How to Fix Empty and Already Processed Input Errors

If your Phantom shows "Input is already processed," "Empty input," or "We've already retrieved all results from that search," it means PhantomBuster has nothing new to process. For already-processed input, provide a new search URL or list, or duplicate the Phantom to process the same input again from the start. For empty input, check that your spreadsheet, leads list, or CRM source actually contains data. For exhausted search results, update your search filters or time range and use a refreshed search URL.

Why you're seeing this

Your automation may show one of these messages:

• "Input is already processed"
• "Input is empty or all URLs provided have been processed"
• "We’ve already retrieved all results from that search”
• "Empty input" 
  / "Your input spreadsheet is empty"
• "Could not find leads to process. Please review your input and ensure that it is properly configured"
• "Could not retrieve leads from the Org storage”
• Or a similar empty or already processed input message

All of these mean the same thing: PhantomBuster couldn’t find anything to process. Either because the input is empty, already processed, or no longer available. Use the sections below to find your situation and fix it.

Input is already processed

The automation has already run with this input and is set to skip it by default to avoid duplicates.

Which option is right for you

• You’re done with this search and want to move on → Option 1 (new input)
• You want to rerun the exact same input from scratch → Option 2 (duplicate) or Option 4 (rename results file)
• You want the Phantom to keep monitoring the same search for new results over time → Option 3 (Watcher mode)
• You want the Phantom to always start fresh on every launch → Option 5 (File management)

Option 1: Provide new input

• Update your input with a new search URL or a new list of profiles, depending on what the Phantom expects, and relaunch.

Option 2: Duplicate the automation

1. From your PhantomBuster dashboard, click the three-dot menu next to the Phantom or Workflow and select Duplicate.
2. Confirm the setup and launch the duplicated automation.

Option 3: Enable Watcher mode

Only some Phantoms have Watcher mode. Check the list of Phantoms that support Watcher Mode.

1. From your PhantomBuster Dashboard, open the Phantom’s setup.
2. Go to the Behavior step, and enable Watcher mode.
   → Watcher mode reprocesses the same input at each launch and only saves new results. On some Phantoms, such as the LinkedIn Auto Liker, it only reprocesses the first 10 rows of your list once the whole list has been processed. To go through a whole list again, duplicate the Phantom instead.
3. Save and relaunch.

Option 4: Rename the results file

Not every Phantom shows this field. On those Phantoms, duplicate the Phantom instead.

1. From your PhantomBuster Dashboard, open the Phantom’s setup.
2. Go to the Behavior step, and expand the Results file settings section.
3. In the Name your results file field, enter a new name.
   → This resets processing for the same input.
4. Save and relaunch.

Option 5: Change the File management setting

Some Phantoms and Workflows don’t have this setting, such as LinkedIn Outreach.

1. From your PhantomBuster Dashboard, open the Phantom’s setup.
2. Go to the Advanced settings and in the File management tab.
3. Select to Create new files or Delete previous at each launch. 
   → This means the Phantom will always reprocess the input from the beginning on every launch.
4. Save and relaunch.

With Create new files or Delete previous files, the Phantom doesn’t remember what it processed in previous launches, so each launch starts again from the first row. If your Phantom processes a limited number of rows per launch, it never gets past the first rows of a long list.

All results have already been retrieved

This message appears when your automation runs successfully but doesn’t return any new rows. It means the automation has already extracted all available results from that search during previous launches.

• When this happens, your launch will show as Successful and no new results will be added.
  
  

How to fix it:

• Update your search filters or time range and replace the input with a refreshed search URL.

Your input is empty

Your spreadsheet, leads list, or CRM source exists but contains no data rows.

PhantomBuster accessed your input but found no data to process. 
This can happen with any input type: a spreadsheet, a leads list, or a CRM-connected Phantom.

