LinkedIn Sales Navigator is the most powerful tool for B2B prospecting, but most users only scratch the surface of what's possible. With over 50 filters at your disposal—34 for leads, 16 for accounts, plus AI-assisted search—Sales Navigator can transform how you find and engage with ideal prospects.
The difference between mediocre and exceptional results often comes down to how well you understand and combine these filters. Let's dive into every filter, what it does, and how to use it strategically.
AI-Assisted Search: The Game-Changer for 2025
LinkedIn's AI-assisted search feature represents a significant leap forward in prospecting efficiency. Instead of manually clicking through multiple filters, you can now use natural language to describe your ideal prospect.
How It Works:
Navigate to Sales Navigator, click on Lead filters, and look for the AI-assisted search option at the bottom of the filter panel. Click "Expand" to access it.
Example prompts you can use:
- "Find me VP of Sales at SaaS companies in California with 50-200 employees"
- "Show me marketing directors in the finance industry who joined their role in the last 90 days"
- "Find decision-makers at healthcare companies that recently received funding"
Sales Navigator's AI interprets your request and automatically applies relevant filters. It then suggests additional filters to help you refine your search further.
Current Limitations:
While impressive, AI-assisted search is still evolving. It works best with straightforward criteria like job titles, locations, and industries. For more nuanced targeting, you'll still want to use manual filters.
Pro Tip: Start with AI-assisted search to get 80% of the way there, then manually adjust filters for precision targeting.
Understanding Lead vs. Account Filters
Before diving into specific filters, it's crucial to understand the distinction:
Lead Filters search individual LinkedIn profiles to help you find professionals matching your Buyer Personas. Use these when you want to connect with specific decision-makers.
Account Filters search company pages to help you identify organizations matching your Ideal Customer Profile. Use these when you want to target companies first, then find relevant people within them.
Both filter types share the Keywords filter, which remains one of the most powerful targeting tools available.
The Keywords Filter: Your Secret Weapon
The Keywords filter searches across entire LinkedIn profiles or company pages for exact or partial matches. It's the filter our sales team uses most frequently, and when combined with other filters, it produces the most precise results.
What Keywords searches:
- Profile headlines and summaries
- Job descriptions
- Company descriptions
- Skills listings
- Post content and activity
Strategic applications:
- Find people who mention specific technologies ("Salesforce admin," "HubSpot," "Marketo")
- Identify pain points ("struggling with lead generation," "need better CRM")
- Target specific certifications or qualifications
- Discover people interested in your solution category
Pro Tip: Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) with the Keywords filter to create sophisticated search queries.
Lead Filters: Complete Breakdown
Let's explore every Lead filter and how to use it strategically.
Company Section Filters
Current Company Search for leads based on where they currently work. Essential for account-based marketing strategies.
Best use cases:
- Targeting specific accounts on your ICP list
- Finding champions at companies similar to your best customers
- Researching competitor employees for hiring or partnerships
Past Company Find professionals who previously worked at specific organizations.
Why this matters:
- Former employees of competitors often understand your market
- Alumni networks can be powerful referral sources
- People who worked at companies you admire may have relevant experience
Company Headcount Filter by company size to match your ideal customer profile.
Available ranges:
- Self-employed
- 1-10 employees
- 11-50 employees
- 51-200 employees
- 201-500 employees
- 501-1,000 employees
- 1,001-5,000 employees
- 5,001-10,000 employees
- 10,001+ employees
Important considerations:
- Companies don't always update headcount regularly
- The ranges are broad, so combine with other filters for precision
- Fast-growing companies may still show lower headcount
Company Type Target specific business structures that match your ICP.
Options include:
- Public company (publicly traded)
- Privately held (private ownership)
- Non-profit organization
- Educational institution
- Partnership
- Self-employed
- Self-owned
Strategic note: This data is self-reported by company page creators, so accuracy varies. Use as a supporting filter, not a primary one.
Relationship Filters
Connections Leverage your existing network for warmer introductions.
Filter options:
- 1st-degree connections (direct contacts)
- 2nd-degree connections (friends of friends)
- 3rd-degree connections (extended network)
- Group members (people in your LinkedIn groups)
Why this matters: Warm introductions have significantly higher response rates than cold outreach. Always check for 2nd-degree connections where you can request introductions.
Relationship Filter Shows your existing relationship with leads.
Categories:
- InMail sent
- Saved leads
- Account saved
- Mentioned by TeamLink
- Hidden leads
Use case: Quickly exclude people you've already contacted or include leads you've saved for follow-up.
TeamLink See connections within your company's network (requires team subscription).
Why it's valuable: Your colleagues' networks become your warm introduction paths. This dramatically expands your reach while maintaining relationship-based selling.
Profile & Activity Filters
First Name / Last Name Search for specific individuals when you know who you're looking for.
Strategic applications:
- Follow up on referrals
- Find people you met at events
- Research specific decision-makers mentioned in meetings
Title One of the most critical filters for targeting decision-makers.
Best practices:
- Use current title for active prospects
- Use past title to find people who've been promoted
- Combine multiple titles (VP Sales, Director of Sales, Head of Sales)
- Search for title keywords in any field to catch variations
Function Categorizes roles by department or responsibility area.
Available functions include:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Operations
- Engineering
- Finance
- Human Resources
- IT
- And many more
Pro Tip: Function filters help you find decision-makers even when their exact title varies across companies.
Seniority Level Target by hierarchical position within organizations.
Levels available:
- CXO (C-suite executives)
- VP (Vice Presidents)
- Director
- Manager
- Senior
- Entry
- Owner
- Partner
Strategic note: Combine seniority with function for laser-focused targeting (e.g., "VP-level" + "Sales function").
Years at Current Company Understand tenure to time your outreach strategically.
Why it matters:
- New hires (less than 6 months) often have budget and are looking to make an impact
- Tenured employees (2+ years) have established relationships and know the company well
- People at 1-2 years might be evaluating existing solutions
Years in Current Position Similar to the above but focused on specific role tenure.
Use cases:
- Target newly promoted individuals who want to prove themselves
- Find established leaders with authority to make decisions
- Avoid people about to move on (5+ years in role often indicates readiness for change)
Changed Jobs in Past 90 Days One of the most valuable filters for timely outreach.
Why new job holders are golden:
- They have budget to spend
- They want to make an impact quickly
- They're evaluating existing tools and vendors
- They're more receptive to new ideas
Geography Filters
Location Target by geographic region, country, state, or metropolitan area.
Strategic applications:
- Focus on regions where you have local presence
- Target time zones that match your sales team
- Find prospects in areas where your solution is especially relevant
- Expand into new markets systematically
Profile Language Filter by the primary language on a prospect's profile.
Use cases:
- Ensure you can communicate effectively
- Target specific language markets
- Find bilingual prospects for international accounts
Industry & Company Filters
Industry Target specific sectors that match your ICP.
Important notes:
- Industries can be broad or very specific
- You can select multiple industries
- Use the "exclude" option to filter out irrelevant sub-industries
Example: Target "Software Development" but exclude "Video Game Development" if they're not a fit.
Spotlights & Growth Signals
Company Headcount Growth Identify rapidly growing companies—often your best prospects.
Growth indicators:
- Hiring actively (usually indicates growth and budget)
- Expanding to new locations
- Recently funded (more on this below)
Why growing companies matter: They're actively solving scaling problems, which often creates budget for new solutions.
Recently Posted on LinkedIn Find active LinkedIn users who are more likely to engage.
Activity indicators:
- Posted in last 30 days
- Shares content regularly
- Engages with others' posts
Why this matters: Active users respond more to connection requests and messages. They're already engaged on the platform.
Shared Experiences Find common ground to personalize your outreach.
Shared elements:
- Same school attended
- Same groups
- Past employer
- Volunteer work
Use case: Mention shared experiences in your connection request or first message for significantly higher response rates.
Advanced Filters
Groups Target members of specific LinkedIn Groups.
Strategic value:
- Group membership suggests interest in specific topics
- Easier to personalize outreach (you're in the same community)
- Higher acceptance rates due to perceived connection
School Find alumni from specific universities or educational institutions.
Applications:
- Target your own alma mater for natural connections
- Find alumni networks at companies you're targeting
- Reach educated professionals in specific fields
Years of Experience Filter by total professional experience.
Use cases:
- Find senior professionals with deep expertise
- Target mid-level professionals ready to make decisions
- Avoid over-qualified or under-qualified prospects
Interested in Changing Jobs (Premium only) LinkedIn's "Open to Work" signal.
Why it's valuable:
- These prospects are actively considering changes
- Great for recruiting or partnership opportunities
- Can indicate dissatisfaction with current tools
Account Filters: Company Targeting
Account filters help you identify and target companies, then find the right people within them.
Company Name Search for specific companies you want to target.
Company Headcount & Growth Same as Lead filters, but applied at the company level.
Industry Industry classification for companies.
