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About usA search-technique resource, not a recruitment agency
BooleanSearch.co.uk exists to teach one specific, practical skill — writing search strings that find the right candidates — clearly enough that a recruiter can use it the same afternoon they read it.
Why this site exists
Boolean search is taught inconsistently. Some recruiters pick it up from a five-minute LinkedIn Learning video; others inherit half-correct habits from a manager who never explained why a search string worked. Syntax also changes: LinkedIn, Google and CV databases each update their search behaviour periodically, and a string that worked in 2022 can silently stop matching in 2026 if a platform drops support for a particular operator.
We built BooleanSearch.co.uk to be the single, current reference: plain-English explanations, tested strings, and an explicit "last updated" date on every guide so you know whether the syntax has been re-checked recently.
How we write and check our guides
Every core guide is drafted by a contributor with hands-on in-house or agency sourcing experience, then checked against the current search behaviour of the platform it covers before publishing. Where a platform's supported syntax is ambiguous or undocumented, we test the string directly and describe what we observed rather than repeating assumptions from older articles.
- Strings are tested against live search results before publication.
- Guides are re-reviewed when a platform changes its search interface or terms of service.
- We link to a platform's own help documentation where one exists, rather than paraphrasing it as fact.
Editorial team
Writes the core operator and LinkedIn guides. Previously built sourcing playbooks for a mid-sized UK tech recruitment agency.
Reviews search strings for accuracy against current platform behaviour and edits guides for clarity before publication.
What we don't do
We don't place candidates, sell CV databases, or accept payment to recommend a particular ATS or sourcing tool. Our only product is the free content on this site; if that changes in future, we'll say so on this page.
Explore the guides
Start with Boolean Operators Explained, then move on to platform-specific strings for LinkedIn or CV and X-ray search. If a string doesn't return what you expect, check Common Search Mistakes before assuming the platform is broken.