How to delete leads in bulk via the API

To delete LinkedIn Leads in bulk via the PhantomBuster API, export your leads as CSV, collect the Lead IDs from the id column, and send them as an array to POST /org-storage/leads/delete-many. Test with one Lead ID first in the API reference, then scale to bulk deletion from automation tools like Make, n8n, or Zapier. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Before you start

Before deleting leads via API, make sure:

• You have a valid PhantomBuster API key.
  → If you don't have one, see Create an API key. API keys can only be created by Workspace admins, if you don't see the Add API key button, check with your admin.
• The leads you want to delete already exist in your LinkedIn Leads page.
• You know how to export your leads as a CSV file.
• You’re using a tool that can send HTTP API requests (for example Make, n8n, Zapier, or custom code).

→ If you don’t have an API key yet, start with How to Get Started with the PhantomBuster API.

How bulk lead deletion via API works

PhantomBuster lets you delete LinkedIn Leads in bulk using a dedicated API endpoint:

POST /api/v2/org-storage/leads/delete-many

Instead of deleting leads manually from the interface, you:

1. Collect the Lead IDs you want to delete.
2. Send them to the API in a single request.
3. PhantomBuster deletes all specified leads immediately.

You can test this request with one Lead ID in the API reference, then reuse the same request structure to delete many leads at once from an automation tool.

Step 1: Get the Lead IDs you want to delete

To delete leads via API, you need their Lead IDs.

1. Open your LinkedIn Leads page in your PhantomBuster Workspace.
2. Go to your LinkedIn Leads page and choose a specific Lead list or select All leads.
3. Click the Download icon to export the data as a CSV file.
   

• Open the CSV in a plain text editor, such as Notepad for example, and locate the column named id.

Spreadsheet tools like Google Sheets or Excel may automatically modify large numbers, rounding or truncating Lead IDs. If this happens, the API will no longer recognize the IDs and the deletion request will fail.

Step 2: Prepare Lead IDs for the API request

The delete endpoint expects Lead IDs as an array (in a list).

The format looks like this: ["id1","id2","id3"]

→ This ensures the API can read all your lead IDs correctly in a single request.

Recommended for testing

When testing the request in the API reference, start with one Lead ID only: 
["1234567890"]
→ This makes it easier to confirm the request works before deleting multiple leads.

Step 3: Open the bulk delete endpoint in the API reference

1. Open the PhantomBuster API reference.
2. In the left menu, go to: 
   PhantomBuster API v2 → Org storage → POST /org-storage/leads/delete-many
   

Step 4: Add your API key

1. In the Credentials section at the top right,
2. Paste your API key into the X-Phantombuster-Key header.

Step 5: Add the Lead IDs to delete

1. In the Body params section, locate the field named ids.
2. Paste your Lead IDs formatted as an array (from step 2).

Example for testing with a single lead:

• 7078072002753634

→ This tells PhantomBuster exactly which lead(s) should be deleted.

Step 6: Send the request and check the response

• Click Try It! to send the request.

  

• If the request is successful:
  • The API returns a 200 status
  • A confirmation response appears in the following format: 
    {
    "deletedCount": X (Amount deleted)
    }

→ This confirms that the specified Lead ID(s) were deleted from your LinkedIn Leads page.

Important things to know

• Lead deletion is permanent.
• Deleted leads cannot be recovered.
• Only the Lead IDs included in the request are deleted.
• Always test with one Lead ID first before deleting a large batch.

Use this request in automation tools (Make, n8n, etc.)

Once you’ve tested the request successfully in the API reference, you can reuse the same endpoint, headers, and body in any automation tool that supports HTTP requests, such as:

• Make
• n8n
• Zapier
• Custom code

→ Only the source of the request changes, the API behavior stays the same.

Watch the video tutorial

If you prefer a visual walkthrough, you can watch this video that shows how to delete LinkedIn Leads in bulk using the PhantomBuster API with n8n.

The video covers:

• How to export leads and retrieve their IDs.
• How to format the IDs correctly.
• How to send the delete request using an HTTP Request node in n8n.

How to configure the Make module

1. In your Make scenario, add the module:

   PhantomBuster → Make an API Call

2. API request configuration:

→ Run the scenario to send the request.

If the request is successful:

• The module completes without error
• The specified Lead IDs are deleted from your LinkedIn Leads page

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo a bulk deletion?

No. Lead deletion is permanent. Deleted leads can't be recovered. Always test with a single Lead ID before deleting a large batch.

Why do my Lead IDs get corrupted in Google Sheets or Excel?

Spreadsheet tools automatically round or truncate large numbers. Open the CSV in a plain text editor like Notepad instead to get the exact Lead IDs.

Can I delete leads from a specific lead list only?

The endpoint deletes by Lead ID regardless of which list they're in. Export the specific list as CSV to get only those Lead IDs.