AI Phantoms like AI LinkedIn Message Writer and AI LinkedIn Post Responder generate personalized content for each lead or post and save it in a column called ai_message in the results file. To send or post that content, use an Outreach Phantom like LinkedIn Auto Connect, LinkedIn Message Sender, or LinkedIn Auto Commenter. During setup, use the AI Phantom's results file as input and insert the placeholder {{ai_message}} in the Message or Comment content step to pull each lead's personalized message automatically.
PhantomBuster's AI Phantoms write the content. Outreach Phantoms send or post it for you.
What are AI-generated messages
When you run an AI Phantom, like the AI LinkedIn Message Writer or Post Responder, it generates content for each lead or post in your input.
For example:
- A custom LinkedIn connection message.
- A thoughtful comment based on someone's post.
- A personalized follow-up message after a profile visit.
These messages are saved in a column of your results file, usually named ai_message. You'll use this column later when setting up your Outreach Phantom.
AI LinkedIn Message Writer and AI LinkedIn Post Responder also write their generated content directly to the LinkedIn Leads page as Custom AI properties. To see these fields in your Leads table, refer to LinkedIn Leads Page Columns and Fields.
Which Automations are involved
AI Phantoms to create messages or comments:
- AI LinkedIn Message Writer
- AI LinkedIn Post Responder
- Advanced AI Enricher (if you generate custom message fields)
Outreach Phantoms to send these messages or comments:
- LinkedIn Auto Connect (connection requests)
- LinkedIn Message Sender (inbox messages)
- Sales Navigator Message Sender (InMail messages)
- LinkedIn Auto Commenter (LinkedIn post comments)
Workflows that can use AI-generated messages:
Step-by-step: From AI-generated content to LinkedIn outreach
1. Generate your messages with an AI Phantom
- Go to your PhantomBuster workspace, and click on your Solutions page.
- Choose an AI Phantom (e.g. AI LinkedIn Message Writer or Post Responder) and click Use now to start its setup.
-
Input your data (LinkedIn profile URLs or post URLs).
- Select a prompt template or write your own prompt using our prompt writing guide.
Behavior step and launch settings:
In the Prompt Behavior dropdown, choose how often the Phantom should run your prompt:
- Run prompt on first 10 leads → Useful for quick tests. Will overwrite past outputs on each launch.
- Run prompt on all leads or on a selected number of leads → The Phantom will resume where it left off without overwriting previous results.
- Define your launch frequency, Save your set up and launch your Phantom.
After the run finishes:
- Click on your Phantom to access the console and the Results tab.
- Click Download results to access the result file.
- Find your generated content in the column usually labeled ai_message (or your custom column name). You can edit or clean up the messages/post suggestions in a spreadsheet if needed before sending.
2. Send or post messages using an Outreach Phantom
Pick the right Outreach Phantom for your goal:
- Send connection requests → Use LinkedIn Auto Connect
- Send follow-up messages → Use LinkedIn Message Sender
- Post comments on LinkedIn content → Use LinkedIn Auto Commenter
During setup:
- Use your results file as input (select from My Phantoms or paste a CSV/Google Sheets link).
- In the Message content or Comment content step, insert {{AI_message}} to pull each row's generated message dynamically.
If your message column has a different name (e.g. Custom_comment), use {{Custom_comment}} instead.
Syntax differs between standalone Phantoms and Workflows:
- Standalone Phantoms use double curly braces: {{AI_message}}
- Workflows use hash signs, matching their standard placeholder format (e.g. #firstName#): #ai_message#
3. Launch your Outreach
- Complete the rest of the Phantom setup.
- Click Launch and keep track of the results in your Phantom console.
- The Phantom will send or post each message from your selected column, one per lead or post.
Example workflows
Example: Use AI LinkedIn Message Writer + LinkedIn Message Sender
-
Run AI LinkedIn Message Writer:
Use a list of LinkedIn profile URLs and enter your chosen prompt in the Prompt setup step. Complete the setup and launch the Phantom to generate your messages. -
Check the result file:
In your result file, find the ai_message column containing personalized messages. -
Open LinkedIn Message Sender Phantom:
Use the result file as input or select it from My Phantoms. Remember to:
- Select the column with Profile URLs.
- Check the box for ai_message to include the generated messages. -
Insert the message tag:
In the Message content step, use the ai_message placeholder to pull each contact's personalized message. -
Finalize the set up and launch the Phantom:
Each contact will receive their own AI-generated LinkedIn message.
Example: Use AI LinkedIn Post Responder + LinkedIn Auto Commenter
-
Run AI LinkedIn Post Responder:
Use a list of profile URLs and a prompt for comment generation in the Prompt setup step. Complete the setup and launch the Phantom to generate your comments. -
Check the result file:
In your result file, find the ai_message column containing personalized comments. -
Open the LinkedIn Auto Commenter:
Use the result file (CSV or spreadsheet) from your AI LinkedIn Post Responder Phantom as input. Remember to select the correct input columns:
- Name of the column containing post URLs: By default, the Phantom will use column A if no name is provided.
- Name of the column containing comments: By default, the Phantom will use column B. If you're using a result file from the AI LinkedIn Post Responder, select ai_message here, unless you renamed the column. -
Finalize the set up and launch the Phantom:
Each comment will be automatically posted to the corresponding LinkedIn post.
The AI LinkedIn Post Responder only writes comments for recent activity (last 30 days). If a profile has no recent activity, no comment is generated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different column name?
Yes. You can rename the column that contains your AI-generated messages or comments, but you'll need to update the placeholder accordingly in your Outreach Phantom setup.
For example:
If you renamed the column to Custom_intro, then in the Message content field, use the placeholder: {{Custom_intro}}.
This tells the Outreach Phantom to pull the message or comment from that specific column for each row in your file.
What happens if a message field is empty?
That row will be skipped automatically: no message will be sent or posted.
Can I test it before sending at scale?
Yes. Filter your file or input a smaller list first to preview how your messages look before scaling. This is recommended for first-time runs.
Do I need to review AI messages before sending?
It's recommended. You can download the results file, review or edit messages in a spreadsheet, then use the edited file as input for the Outreach Phantom. Running a small test batch first is also a good practice.
Which AI Phantom works with LinkedIn Auto Commenter?
AI LinkedIn Post Responder generates comments for LinkedIn posts. Use its results file as input for LinkedIn Auto Commenter to post them automatically.
Why did the AI Post Responder return "No posts found"?
The AI LinkedIn Post Responder only generates comments for posts from the last 30 days. If a profile has no recent activity, no comment is generated.