Sales Navigator has more than 50 search filters. You don’t need most of them. A handful, used together, turns thousands of results into a short list of people who are likely to need what you sell.
Here are the ten worth learning first, grouped by the question each one answers.
Who they are
1. Job title
The most precise filter. Titles vary a lot, so use Boolean search to catch the different ways people write the same job:
Put exact phrases in quotes, use OR for alternatives and NOT to leave something out, and group terms with brackets. Write AND, OR and NOT in capital letters.
2. Seniority level
Narrows your search to decision makers, such as Director, Vice President or CXO, without listing every title. It’s the fastest fix when titles are too messy to list.
3. Function
The department a person works in, such as Sales, Marketing or Engineering. Seniority and Function together, for example a Director in Sales, reach the right level in the right team.
4. Geography
Where the person is based. Match it to the places you can sell to, and to the time zones you can actually call.
Where they work
5. Company headcount
Company size changes everything: the budget, who decides and how long a deal takes. Pick the size bands that match your best customers.
6. Industry
Stay close to the industries where you already have results and customer stories to share.
7. Years in current position
People who are new in a role often review the tools and suppliers they inherited. “Less than 1 year” is a strong place to start.
When to reach out
8. Changed jobs
Shows people who changed jobs in the past 90 days. A new job is one of the best reasons to get in touch.
9. Posted on LinkedIn
Shows people who posted in the past 30 days. Active members are more likely to see your message, and their posts give you something real to mention.
10. Following your company
People who follow your company page already know who you are. Start with them.
Putting it together: an example search
Say you sell to software companies in the UK. A strong search could be:
- Function: Sales
- Seniority level: Director or Vice President
- Company headcount: 51–200
- Industry: Software Development
- Geography: United Kingdom
- Changed jobs in the past 90 days
Each filter removes people you would skip anyway. What’s left is a short list of new sales leaders at the right size of company: people with a reason to talk now.
Save the search, then build a list
- Save the search. Sales Navigator alerts you when new people match it, so your list keeps filling itself.
- Save leads to a list. Lead lists keep the people you’re working on in one place.
- Use account lists too. Save the companies you want to win, then search for leads inside those accounts.
On Advanced, TeamLink also shows when a colleague is connected to one of your leads, so you can ask for an introduction before you write cold.
Last updated 14 November 2026. LinkedIn can change its plans and prices at any time; check LinkedIn’s own pages before you buy from LinkedIn directly.