Overview
Sales Navigator is a powerful database for identifying potential prospects — but like any advanced tool, you need a bit of practice to unlock its full potential.
One big limitation: SalesNav’s built-in filters are too few and often too narrow, making it difficult to run complex or niche searches (growth agencies, luxury brands, technical stacks, etc.).
Fortunately, Boolean operators allow you to go far beyond these limitations and build custom advanced searches.
Key benefits
Ultra-precise segmentation using keyword combinations.
Bypass SalesNav filter limitations.
Perfect for ABM (Account-Based Marketing) workflows and complex searches.
What are Boolean operators?
Boolean operators let you combine keywords to refine your searches. They work inside fields like Keywords, Title, and Company.
Available Boolean formats:
Quotation marks
"exact phrase"— search for exact expressions.NOT — exclude terms.
OR — broaden your search with multiple possible terms.
AND — require all terms to be included.
Parentheses — group terms for complex logic.
Important:
Sales Navigator only supports straight quotation marks
" ".French quotes « » or curly quotes do not work.
“Stop words” (e.g., with, in, for) are ignored.
Before using Boolean search: master account targeting
Before jumping into advanced Boolean search, it’s essential to understand the basics of account-based targeting (ABM) in Sales Navigator.
We strongly recommend reading our ABM guide — it’s the foundation for effective Boolean research.
How to use Boolean search to target accounts on Sales Navigator
Let’s say you want to find French growth agencies with 51–200 employees.
Here’s a Boolean expression to start with:
("growth agency" OR "marketing agency" OR "Search Engine Optimization" OR "Search Engine
How to expand this Boolean search
As you review results, you’ll discover additional relevant keywords:
For example, when evaluating JVWEB, you may find terms like:
Affiliation
Sponsored link
Adwords
etc
Updated Boolean:
("growth agency" OR "marketing agency" OR “Search Engine Optimization” OR “Search Engine Advertising” OR "lead generation" OR "growth hacking" OR "digital performance" OR “affiliation” OR “sponsored link” OR “Adwords” OR “Google Shopping” OR “Facebook advertising” OR “Youtube Advertising”) NOT ("freelance")
The more you test, the more precise your search becomes.
How to build an account list and turn it into a lead list
Once your keywords are solid, your next step is to create an account list, then identify the right points of contact within those companies.
To learn how to do this properly, check our guide on mastering account-based targeting with Sales Navigator.
How to use Boolean search to target leads on Sales Navigator
Booleans are also useful for lead-level targeting.
But be careful: lead keyword searches scan the entire profile, including:
Current job title and descriptions
Past roles
Bio
Education
This can create false positives.
Example: recruiting a freelance backend developer in Paris
Initial Boolean:
("freelance") AND ("NestJS" OR "TypeScript" OR "GraphQL" OR "ApolloServer" OR "PostgreSQL")
Result:
Around 1,000 profiles — but accuracy drops quickly as you move through pages.
Tip: Always check the 10th page onward. That’s where SalesNav's mistakes become obvious.
For the lead below, the Freelance keyword came up as a past experience. But he is not a freelance anymore.
Or this person shows us because it attended a Freelance Academy, but doesn’t seem to be a freelance
How to refine the Boolean
To avoid irrelevant profiles:
Keep “Freelance” in the title search (not the keywords).
Use the keywords only for the technical stack.
This reduces results but makes them far more accurate (e.g., from 3,000 down to 248).
Tip: Boolean search also works in the Title field — incredibly useful for narrowing down your results.
You now have the foundations to build advanced and highly effective Boolean searches on Sales Navigator.
More resources you might find useful: