To find freelancers on LinkedIn, search the Title/keyword Boolean freelance OR freelancer OR "self-employed" OR independent OR contractor OR consultant combined with the skill you need (e.g. "freelance designer", "freelance copywriter"), then filter by location and look for the "Open to work" and Services signals that indicate they're available for hire. LinkedIn's Services marketplace (formerly ProFinder) is also built for exactly this. Below is the exact search and how to reach freelancers to hire them. (See the complete search guide and how to find someone on LinkedIn.)
The search
- 1.In the keyword/Title field under All filters, combine availability terms with the skill:
- 2.
("freelance {skill}" OR "freelance" OR "self-employed" OR contractor OR consultant) {skill keyword} - 3. e.g.
"freelance copywriter" OR "freelance writer" OR "copywriter"+ self-employed. - 4.Add Location (or filter to remote-friendly by skipping it).
- 5.Look for the "Open to work" badge and a "Providing services" section on profiles — both signal availability.
- 6.Try LinkedIn Services / Services Marketplace, which surfaces freelancers offering specific services and lets you request quotes directly.
Because "consultant" and "freelance" overlap with full-time roles, combine the availability term and the specific skill to filter to genuine freelancers.
How to reach freelancers to hire
Freelancers want to be contacted about work — so this is warmer than cold sales:
- Be clear about the project — scope, timeline, and budget range. Freelancers appreciate specifics.
- Reference their portfolio — a specific piece of their work shows you actually looked.
- Make the next step easy — "Are you available for a {project} in {timeframe}?"
- Respect their time and rates. The good ones are busy and can tell tire-kickers from real clients.
See connection request templates and networking message templates.
Find and reach freelancers at scale
If you hire freelancers regularly — or you're an agency building a bench — sourcing the right people for each skill and reaching out personally adds up. Conextly does it for LinkedIn: it finds freelancers matching the skill and location you need, tracks every conversation, and drafts a clear, project-specific message and follow-ups for each — you approve every send. See how the prospecting search works.