This guide explains how Watcher Mode works in PhantomBuster. You’ll learn what it does, which Phantoms support it, and how to use it to automatically collect only new data, without repeating results you’ve already collected.
What Watcher Mode does
Watcher Mode is designed to help you collect only new results when a Phantom runs repeatedly.
When Watcher Mode is enabled:
- The Phantom re-launches regularly (based on your schedule).
- It checks for new people or posts added to your target (like a LinkedIn group or Instagram hashtag).
- It only saves new results, anything already captured in past launches is skipped.
Think of it like a radar: each time it scans, it captures new signals without repeating old ones.
Example:
You want to monitor new members in a LinkedIn group.
Watcher Mode will check that group daily and only save new members, skipping anyone already captured in earlier runs.
Do all Phantoms support Watcher Mode
No. Only certain Phantoms include this feature.
If a Phantom does not support Watcher Mode, It will still process your full input, but it doesn’t repeat entries it already handled in previous runs. Instead, it picks up where it left off, processing new lines from your input file in batches.
That means:
- It won’t reprocess the same profile or post unless you’ve reset the input or changed settings.
- It does not automatically scan your target again to find new additions (like new group members or new posts).
- To detect newly added data on a page or search, Watcher Mode is required.
You can use a deduplication setting (if available), or clean you results manually after export.
→ Learn more in our guide: How to avoid and remove duplicates from your Phantom results
How Watcher Mode behaves
Phantoms that support Watcher Mode operate in two possible ways:
- All inputs: The Phantom scans every input (e.g., all links or hashtags) each time it runs.
- One input at a time: The Phantom checks just one input per run. It works through your list gradually over time.
You don’t need to choose a mode, PhantomBuster handles this automatically based on the Phantom’s structure.
Just keep in mind that Phantoms processing one input at a time may take longer to complete large lists.
Best practices for using Watcher Mode
- Use Watcher Mode when your target changes frequently, like a growing group or trending post.
- Avoid combining Watcher Mode with very large data files unless you’ve tested how the Phantom processes them.
- Let your Phantom run regularly, Watcher Mode will take care of detecting new data.
- Periodically check your results file to confirm new entries are being added over time.
Phantoms that support Watcher Mode
Here’s the list of Phantoms where Watcher Mode is available, along with how they behave:
- LinkedIn Auto Liker (all)
- LinkedIn Event Guests Export (one at a time)
- LinkedIn Group Members Export (all)
- LinkedIn Post Commenters Export (all)
- LinkedIn Post Likers Export (all)
- LinkedIn Post Commenters to Emails (all)
- LinkedIn Search Export (one at a time)
- Instagram Follower Collector (one at a time)
- Instagram Profile Post Extractor (all)
- Instagram Tagged Post Extractor (all)
Sales Navigator
- Sales Navigator Search Export (one at a time)
- Sales Navigator Account Employees Export (one at a time)
- Sales Navigator List Export (one at a time)
Twitter/X
- Twitter Auto Retweeter (all)
- Twitter Follower Collector (one at a time)
- Twitter Following Collector (one at a time)
- Twitter Tweet Likers Export (all)
GitHub
- GitHub Contributors Export (all)