Location Geographic headquarters or presence.
Fortune List Target Fortune 500, 1000, or Global 500 companies.
Use case: If you sell enterprise solutions, this filter helps you focus on the largest organizations.
Followers on LinkedIn Indicates company size and brand presence.
What it tells you:
- Companies with many followers likely have strong brands
- Low followers might indicate newer companies or B2B focus
- Very high followers suggests consumer-facing businesses
Company Website Search by company domain.
Practical use: Cross-reference with your existing data or integrate with your CRM.
Technology Used One of the most powerful filters for tech companies.
Categories include:
- CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Marketing automation (Marketo, Pardot, etc.)
- E-commerce platforms
- Analytics tools
- Communication tools
Strategic applications:
- Find companies using complementary tools
- Target users of competing solutions
- Identify companies with specific tech stacks
9 Pro Hacks from Top-Performing Sales Teams
Now that you understand the filters, let's explore advanced strategies that separate exceptional prospectors from average ones.
Hack #1: Save and Monitor Strategic Searches
Don't search manually every day. Instead:
- Create searches matching your ICP
- Save each search with a descriptive name
- Sales Navigator notifies you of new matches
What to save:
- New decision-makers at target accounts
- Recently promoted contacts in your ICP
- New companies in your target industry
- Professionals who changed jobs in your sector
Pro Tip: Check saved searches weekly. Sales Navigator shows new results in green, making it easy to spot fresh opportunities.
Hack #2: Combine Boolean Search with Filters
Boolean operators supercharge the Keywords filter:
AND - Both terms must appear Example: "VP Sales" AND "SaaS"
OR - Either term can appear Example: "CMO" OR "Chief Marketing Officer"
NOT - Exclude terms Example: "Marketing Director" NOT "Assistant"
Parentheses () - Group terms Example: (CMO OR "Chief Marketing") AND (SaaS OR Software)
Quotation marks "" - Exact phrase Example: "looking for new CRM"
Example search string:
("VP Sales" OR "Director of Sales") AND (SaaS OR Software) AND (hiring OR growing) NOT agency
Hack #3: Build and Use Negative ICPs
Just as important as knowing who to target is knowing who to avoid.
Create blacklists for:
- Industries that never convert
- Company sizes outside your sweet spot
- Geographic regions you don't serve
- Competitors and their employees
- Existing customers (for new business teams)
How to blacklist:
Method 1 - Use Exclude option: Many filters have an "Exclude" button. Parameters appear in red when excluded.
Method 2 - Create negative lists: Save companies or leads you want to avoid in lists, then exclude those lists in your searches.
Method 3 - Use saved negative searches: Create searches for profiles you want to avoid, save them to lists, then exclude those lists.
Hack #4: Layer Filters for Precision
The magic happens when you combine multiple filters strategically.
Example targeting stack:
- Industry: Software Development
- Company headcount: 50-200 employees
- Title: VP Sales OR Director of Sales
- Changed jobs: Last 90 days
- Company headcount growth: Yes
- Location: United States (West Coast)
- Posted on LinkedIn: Last 30 days
This combination finds:
- Decision-makers
- At growing mid-market software companies
- Who recently started (have budget)
- And are active on LinkedIn (will respond)
Hack #5: Use "View Similar" for Rapid Expansion
Find one perfect customer, then find 50 more like them.
Steps:
- Search for existing customers or ideal accounts
- Click the three-dot menu next to their name
- Select "View Similar"
- Sales Navigator shows up to 50 similar companies
What makes companies "similar":
- Industry
- Company size
- Growth signals
- Location
- Technology usage
Hack #6: Target Group Members for Warmer Outreach
LinkedIn Group members share common interests, making personalization easier.
Strategy:
- Join groups relevant to your target audience
- Use the Groups filter to find members
- Reference the shared group in your outreach
Example message: "Hi [Name], I noticed we're both members of [Group Name]. I've been following discussions about [relevant topic] and thought you might find [your value proposition] interesting..."
Hack #7: Upload CSV Files for Account Matching
Available for Sales Navigator Advanced and Advanced Plus subscribers.
Use case: If you have a list of target companies from another source, upload it to Sales Navigator to find those companies' LinkedIn pages and relevant contacts.
Steps:
- Click "Create Account List"
- Select "Upload Accounts from CSV"
- Ensure your CSV includes "Account Name" column (required)
- Optional but recommended: LinkedIn Company ID, URL, Website
Sales Navigator matches your data with LinkedIn company pages, then you can apply filters to find specific contacts at those companies.
