LinkedIn X-ray search is a free method that uses Google to find LinkedIn profiles that don't appear in LinkedIn's own search. By combining Google's search operators with Boolean logic, you can discover profiles hidden by privacy settings, bypass LinkedIn's search limits, and find candidates or prospects that competitors miss—all without paying for Sales Navigator.

This guide teaches you how to build effective X-ray searches, master Boolean operators, and find anyone on LinkedIn—even without a premium account.

Want to Generate Consistent Inbound Leads from LinkedIn?

Get our complete LinkedIn Lead Generation Playbook used by B2B professionals to attract decision-makers without cold outreach.

How to build authority that attracts leads

Content strategies that generate inbound

Engagement tactics that trigger algorithms

Systems for consistent lead flow

No spam. Just proven strategies for B2B lead generation.

Try our free tool: Use our Free LinkedIn X-Ray Search Generator to build Boolean search queries instantly—no technical knowledge required. Trusted by recruiters, salespeople, and marketers worldwide.

Key Takeaways

100% free: LinkedIn X-ray search costs nothing—use Google or our free tool
X-ray = Google searching LinkedIn: Use site:linkedin.com/in to search only profiles
Bypasses LinkedIn limits: No login required, no commercial use restrictions
Finds hidden profiles: Google indexes profiles invisible to LinkedIn search
Free alternative to Sales Navigator: Advanced searching without premium subscription
Boolean operators essential: AND, OR, NOT create precise queries

What is LinkedIn X-Ray Search?

According to LinkedHelper's X-ray guide, X-ray search uses Google to search within LinkedIn instead of using LinkedIn's native search.

Why It's Called "X-Ray"

Just like an X-ray sees through skin to find what's hidden inside, X-ray searching sees through LinkedIn's search limitations to find hidden profiles.

How X-Ray Search Works

Instead of LinkedIn's search bar, you use Google with a special command:

site:linkedin.com/in "your search terms"

This tells Google: "Only show me results from LinkedIn profile URLs."

X-Ray vs. LinkedIn Search

Feature	LinkedIn Search	X-Ray Search
Login required	Yes	No
Search limits	Yes (free accounts)	No
Finds hidden profiles	No	Yes
Real-time data	Yes	Depends on Google index
Advanced filters	Premium only	Boolean operators
Profile details	Full (if connected)	Limited preview

Basic X-Ray Search Structure

Every X-ray search starts with the site: operator.

The Foundation

site:linkedin.com/in "keyword"

site:linkedin.com/in = Only search LinkedIn profile pages
"keyword" = What you're looking for

Understanding the URL Structure

URL Pattern	What It Searches
`site:linkedin.com/in`	Personal profiles only
`site:linkedin.com/company`	Company pages only
`site:linkedin.com/jobs`	Job postings only
`site:linkedin.com`	All of LinkedIn

For people search, always use /in to exclude company pages, job posts, and articles.

Boolean Operators for X-Ray Search

Boolean operators let you build precise, powerful searches. According to SalesBread's X-ray guide, these are essential.

AND Operator

Narrows results—all terms must appear.

site:linkedin.com/in "product manager" AND "San Francisco"

Returns profiles with both "product manager" AND "San Francisco."

OR Operator

Broadens results—any term matches.

site:linkedin.com/in (CEO OR founder OR "co-founder")

Returns profiles with CEO, founder, or co-founder.

NOT Operator (Minus Sign)

Excludes unwanted terms.

site:linkedin.com/in developer -junior -intern -student

Returns developer profiles excluding junior, intern, and student.

Quotation Marks

Searches exact phrases.

site:linkedin.com/in "vice president of sales"

Only returns profiles with this exact phrase, not "vice" and "president" separately.

Parentheses

Groups terms to control search logic.

site:linkedin.com/in ("data scientist" OR "data analyst") AND (Google OR Facebook OR Amazon)

Returns data scientists or analysts at Google, Facebook, or Amazon.

The intitle: Operator

The intitle: operator searches LinkedIn page titles, where job titles often appear.

Why intitle: Matters

LinkedIn profile HTML titles typically contain the person's job title. This makes intitle: more accurate than general keyword searches.

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:"Software Engineer"

This finds profiles where "Software Engineer" appears in the page title—more precise than hoping it appears somewhere on the profile.

Combining intitle: with Other Operators

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:CEO ("renewable energy" OR "clean tech") "San Francisco"

Finds CEOs in renewable energy or clean tech based in San Francisco.

Practical X-Ray Search Examples

Find Developers in a Specific City

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:"Software Engineer" "New York" (Python OR JavaScript)

Find Marketing Leaders at Startups

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:("VP Marketing" OR "Head of Marketing" OR CMO) startup

Find Salespeople at Specific Companies

site:linkedin.com/in ("account executive" OR "sales rep") ("Salesforce" OR "HubSpot" OR "Zendesk")

Find Recently Promoted Executives

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:CEO "promoted" OR "new role" 2025

Find Professionals with Contact Info

site:linkedin.com/in "product manager" "@gmail.com" OR "@yahoo.com"

(Note: Many profiles hide email addresses, but some are publicly visible)

Country and Location Targeting

Target specific geographic areas in your X-ray searches.