• Check that your input actually contains data:
  • If you’re using a leads list, open it and confirm it contains contacts.
  • If you’re using a spreadsheet, make sure at least one row contains valid input below the header.
• If the spreadsheet was cleared or the wrong tab is being used, make sure your data is on the first sheet or that the correct sheet is referenced in your Phantom’s input settings.
• If a previous Phantom feeds your input (for example when chaining Phantoms), check that it ran successfully and produced results before relaunching.
• If you’re using a CRM Phantom, check two things:
  • Your mapped properties: If the Phantom extracts a LinkedIn URL or another identifier, make sure it’s mapped to the matching property in your CRM. If there’s a mismatch between the extracted data and the mapped property, the Phantom may run successfully but won’t update any contact in your CRM.
  • Your File management setting: If it’s set to Delete previous files, the Phantom clears past results at every launch and starts from the beginning, which means it may reprocess the same data without sending new contacts to your CRM. 
    
    → Go to Advanced settings → File management. 
    → And switch it to Combine files to keep progress between launches.
    

Could not find leads to process

Your input contains data, but not in the format or column the Phantom expects.

PhantomBuster found your input but couldn’t identify any leads to process from it. This is usually a configuration or formatting issue rather than an access problem.

Common causes include:

• The input is configured but the data doesn’t match what the Phantom expects.
• All leads in the input have already been processed.
• The input contains data but not in the expected format or column.

How to fix it:

1. If you’re unsure what format the input should be in, find your Phantom in the Step-by-step Tutorials section and check the "What you give" section.
   
   
2. If you’re using a spreadsheet:
   • Open your input spreadsheet and check that it contains valid, unprocessed leads.
   • And make sure the correct column is selected in your Phantom’s input settings.
     
3. Save and relaunch the Phantom.

Could not retrieve leads from Org storage

This error appears when a LinkedIn Leads list is used as input but PhantomBuster can’t retrieve it.

This can happen because:

• The list has been deleted. This can happen in Workspaces with multiple members for example.
• The input was left empty during setup and the error was ignored upon saving.

How to fix it:

1. From your PhantomBuster Dashboard, open the Phantom’s setup.
2. Check that a LinkedIn Leads list is still selected in the input settings.
3. Go to your LinkedIn Leads list database and confirm the list still exists and isn’t empty.
4. If the list was deleted, recreate it or select a different list in your Phantom’s input settings.
5. If the list exists and is selected, make sure it contains leads before relaunching.
6. Save and relaunch the Phantom.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Input is already processed" mean in PhantomBuster?

The Phantom has already run with this input and skips it to avoid duplicates. To process it again from the start, duplicate the Phantom or rename the results file. To keep collecting only new results from the same input, enable Watcher mode.

What does "We’ve already retrieved all results from that search" mean?

The Phantom ran successfully but found no new results to extract. All available results from that search have been collected in previous runs. Update your search filters or time range and use a refreshed search URL.

Why does my Phantom say "Empty input" when my spreadsheet has data?

Check that data is on the first sheet or that the correct sheet is referenced in your Phantom’s input settings. Also verify the correct column is selected and that at least one row contains valid, unprocessed input below the header.

What does "Could not retrieve leads from Org storage" mean?

The LinkedIn Leads list used as input has been deleted or left empty during setup. Go to your LinkedIn Leads database to confirm the list exists and contains leads, then reselect it in your Phantom’s input settings.

How do I make my Phantom reprocess the same input?

Duplicate the Phantom, or rename the results file in the Behavior step. Both make the Phantom process your input again from the first row. Watcher mode and the Create new files or Delete previous files settings only reprocess the first rows of your input.

How do I make my Phantom go through my whole lead list again?

Duplicate the Phantom from your dashboard. The new Phantom has no processing history, so it works through your full list from the first lead, a few rows at each launch.

What does "Input is empty or all URLs provided have been processed" mean?

The Phantom found no lead left to process. Your list either contains no leads, or every lead in it was already processed in previous launches.

If the error keeps showing up

If you’ve checked your input and still see the error, get in touch with our Customer Care Team. If possible, include:

• The name of the Phantom where you saw the error.
• A link to your input spreadsheet.
• A screenshot of your Input step setup.
• The exact error message from your logs.