How to Schedule Your Phantoms to Run Automatically

You can schedule any PhantomBuster Phantom to run automatically on a recurring basis, no need to click Launch each time. In your Phantom's Launch settings, choose "Repeatedly" to run at regular intervals, "Advanced" for precise day-and-time control, or "After another Phantom" to chain automations in sequence. Once saved, the schedule is active immediately. Workflows have predefined launch patterns that are automatically optimized and can't be fully customized.

How scheduled launches work

When you select a launch option and click Save, your schedule is active immediately.

• If you choose Repeatedly, Advanced, Launch at a specific time, or After another Phantom, you don't need to click Launch. The Phantom will run automatically based on your settings.
• You can still click Launch at any time if you want to trigger an immediate run. This doesn't remove or reset your schedule.

Access launch settings

To configure your Phantom's launch schedule:

1. Log in to your PhantomBuster workspace and go to your Dashboard page if you want to update one of your existing Phantoms. 
   → If you're setting up a new Phantom, launch options will be included in the final step of the setup.
2. Click on the three dots on the Phantom's card you want to update, select Setup and go to the Launch settings step to choose a scheduling option. 
   

Set up repeated launches

This option lets your Phantom run multiple times per day, at regular intervals. Most Phantoms will pick up where they left off between launches when scheduled automatically.

Use this when:

• You want to collect fresh data throughout the day.
• You want to space out lead engagement.
• You need to comply with platform rate limits.

By default, your Phantom will be set to launch once. You can update this to a repeated schedule in the steps below.

Steps:

1. In Launch settings, select Repeatedly.
2. Set how often the Phantom should run: for example, every 2 hours or 6 times per day. Adjust your frequency based on rate limits.
   → For example, with LinkedIn Search Export, we recommend processing one search over at least 5 launches, so a frequency of 6+ times per day is ideal.
   
3. Click Save. Your Phantom will now run automatically based on this schedule.

4. You'll see the scheduled frequency and next run timing directly on the Phantom card in your Dashboard.

   

For platforms like LinkedIn, we recommend scheduling runs during weekday business hours to mimic human behavior and reduce the risk of account restrictions.

Use advanced launch scheduling

Advanced mode gives you precise control over when your Phantom runs, down to the minute, hour, day, or month.

Use this when:

• You want tighter control over timing than the Repeatedly option offers.
• You're spacing out launches for platforms like LinkedIn to mimic human behavior and reduce restriction risks.
• You have multiple Phantoms and want to avoid overlaps or rate limit spikes.
• Your team works with strict operating hours or syncs Phantom launches with other automated tools.

Steps:

1. In your Phantom's Launch settings, select Advanced.
   
    
2. Choose any combination of:
   • Minutes (e.g. 15, 45)
   • Hours (e.g. 9, 13, 17)
   • Days of the week (e.g. Monday to Friday)
   • Months (e.g. January, March, October)
3. Click Save. Your Phantom will now run automatically at the times you selected.

4. You can view the upcoming launch timing on the Phantom card in your Dashboard.

   

Example: In the setup shown in the Gif below, the Phantom is scheduled to run four times each weekday, at 13:10, 13:50, 16:10, and 16:50, making it ideal for spacing out LinkedIn activity and staying within daily limits.

All launch times follow your workspace's time zone.

Trigger launches after another Phantom

If one Phantom needs to run only after another completes, you can chain them together using the After another Phantom option in your Phantom's Launch settings.

This creates an automated sequence: once the first Phantom finishes, the next one will launch automatically.

Steps:

1. In your Phantom's Launch settings, select After another Phantom and choose the Phantom that should trigger this one.
   
2. Click Save to apply. Your Phantom will now wait and run automatically when the selected Phantom completes.

3. On your Dashboard, the Phantom card will show the trigger it's linked to (for example, "Launch after LinkedIn Profile Visitor").

   

For example: Extracting LinkedIn profiles first, then sending connection requests only after the list is ready.

Selecting After another Phantom only controls when the second Phantom runs. It doesn't automatically pass results from one Phantom to another. 
If your second Phantom needs data from the first one, you must configure it during setup using the My Phantoms input option.
→ Learn how to chain Phantom outputs using My Phantoms

Stop or pause scheduled launches

Phantoms will keep launching on their schedule, even if there's no new data to process. In that case, you'll see a message like "Input already processed."

To pause a scheduled Phantom:

1. Go to your PhantomBuster Dashboard.
2. Toggle the ON/OFF switch on the Phantom's card:
   • Blue = ON (scheduled launches active)
   • Grey = OFF (scheduled launches paused)
     

Once toggled off, the Phantom will only run if you launch it manually.

You can set up email notifications to be alerted when a Phantom has no more data to process. For setup steps, see the full guide.

→ Learn more in the guide: Stop or Pause an Automation and Understand What Happens Next

Frequently asked questions

How do I schedule a Phantom to run multiple times per day?

In your Phantom's Launch settings, select Repeatedly and set how often it should run (e.g. every 2 hours or 6 times per day). Click Save, and the Phantom will run automatically on that interval. You can view the next run time on the Phantom card in your Dashboard.

Can I schedule a Phantom to run on specific days and times?

Yes. Select Advanced in your Launch settings, then choose the exact minutes, hours, days of the week, and months you want the Phantom to run. All launch times follow your Workspace's time zone.

How do I chain two Phantoms to run in sequence?

In the second Phantom's Launch settings, select After another Phantom and choose the Phantom that should trigger it. The second Phantom will launch automatically when the first one finishes. Note: this only controls timing, to pass data between them, you also need to configure the input using the My Phantoms option during setup.

Can I still launch a Phantom manually if it's on a schedule?

Yes. Clicking Launch triggers an immediate run without removing or resetting your existing schedule. The scheduled launches continue as configured.

How do I pause a scheduled Phantom?

Toggle the ON/OFF switch on the Phantom's card in your Dashboard. Grey (OFF) pauses all scheduled launches: the Phantom will only run if you launch it manually. You can turn it back on at any time.