Using Location Keywords

site:linkedin.com/in "data analyst" "London, United Kingdom"

Country Code Domains

LinkedIn uses country codes in profile URLs for some regions:

Region	Domain
United States	linkedin.com
United Kingdom	uk.linkedin.com
India	in.linkedin.com
Canada	ca.linkedin.com
Australia	au.linkedin.com

Example for UK profiles:

site:uk.linkedin.com/in "finance manager"

Multiple Locations

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:"Product Manager" ("San Francisco" OR "New York" OR "Seattle" OR "Austin")

Advanced X-Ray Techniques

Excluding Unwanted Results

Remove consultants, agencies, and job seekers:

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:"marketing director" -consultant -agency -freelance -"looking for" -"open to work"

Finding Email Patterns

Some profiles display email addresses:

site:linkedin.com/in "@company.com" "sales manager"

Searching Within Company Networks

Find everyone at a company:

site:linkedin.com/in "Google" -jobs

Finding Decision Makers

Target C-suite and VP-level professionals:

site:linkedin.com/in intitle:(CEO OR CFO OR CTO OR COO OR CMO OR "Vice President" OR VP) "your industry keyword"

X-Ray Search Limitations

What X-Ray Can't Do

Limitation	Explanation
Real-time data	Google's index may be days or weeks old
Private profiles	Profiles hidden from Google won't appear
Direct messaging	You still need LinkedIn to contact people
Full profile view	Preview only—log in for full details
Saved searches	Manual process each time

When LinkedIn Search is Better

You need real-time, current information
You want to message people immediately
You need to see who viewed your profile
You want to save and track searches
You need Sales Navigator's spotlight filters

Building Your X-Ray Search Process

Step 1: Define Your Target

Before searching, clarify:

Job titles (and variations)
Industries or companies
Geographic locations
Experience level
Keywords that indicate fit

Step 2: Build Your Query

Start simple, then add complexity:

site:linkedin.com/in "job title"
Add location: AND "City"
Add company or industry
Exclude unwanted terms
Test and refine

Step 3: Evaluate Results

Check first page results:

Are profiles relevant?
Too many results? Add filters
Too few? Remove restrictions
Wrong profiles? Add NOT terms

Step 4: Document Working Queries

Save successful search strings for reuse. Keep a document of:

Target profile description
Working search string
Date last used
Results quality notes

Free LinkedIn X-Ray Search Tools

Several free tools simplify X-ray searching so you don't need to memorize Boolean syntax:

Free X-Ray Search Tools Compared

Tool	Cost	Key Feature	Best For
ConnectSafely X-Ray Search	Free	Job title, location, education, employer filters	Salespeople & marketers
Recruit'em (RecruitIn)	Free	Multi-platform search (LinkedIn, GitHub, Stack Overflow)	Recruiters
Recruitment Geek	Free (premium £3.99)	Trusted by Google, Amazon, Randstad	Agency recruiters
SparkIn	Free	No usage limits, precise filtering	High-volume searching
Careerflow	Free	Save search feature	Job seekers
Google	Free	Most flexible, full Boolean support	Advanced users

Why Use a Free Tool vs Manual Boolean?

According to SalesBread's X-ray guide, manual Boolean queries give you more control but require memorizing syntax. Free tools like our X-Ray Search Generator let you plug in basics and generate the query automatically—saving time and reducing errors.

Paid Tools

OctoHR: Recruiter-focused search tool with advanced filters
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: $99.99/month for native advanced filters
Boolean Builder tools: Various paid options available

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LinkedIn X-ray search and is it free?

LinkedIn X-ray search is a free technique that uses Google to find LinkedIn profiles by entering site:linkedin.com/in followed by your search terms. It bypasses LinkedIn's search limits, finds profiles hidden from LinkedIn's native search, and doesn't require a LinkedIn account or premium subscription. You can also use free tools like ConnectSafely's X-Ray Search Generator to build queries without knowing Boolean syntax.

Is LinkedIn X-ray search legal?

Yes, X-ray searching is legal. You're simply using Google to search publicly indexed LinkedIn profiles. However, using the data inappropriately (spam, harassment, etc.) violates both LinkedIn's terms and potentially laws. Always use search results ethically and professionally.

Why use free X-ray search instead of LinkedIn search?

Free X-ray search bypasses LinkedIn's commercial use limits on free accounts, finds profiles that privacy settings hide from LinkedIn search, doesn't require logging in, and provides a free alternative to Sales Navigator's advanced filters ($99.99/month). It's especially useful for recruiters and salespeople who hit LinkedIn's search limits.

How do I do a Boolean search on LinkedIn using Google?

Use this structure: site:linkedin.com/in + your Boolean query. For example: site:linkedin.com/in intitle:"product manager" AND "San Francisco" NOT junior. The operators AND, OR, NOT (minus sign), quotation marks, and parentheses all work in Google X-ray searches.

What does site:linkedin.com/in mean?

The site: operator tells Google to only return results from a specific website. linkedin.com/in is the URL pattern for LinkedIn personal profiles (e.g., linkedin.com/in/johndoe). Together, site:linkedin.com/in restricts your search to only LinkedIn member profiles, excluding company pages, job posts, and articles.

What is the best free LinkedIn X-ray search tool?

The best free LinkedIn X-ray search tools are ConnectSafely's X-Ray Search Generator for salespeople and marketers, Recruit'em for recruiters needing multi-platform search, and Recruitment Geek for agency recruiters. All are completely free with no registration required. For maximum flexibility, you can also build your own Boolean queries directly in Google.

Tired of searching for leads? Learn how ConnectSafely helps you build authority that attracts qualified prospects who find and reach out to you.