What is Boolean Search?
Boolean search uses logical operators to combine or exclude search terms, giving you precise control over your results. Instead of relying on simple keyword matching, Boolean operators let you build complex queries that find exactly what you’re looking for.
Core Operators
AND
Finds results containing both terms.
| Content | Matches? |
|---|
| ”I work in sales and marketing” | Yes |
| ”Sales is my passion” | No |
| ”Marketing tips for startups” | No |
Many search systems treat spaces as implicit AND, so sales marketing may work the same as sales AND marketing.
Finds results containing either term (or both).
| Content | Matches? |
|---|
| ”I’m the CEO of a startup” | Yes |
| ”As a founder, I learned…” | Yes |
| ”The CEO and founder announced…” | Yes |
| ”I’m a software engineer” | No |
NOT (or -)
Excludes results containing the term.
or
| Content | Matches? |
|---|
| ”Senior developer position open” | Yes |
| ”Looking for a junior developer” | No |
Grouping and Phrases
Parentheses ( )
Groups terms together to control logic order.
(CEO OR founder) AND startup
| Content | Matches? |
|---|
| ”CEO of a startup” | Yes |
| ”Founder of a startup” | Yes |
| ”CEO of a corporation” | No |
| ”Startup tips” | No |
Without parentheses, CEO OR founder AND startup might be interpreted as CEO OR (founder AND startup) - a different meaning entirely.
Quotes ” ”
Searches for an exact phrase.
"looking for recommendations"
| Content | Matches? |
|---|
| ”I’m looking for recommendations on…” | Yes |
| ”Looking for some recommendations” | No |
| ”Recommendations I’m looking for” | No |
| Query | What it finds |
|---|
looking for recommendations | All 3 words anywhere, any order |
"looking for recommendations" | Exact phrase, words together in that order |
Quotes on Single Words
With quotes: Exact match
Only matches the exact word “hiring”
Without quotes: Stemming/variations
May match: hiring, hire, hired, hires, etc.
Examples:
| Query | Potential Matches |
|---|
"app" | app |
app | app, apps, application, applications |
"develop" | develop |
develop | develop, developer, developers, development, developing |
Combining Operators
Basic combination
(sales OR marketing) AND (manager OR director)
Multiple OR groups
(AI OR "artificial intelligence" OR "machine learning") AND (agency OR consultant OR freelancer)
With exclusions
(developer OR engineer) AND (senior OR lead) NOT (junior OR intern OR entry)
Nested parentheses
((CEO OR founder) AND startup) OR ((VP OR director) AND enterprise)
Operator Precedence
Without parentheses, operators are typically evaluated in this order:
" " (phrases) - highest priorityNOT / -ANDOR - lowest priority
Example:
sales OR marketing AND manager
sales OR (marketing AND manager)
(sales OR marketing) AND manager
Always use parentheses to make your intent clear.
Common Mistakes
Lowercase operators
Lowercase and may be treated as a search term, not an operator.
| Query | Result |
|---|
sales and marketing | May not work |
sales AND marketing | Correct |
Missing parentheses
| Query | Result |
|---|
CEO OR founder AND startup | Unexpected results |
(CEO OR founder) AND startup | Correct |
Quotes on every word
Only use quotes for exact phrases or when you need exact word match.
| Query | Result |
|---|
"looking" "for" "agency" | Overly restrictive |
"looking for" agency | Correct |
Over-complicated queries
Start simple, add terms only if needed:
| Query | Result |
|---|
| Complex query with 20+ OR terms | Hard to debug, slow |
("looking for" OR "recommend") AND ("AI" OR "AI agency") | Simpler, easier to refine |
Forgetting stemming
If you search develop, you’ll get developer, development, etc.
Use quotes "develop" if you only want that exact word.
Query Building Process
Identify core concept
What are you looking for?Example: “People asking for AI agency recommendations”
List key terms
Break down into categories:
- Intent: looking for, recommend, anyone know, suggestions
- Topic: AI, artificial intelligence, machine learning
- Type: agency, developer, consultant, company
Start simple
"looking for" AND "AI agency"
Expand with OR
("looking for" OR "recommend") AND ("AI agency" OR "AI developer")
Add exclusions if needed
("looking for" OR "recommend") AND ("AI agency" OR "AI developer") NOT job
Test and refine
- Too many results? Add more specific terms
- Too few results? Remove restrictive terms or add OR alternatives
- Wrong results? Add NOT exclusions
Quick Reference
Operators
| Operator | Syntax | What it does |
|---|
| AND | A AND B | Both terms required |
| OR | A OR B | Either term (or both) |
| NOT | A NOT B or A -B | Exclude term |
| Quotes | "exact phrase" | Exact phrase match |
| Parentheses | (A OR B) AND C | Group terms |
Quotes Usage
| Usage | Effect |
|---|
word | Word + variations (stemming) |
"word" | Exact word only |
word1 word2 | Both words anywhere, any order + stemming |
"word1 word2" | Exact phrase, together in order |
Query Templates
Service/Agency Search
("looking for" OR "recommend" OR "anyone know") AND ("SERVICETYPE" OR "SERVICETYPE agency") AND (agency OR company OR freelancer)
("looking for" OR "what tool" OR "best software" OR "recommendations for") AND ("CATEGORY tool" OR "CATEGORY software")
Pain Point Detection
("frustrated with" OR "struggling" OR "hate" OR "problem with") AND (TOOL OR CATEGORY)
Competitor Dissatisfaction
("switching from" OR "alternative to" OR "leaving" OR "disappointed with") AND COMPETITOR
Buying Intent
("evaluating" OR "comparing" OR "budget for" OR "planning to buy") AND (PRODUCT OR CATEGORY)
