Phantom slots are the number of Phantoms and Workflows you can keep in your dashboard at the same time. Execution time is the total number of hours your automations can run per billing cycle. When you hit either limit, you will see a "Slot limit reached" or "Execution time exhausted" error. You can free up slots by deleting unused Phantoms, wait for your monthly reset, or upgrade your plan for more resources.
What are Phantom slots
Phantom slots represent the number of Phantoms or Workflows you can keep in your PhantomBuster Dashboard at the same time.
Most Phantoms take up one slot on your Dashboard.
However, Workflows are made up of multiple Phantoms, and in that case, a single Workflow can take up more than one slot at the same time.
Example slot limits per plan:
- Start: 5 slots
- Grow: 15 slots
- Scale: 50 slots
Free trial and plan upgrades:
If you start on a Free Trial (5 slots) and upgrade, you won't automatically get more slots unless you upgrade to a plan with a higher limit. If you already have 5 automations, and your new plan still offers 5, you'll need to free up at least one slot before you can create or run more automations.
You can find your current plan's Slot limits directly from your PhantomBuster Dashboard, by visiting the Usage page in your workspace, or on the PhantomBuster Plans & Pricing page.
What happens when you reach the Phantom Slot limit
When your plan has no available slots left, you'll see a warning in your workspace:
- A "No slots left" message will appear at the top of your PhantomBuster Dashboard, just above your Phantoms.
- If you try to add a new Phantom or Workflow when no slots are available, a popup message will appear:
"Wow, you must really like us!
You've reached your Phantom slot limit. To unlock more slots, upgrade your plan or free up a slot by deleting a Phantom in your Dashboard."
This means you've hit your plan's cap on simultaneous automations. You won't be able to create or run additional Phantoms or Workflows until you free up a slot or upgrade your plan.
Why your slot usage might seem higher than expected
You may see a slot limit warning even though only one automation appears on your Dashboard. There are two common reasons your slot usage might be higher than expected:
- You're running a Workflow. Workflows can run multiple steps behind the scenes and, in some cases, may use more than one slot at the same time.
- You have Phantoms on your Dashboard you're no longer using. Every Phantom or Workflow on your Dashboard counts toward your slot limit, including ones that are inactive or have never been launched. To free up a slot, delete the ones you don't need.
How to free up a slot
To free up a slot without upgrading your plan, you'll need to delete a Phantom or Workflow from your Dashboard.
To delete a Phantom or Workflow:
- Go to your PhantomBuster Dashboard.
- Find the Phantom or Workflow you want to remove.
- Click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the Phantom card.
- Select Delete.
What happens next
A confirmation popup will appear, asking if you're sure you want to delete the Phantom or Workflow.
The message will remind you that:
- All associated result files and launch history will be deleted and cannot be recovered.
- Any leads saved to your LinkedIn Leads page will remain available, but they will no longer be linked to the deleted automation.
- Any filters or lists using the automation as a reference will stay in place.
Be sure to download any important data first. Deletion is permanent.
If you find yourself hitting the slot limit regularly, consider upgrading your plan to run more automations in parallel.
What is execution time
Execution time is the total number of hours your Phantoms and Workflows can run during your billing cycle.
Each PhantomBuster plan includes a monthly allowance. Usage is measured across all members of the workspace.
What happens when you reach the execution time limit
If you see this message: "Execution time exhausted"
It means your workspace has used all available time for the month.
How to manage or increase your execution time
- Check your current usage:
To view how much execution time you've used:- Click the Coin icon in the top-right corner of your PhantomBuster Workspace.
- You're now on your Usage page where you can view your monthly allowance and how much has been used.
- Check which automations are consuming the most time:
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Download usage reports:
From your Usage page (click the coin icon in the top-right corner), scroll to the Usage export section.
→ You can download a detailed report that shows how much execution time each automation has consumed over the past 6 months. -
Check per Phantom logs:
Open any automation in your PhantomBuster Dashboard and go to its Activity tab.
→ You'll see a launch-by-launch breakdown, including how long each run lasted.This helps you identify which automations take the most time and decide whether to adjust or upgrade.
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Download usage reports:
- Wait for the reset:
Execution time resets monthly on your billing date, typically between 00:00 and 01:00 (based on your workspace time zone). No action is required. - Upgrade your plan:
If your automations stop frequently due to time exhaustion, you can upgrade your subscription to access more execution time per month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Phantom slots and execution time?
Slots control how many automations you can have on your dashboard simultaneously. Execution time controls how many total hours those automations can run per month. They're separate limits.
Why does my Workflow use more than one slot?
Workflows are made up of multiple Phantoms running behind the scenes. A single Workflow can use more than one slot at the same time.
Do inactive Phantoms still use a slot?
Yes. Every Phantom or Workflow on your Dashboard counts toward your slot limit, regardless of whether it has been launched or is currently running. To free up a slot, you'll need to delete it.
I deleted a Phantom but I'm still at my slot limit. What's wrong?
Two things usually cause this. First, if you're running a Workflow, it can occupy up to 3 slots at once, so deleting a single Phantom may not be enough to drop you below the limit.
Second, you may still be over your current plan's cap even after deleting one automation. Check the "Why your slot usage might seem higher than expected" section above, and delete any Workflows or unused automations you no longer need. If you regularly hit the limit, consider upgrading.
How do I get more slots?
You have two options. To stay on your current plan, free up a slot by deleting a Phantom or Workflow you no longer use (Dashboard → three dots → Delete).
To run more automations in parallel, upgrade to a plan with a higher slot limit — Start (5), Grow (15), and Scale (50). If you need more slots than the Scale plan allows, you can contact the Customer Care team for a custom solution. See What Each PhantomBuster Plan Includes to compare plans, or Manage your Subscription to upgrade.
I upgraded my plan but my slot count didn't change. Why?
There are two possible reasons. Most often, upgrading only increases your slots if your new plan has a higher slot limit than your old one. If you moved between plans with the same cap, or you were already using all your slots, your available count won't change automatically, and you'll keep seeing the "No slots left" / "no more automation slot" message until you free up a slot or upgrade to a higher tier.
The other possibility is that your upgrade payment hasn't gone through yet: your resources only become available once payment is successfully processed, so a pending or failed payment can leave your Workspace on the old limits.
If your Billing page shows the new plan but your slots haven't updated, see What to Do if your PhantomBuster Payment Fails. Otherwise, check your slot limit on the Usage page or the Plans & Pricing page.
Will a Workflow still use execution time outside the working hours I configured?
Yes. The working hours setting only controls when invitations and messages are sent. Workflows also run lightweight background tasks (such as checking accepted invites or refreshing progress) on their own schedule, which can consume execution time outside the working hours window. See Running multiple Workflows and scheduling for details.
How do I check how much execution time I have left?
Click the Coin icon in the top-right corner of your Workspace to open the Usage page. It shows your monthly allowance and how much has been used.
When does execution time reset?
Execution time resets monthly on your billing date, typically between 00:00 and 01:00 based on your Workspace time zone.
Does my plan affect how fast my automations run?
No. Your plan determines how much total time you get per month, not the speed of each run. Execution speed depends on the type of automation and the size of your input data.