LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for networking and recruiting. With over 560 million members, it’s no surprise that LinkedIn is many professionals’ go-to platform for making connections and sourcing talent. However, frequent LinkedIn users may have noticed limitations when using the site’s search functionality. Searches are capped at a certain number of results, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to connect with the right people or find the best candidates.
What Are LinkedIn’s Search Limits?
LinkedIn does limit the number of search results you can view. Here’s a quick overview of the current search restrictions:
- Basic LinkedIn members can view up to 100 profiles and job postings per search.
- Premium Business members can view up to 250 profiles and job postings per search.
- Recruiter Lite members can view up to 150 profiles and 250 job postings.
- Recruiter members have a limit of 300 profiles and 500 job postings per search.
- Premium Business, Recruiter Lite, and Recruiter members can search without a cap using Boolean search operators.
As you can see, only paying members can access more than 100+ search results. Even then, limits quickly come into play for most account types. Boolean searches with operators like AND, OR, and NOT allow unlimited access, but these require knowledge of how to structure searches correctly.
Why Does LinkedIn Limit Searches?
LinkedIn limits search primarily for two reasons:
- To create an incentive for members to upgrade to premium accounts
- To ensure their servers can handle the member search load
By restricting free members to only 100 search results, LinkedIn hopes users will see value in the expanded search capabilities of paid memberships. Premium account holders get increased limits, while Recruiters get the highest limits plus advanced filtering and sorting options.
Search limits also prevent an overload of requests to LinkedIn’s servers. Enabling millions of members to browse and click through thousands of profiles each would be extremely taxing on infrastructure. Capping searches ensures optimal performance and prevents crashing.
Tips for Getting Around Search Limits
If you’re frustrated by hitting LinkedIn’s search limits, there are a few tricks you can use to extend your reach:
- Use multiple specific keyword searches instead of broad terms
- Filter by geography, industry, job function, company size, etc.
- Sort results chronologically to surface newest profiles
- Use Boolean operators like AND, OR, NOT to refine searches
- Browse Groups related to your target industry/role
- Follow companies to get updates on their employees
- Connect with key profiles and leverage your network’s connections
Getting creative with search operators and filters allows you to peel back more of the LinkedIn member base without paying. You can also optimize your profile to attract inbound connection requests from your target audience.
Should I Upgrade to a Premium Account?
For heavy LinkedIn users, upgrading to a premium account may be worth the investment. Here are some of the core benefits of LinkedIn Premium subscriptions:
| Account Type | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| Premium Career |
|
| Premium Business |
|
| Recruiter Lite |
|
| Recruiter |
|
Premium accounts remove search limits and unlock more network insights. Recruiter accounts offer recruiters specialized tools and integrations to source and engage candidates. The increased search visibility alone may warrant upgrading for some professionals.
Weigh the Cost vs. Value
Before upgrading, weigh the monthly or annual cost against the value you expect to gain. Consider how many more profiles, leads, or candidates you hope to access. Estimate the impact on your career or business if you could network beyond your current limits. This will help determine if the benefits outweigh the subscription cost.
Try a Free Month First
LinkedIn allows Premium subscribers to try the first month free. Use the trial period to evaluate the expanded capabilities firsthand. Test Premium search limits, InMail messaging, profile analytics, and other features. This gives you direct experience to judge if the paid account drives enough value.
Compare Discounts and Bundles
Shop around for discounted Premium offers. Costs may be lower depending on how you subscribe. You can also bundle Premium with Microsoft 365 for savings if you use both. Explore your plan options to maximize savings on a paid upgrade.
Alternative Search Tools
If upgrading your LinkedIn account isn’t feasible, several tools exist to enhance LinkedIn searches beyond the native limits. Here are a few options worth considering:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Seamless.hr |
|
| LinkedIn X-Ray Search |
|
| LinkedIn Boolean Strings |
|
| INProspect Seller |
|
These tools use advanced techniques like data scraping, algorithms, and Boolean logic to uncover more LinkedIn profiles. They provide alternatives to upgrade your account when you need to expand your reach.
Petitioning LinkedIn to Loosen Limits
Rather than work around LinkedIn’s restrictions, some users believe LinkedIn should loosen or remove search limits altogether. But is this realistic to expect?
The Argument to Lift Limits
Those advocating for eliminating search limits make some fair arguments:
- Limits feel at odds with LinkedIn’s mission to “create economic opportunity”
- Capping results stifles users’ networking capabilities
- Members should be able to leverage the platform fully
- Limits feel like an upsell tactic vs. technical necessity
- Users provide the content that makes LinkedIn valuable
Free members still contribute written content, make connections, and engage with advertising—all of which adds value to LinkedIn. So why prevent them from getting full use out of the platform?
The Counter-Argument for Limits
On the other hand, LinkedIn still operates as a business with shareholder responsibilities. Premium subscriptions account for most of their revenue. As a public company, they have little incentive to remove restrictions that drive paid conversions. Other counter-points include:
- Search limits push non-subscribers to upgrade, increasing revenue
- Infrastructure costs would rise without limits in place
- Paying members deserve higher limits in exchange for fees
- Some limits ensure quality engagement vs. spammy outreach
- Limits motivate job seekers to refine searches and skills
While no search limits would arguably create a better overall user experience, limits are central to LinkedIn’s monetization model. Significant revenue loss seems unlikely unless members organized for change en masse.
Outlook on LinkedIn’s Search Limits
Looking ahead, LinkedIn will likely stick with search limits as a conversion tactic for Premium and Recruiter products. However, we may see small incremental increases to free account limits over time.
As demand rises for talent and broader networking, LinkedIn risks alienating more users by severely restricting access. To balance monetization and user satisfaction, they may gradually expand limits at certain membership tiers.
We should also expect product innovation that adds value beyond removing limits. For example, LinkedIn could enhance search relevancy with AI matching. This would surface better results within existing limits.
Integrations with other business software could also bypass limits by linking CRM or ATS data. Partnerships that augment search would provide new incentives to upgrade vs. simply removing caps.
Expect More Third-Party Workarounds
Unless LinkedIn surprises with a major policy shift, third parties will likely fill the demand for limit-free searches. Scraping tools, browser extensions, and enhancements like Boolify will continue emerging as workarounds.
However, LinkedIn may tighten restrictions against scraping bots if they monopolize traffic. Maintaining site performance and security will supersede open access.
Paid Products Will Stay Central to Monetization
Subscriptions aren’t going away any time soon. Premium and Recruiter products drive the bulk of revenue and represent one of LinkedIn’s biggest successes as a business. Investors would not react well to removing one of the largest drivers of monetization.
As a publicly traded company, LinkedIn is obligated to maximize profit. Search limits, upsells, and new subscription products will remain central to their business model.
Conclusion
LinkedIn limits search results for free users to incentivize upgrades and maintain infrastructure. Limits can frustrate users but serve LinkedIn’s revenue interests as a public company.
While complete removal of caps seems unlikely, users have options like advanced search tactics, third-party tools, and lobbying for incremental limit increases. Weighing Premium subscriptions against your search needs also helps determine if paid access is worthwhile.
Smarter search relevancy and integrations may provide future value beyond simply expanding limits too. But LinkedIn will continue constraining search in some capacity to drive their monetization strategy.