Hack #8: Combine Seniority and Function for Decision-Maker Targeting
Generic title searches miss variations. Instead:
- Select function (e.g., "Sales")
- Select seniority (e.g., "VP")
- Add keyword search for specific terms
Example:
- Function: Sales
- Seniority: VP
- Keywords: "revenue operations" OR "sales enablement"
This finds all VP-level sales leaders involved in revenue operations, regardless of their exact title.
Hack #9: Monitor Job Changes for Time-Sensitive Outreach
The "Changed Jobs in Past 90 Days" filter is gold for timely prospecting.
Create weekly saved searches for:
- New VPs of Sales at target companies
- New marketing directors in your industry
- Recently promoted decision-makers
- Executives who moved from competitor companies
Why it works:
- They're evaluating everything
- They have budget to allocate
- They want quick wins
- Their guard is down (haven't heard 100 pitches yet)
Measuring Filter Effectiveness
Track these metrics to optimize your filtering strategy:
Search Quality Metrics:
- Connection acceptance rate
- Response rate to first message
- Meeting booking rate
- Time spent qualifying leads
Target Metrics:
- Percentage of search results matching ICP
- Number of quality prospects per search
- Diversity of results (are you finding new prospects?)
Optimization Approach:
- Start broad, note what works
- Add filters to eliminate poor fits
- Track which filter combinations produce best results
- Create saved searches for top-performing criteria
Common Filtering Mistakes to Avoid
Too Many Filters More filters ≠ better results. Over-filtering can exclude perfect prospects who don't match every single criterion.
Ignoring Relationship Filters Always check for 2nd-degree connections. A warm introduction dramatically improves conversion.
Not Updating Saved Searches Your ICP evolves. Review and update your saved searches quarterly.
Forgetting to Exclude Not using negative filters wastes time on bad-fit prospects.
Static Targeting Markets change, competitors evolve, new technologies emerge. Your filtering strategy must adapt.
Integrating Sales Navigator with Your Workflow
Sales Navigator becomes truly powerful when integrated into your broader sales process.
Daily Routine:
- Check saved searches for new matches (5 minutes)
- Review leads from yesterday's searches (10 minutes)
- Save high-potential prospects to appropriate lists (5 minutes)
- Send connection requests with personalized notes (20 minutes)
Weekly Activities:
- Analyze which searches produced best results
- Adjust filters based on what's working
- Review and update Account and Lead lists
- Check for new shared connections to leverage
Integration with LinqMaster:
Once you've identified ideal prospects using Sales Navigator:
- Export or note qualified leads
- Import to LinqMaster for automated outreach
- Create smart sequences tailored to each segment
- Let LinqBee AI personalize messages at scale
- Track engagement and optimize
This combination of precise targeting and intelligent automation is how top sales teams generate consistent pipeline.
The Future of Sales Navigator
LinkedIn continues evolving Sales Navigator with AI and machine learning. Expect to see:
Enhanced AI Recommendations More sophisticated suggestions based on your search patterns and successful conversions.
Predictive Lead Scoring AI-driven scores indicating which leads are most likely to respond or convert.
Deeper CRM Integration Seamless data flow between Sales Navigator and your CRM system.
Advanced Intent Signals Better identification of prospects actively researching solutions like yours.
Putting It All Together
Sales Navigator's 50+ filters give you unprecedented ability to find and engage ideal prospects. The key is understanding each filter's purpose and how to combine them strategically.
Start with these action steps:
This Week:
- Create 3 saved searches matching your ICP
- Test AI-assisted search for one persona
- Build a blacklist of companies/leads to exclude
This Month:
- Test different filter combinations
- Track which searches produce qualified meetings
- Refine based on results
This Quarter:
- Build comprehensive saved search library
- Integrate with your existing sales workflow
- Train your team on advanced techniques
Remember: The best filters are the ones that consistently find prospects who:
- Match your ICP
- Respond to outreach
- Take meetings
- Close deals
Use data to guide your filter strategy, not assumptions.
Maximize Your Sales Navigator Investment
Sales Navigator is only as powerful as how you use it. Combined with automation tools like LinqMaster, you can turn precise targeting into predictable pipeline generation.
Ready to transform how you find and engage prospects? LinqMaster amplifies your Sales Navigator results with:
- Automated outreach sequences to your filtered leads
- AI-powered message personalization
- Multi-channel campaigns (LinkedIn + Email)
- Advanced analytics on what's working
Start your 7-day free trial and see how proper targeting combined with smart automation can 3x your qualified meetings.
