Some PhantomBuster Phantoms let you control how results files are saved. You can rename your results file to organize campaigns, generate a second simplified CSV with only the fields you need using "Fields to keep," or carry over specific columns from your input spreadsheet into your output file using "Names of the columns to keep." These settings are found in the Behavior step for most Phantoms, or in the Prompt step under Advanced settings for AI Phantoms.
What Result File settings let you do
Some Phantoms give you additional control over how your results are stored.
You can:
- Rename your results file to stay organized across multiple Phantoms or campaigns.
- Generate a second, simplified CSV file with only the fields you need.
- Keep specific columns from your input file in your main results file.
These settings are optional and affect only the saved results, not the way data is collected.
Where to find these settings
The location of the result file settings depends on the Phantom type:
- Most Phantoms: Go to the Behavior step during setup.
- AI Phantoms (like Enrichers or Message Writers): Go to the Prompt step and expand Advanced settings.
These settings are available for standalone Phantoms only. Workflows don't support file renaming, "Fields to keep," or "Names of the columns to keep."
Rename your Results File
This setting lets you choose a custom name for your results file. For example, to separate different campaigns or clients.
Important:
Renaming your results file resets your Phantom's progress.
On the next launch, the Phantom will:
- Create a brand new file.
- Reprocess the input data from the beginning, even if some rows were already handled.
Only rename your file if you want to start fresh or keep results separate.
Generate a simplified CSV using the 'Fields to keep' setting
Use the Fields to keep setting to create a second, cleaner CSV file containing only the data you want.
How it works:
1. In the Fields to keep box, list the column headers you want, separated by commas.
→ Example: firstName, profileUrl, jobTitle
2. Your Phantom will generate:
- The full Results File.
- A second simplified CSV with only your selected fields.
This is helpful when you're sending data to a CRM or want to cut down on unnecessary columns in reports.
To find the exact columns names, check the headers in a previous full CSV file.
Which Phantoms support "Rename your results file" & "Fields to keep" settings
The following Phantoms support both settings, Rename your results file and Fields to keep:
- AI Phantoms:
- Advanced AI Enricher
- AI LinkedIn Message Writer
- AI LinkedIn Profile Enricher
- AI LinkedIn Post Responder
- LinkedIn & Sales Navigator tools:
- LinkedIn Auto Commenter
- LinkedIn Company Scraper
- LinkedIn Job Scraper
- LinkedIn Post Commenters Export
- LinkedIn Post Likers Export
- LinkedIn Profile Follower Collector
- Sales Navigator Account Employees Export
- Sales Navigator Account Scraper
- Sales Navigator Inbox Scraper
- Sales Navigator List Export
- Sales Navigator Search Export
- Sales Navigator URL Converter
- Instagram Phantoms:
- Instagram Auto Commenter
- Instagram Auto Follow
- Instagram Auto Liker
- Instagram Auto Unfollow
- Instagram Follower Collector
- Instagram Followers Auto Follow
- Instagram Following Collector
- Instagram Hashtag Search Export
- Instagram Multiple Hashtag Collector
- Instagram Notification Extractor
- Instagram Photo Likers
- Instagram Post Commenters Export
- Instagram Profile Post Extractor
- Instagram Tagged Post Extractor
- Instagram Post Scraper
- Instagram Profile Scraper
- Instagram Story Auto Watcher
- Instagram Story Viewers Export
- Other platforms:
- Chrome Extension Review Extractor
- Facebook Group Members Export
- Facebook Profile Scraper
- GitHub Contributors Export
- GitHub Stargazers Export
- Slack Channel User Extractor
- Slack Search Export
- Yellow Pages Business Scraper
- Yellow Pages Search Export
- YouTube Channel Scraper
- YouTube Channel Video Extractor
- YouTube Video Scraper
Keep specific input columns in your result file
Use the Names of the columns to keep in the result file setting to carry over specific columns from your input spreadsheet into your Phantom's main output file.
This is especially helpful if you want to preserve identifiers (like a Record ID) or other reference data so you can match your results back to your original list.
How it works:
- Go to the step in your Phantom's setup where you choose what to extract. For example, selecting which profiles to extract.
- Find the Names of the columns to keep in the result file setting. You'll see a list of your spreadsheet's column names as checkboxes.
- Tick the boxes next to the columns you want to keep.
- Launch your Phantom as usual, your selected columns will now appear in the main output file, alongside all the Phantom's default columns.
Which Phantoms support "Names of the columns to keep in the result file" feature
- LinkedIn Search Export
- LinkedIn Profile Scraper
- LinkedIn Message Sender
- LinkedIn Profile URL Finder
- LinkedIn Auto Connect
- LinkedIn Company Scraper
- LinkedIn Profile Visitor
If your Phantom doesn't support this feature
If your Phantom doesn't have the Names of the columns to keep in the result file setting, it can't pass custom input columns directly into its results.
This means:
- Custom spreadsheet columns will not appear in the CSV file.
- They won't appear in Google Sheets output.
- They won't be included in JSON results or webhook payloads.
However, you can still keep extra data from your input file by merging it back into your results file using formulas in Google Sheets.
How to merge columns manually in Google Sheets
- If both input and output are in the same Google Sheets file:
Use a formula like:
='SheetName'!A:A
→ This will copy the entire column from another sheet in the same file. - If your input and output are in different Google Sheets files:
Use a formula like:
=IMPORTRANGE("URL-of-other-file", "SheetName!A:A")
→ This will pull the column from the other file into your results sheet.
This way, you can keep important reference columns in your final dataset even if the Phantom doesn't support this setting directly.
Best practices
- Only rename result files between automation sequences, never during ongoing daily launches.
- Use Fields to keep when you want a cleaner file for integrations or review.
- Use Names of the columns to keep to merge useful input data into your main output file.
- Always download a full backup of your results before making changes to file settings.
Frequently asked questions
Will renaming my results file delete my existing data?
No, the existing file stays, but renaming creates a brand new file and resets your Phantom's progress. On the next launch, it will reprocess input data from the beginning. Download a backup before renaming.
What's the difference between "Fields to keep" and "Names of the columns to keep"?
"Fields to keep" generates a second, simplified CSV with only the output columns you select, useful for integrations or clean reports. "Names of the columns to keep" carries over specific columns from your input spreadsheet into the main results file, useful for preserving IDs or reference data.
Where do I find the results file settings?
For most Phantoms, go to the Behavior step during setup. For AI Phantoms (like Enrichers or Message Writers), go to the Prompt step and expand Advanced settings.
What if my Phantom doesn't support the "Names of the columns to keep" feature?
You can still merge input data into your results manually in Google Sheets, using ='SheetName'!A:A for same-file references or =IMPORTRANGE() for cross-file lookups.