LinkedIn Premium offers several benefits for job seekers and recruiters, one of which is getting access to more search filters and views of candidate profiles. But exactly how many more searches do you get with a Premium account compared to the free version?
LinkedIn Free vs. Premium Search Limits
With a free LinkedIn account, you can do basic searches to find connections, groups, companies, jobs, and people. However, your search activity is limited to around 300 searches every month. This resets on the 1st of each month.
Premium accounts get significantly more searches. The exact limits depend on the type of Premium account:
- Premium Career – 700 searches per month
- Premium Business – 1,500 searches per month
- Premium Sales – 1,700 searches per month
- Recruiter Lite – 1,500 searches per month
- Recruiter – 5,000 searches per month
- Recruiter Corporate – 15,000 searches per month
As you can see, the number of searches increases substantially if you upgrade to a paid Premium account. Recruiters get the highest search limits.
Search Types on LinkedIn
It’s important to understand that not all searches are equal on LinkedIn. The search limit applies primarily to advanced searches where you use filters to narrow down your results.
There are several types of searches on LinkedIn:
- Basic searches – Searching for names, companies, titles, groups, etc. These do not count against your limit.
- Advanced searches – Using filters like location, company, job title, skills, education, etc. These searches count against your monthly limit.
- Boolean searches – Using operators like AND, OR, NOT. This counts as an advanced search.
- Search alerts – Saved searches that send notifications. Each alert counts as a search.
- Open profile views – Viewing full profiles does not count against your limit.
- InMail messages – Sending messages through InMail is unlimited.
So simple keyword searches and profile views will not cut into your monthly searches. But if you heavily use filters and InMail alerts, you could hit the limit for a free account quickly.
Maximizing Your LinkedIn Searches
Here are some tips to maximize your searches within the limits for your LinkedIn account type:
- Use basic searches instead of advanced when possible.
- Limit your search criteria and filters to the essentials.
- Remove old saved searches and alerts you no longer need.
- Use targeted keywords rather than broad terms.
- Search for profiles one at a time if you are selective.
- Upgrade to a Premium account if you need more searches.
Searching on Premium vs Free Accounts
One major benefit of Premium is that search filters that are restricted on free accounts become available. Here are some examples:
Title Search
Search by someone’s profile title with Premium. Helpful for identifying decision-makers.
Years of Experience
Target candidates with specific levels of experience. Useful for refined recruiting.
Date Filters
Search by when profiles were updated. See newly added profiles faster.
Company Followers
See which employees follow certain companies to identify leads.
Group Membership
Find people associated with relevant groups. Tap into niche communities.
Keyword Search
Search anywhere in profiles, not just headlines and bios. Increased search visibility.
These advanced filters let you drill down to find extremely targeted audiences and prospects. This can maximize the value from your searches.
Getting More Searches
If you’re hitting the ceiling for searches on your LinkedIn account, there are a few options to get more:
- Upgrade to the next level of Premium account.
- Add additional team members to your account.
- Wait until the next month when your search count resets.
- Contact LinkedIn to request a one-time search extension.
The easiest way to get more LinkedIn searches is by upgrading your account. But if that’s not feasible right now, the other alternatives can help you work within limits.
Conclusion
Here is a quick summary of how many searches you get with LinkedIn Premium accounts:
| Account Type | Monthly Search Limit |
|---|---|
| Free | 300 |
| Premium Career | 700 |
| Premium Business | 1,500 |
| Premium Sales | 1,700 |
| Recruiter Lite | 1,500 |
| Recruiter | 5,000 |
| Recruiter Corporate | 15,000 |
The search limits reset monthly. Advanced searches and search alerts count against your limit, while simple keyword searches and profile views do not.
By upgrading to Premium, you gain access to more advanced search filters unavailable on free accounts. This allows much more targeted and powerful searching.
If you need additional searches within your account type, options include upgrading your account, adding team members, waiting until next month, or contacting LinkedIn. But a Premium upgrade is typically the best way to get the most value from LinkedIn searching.