Boolean Search Strings for Software Engineers
Ready-to-use boolean strings to source software engineers across LinkedIn, Google X-Ray, Indeed, and GitHub. Covers all major languages and seniority levels.
Copy-Paste Boolean Strings
("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "Full Stack Developer" OR "Backend Engineer" OR "Frontend Engineer") AND ("Python" OR "Java" OR "JavaScript" OR "Go" OR "TypeScript" OR "Rust" OR "C++") NOT ("intern" OR "internship" OR "trainee" OR "QA" OR "manual tester") Broad search covering all major languages. Narrow down by adding specific language or framework requirements with AND.
site:linkedin.com/in/ ("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "Backend Engineer") ("Python" OR "Java" OR "Go" OR "TypeScript") ("senior" OR "staff" OR "lead") -intern -trainee -QA Google X-Ray is excellent for finding passive candidates. Add a tech hub city to narrow results.
title:("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "Full Stack Developer") AND (Python OR Java OR JavaScript OR Go OR TypeScript) AND (senior OR staff OR lead) Use the title: operator for job title matching. Filter by resume update date for active candidates.
location:"New York" language:Python language:Go followers:>20 repos:>15 Find active open-source contributors. Adjust language filters and location to match your requirements.
Job Titles to Target
Include these title variations in your boolean strings to capture all relevant candidates.
Required Skills
Preferred Skills
Certifications
Recommended NOT Terms
Add these to your boolean string with NOT to filter out irrelevant results:
Sourcing Tips for Software Engineers
Senior engineers often have minimal LinkedIn profiles. Cross-reference with GitHub, personal blogs, and conference talk listings.
Search for specific technologies that indicate seniority: 'distributed systems', 'system design', 'architecture' are signals of senior-level experience.
Use company names from your target company list as additional search terms to poach from competitors or find alumni.
Stack-specific communities (Python Discord, Go Forum, Rust subreddit) can be better sourcing channels than boolean search for niche roles.
Skip Boolean Search Entirely
Recruiter Copilot uses AI to match candidates against your job description automatically. No boolean strings needed - just paste a JD and let AI do the sourcing.
Add to Chrome - FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How do I narrow boolean results for a specific programming language?
Replace the broad language OR group with your specific language: AND ("Python" OR "Django" OR "Flask" OR "FastAPI"). Including framework names alongside the language catches more candidates and signals deeper expertise.
Should I use 'Software Engineer' or 'Developer' in my boolean search?
Always include both. Companies use different naming conventions. A complete search should include: ("Software Engineer" OR "Software Developer" OR "SDE" OR "SWE"). Some companies use 'SDE' (Software Development Engineer) as their standard title.
How do I filter for engineers at top-tier companies?
Add company names directly: AND ("Google" OR "Meta" OR "Amazon" OR "Apple" OR "Netflix" OR "Microsoft"). This is sometimes called 'pedigree sourcing' and works well for competitive roles. Include alumni variants like 'ex-Google' too.
What boolean operators does GitHub search support?
GitHub uses a different syntax than LinkedIn. Key operators include: language: (programming language), location: (city or country), followers:>N (minimum followers), repos:>N (minimum repositories), and created: (account age). Combine these with plain text search terms.
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