talents.

[SCREENSHOT: Manual Filter panel with a Boolean query in the keyword field]

Operators

  • AND — matches all terms. Python AND Django returns profiles with both.
  • OR — matches any term, useful for synonyms. Python OR Java OR Ruby.
  • NOT — excludes a term. developer NOT junior.
  • Quotes (“”) — exact phrase. "data scientist" matches the phrase; without quotes the words match independently.
  • Parentheses () — group for precedence. ("data science" AND Python) NOT "entry level".

Verification

Results reflect the logic. NOT junior means no result mentions “junior”; "data scientist" means every result contains that phrase.

Troubleshooting

  • No results. Check operator typos.
  • Too many results. Add more AND terms or NOT exclusions.
  • Operator not recognized. Confirm you’re in the Boolean field, not the general prompt.
  • Quotes appear literally. Use straight quotes, not smart quotes.

Best practices

  • Start with must-haves (AND), then add exclusions (NOT).
  • Use OR sparingly; three or more often pulls in noise.
  • Combine Boolean with structured filters: Boolean for keyword precision, filters for everything else.
  • Use keywords to catch skills the skills filter misses. The skills filter only matches structured skill data; a keyword scans the full profile text, so it finds skills mentioned in a summary, job description, or project that aren’t formally listed.
  • Save successful queries as Saved Filters.

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