If you’re tired of manually trawling LinkedIn for leads, but don’t want to gamble your account or waste money on flaky tools, you’re in the right spot. This is a step-by-step guide to automating LinkedIn lead generation using Phantombuster. You’ll find the real steps, honest caveats, and no “growth hacking” fluff.
Who’s this for?
Anyone who wants to build a repeatable pipeline of LinkedIn leads, without hiring an agency or drowning in spreadsheets. If you’ve got a LinkedIn account, a whiff of tech know-how, and clear goals, this guide’s for you.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Target and Your Offer
Before you touch any tool, you need to be painfully clear on two things:
- Who exactly are you trying to reach? (Industry, title, location, company size, etc.)
- What’s your offer or ask? (Connection, demo, freebie, etc.)
Why bother? Because automation will just multiply your results—good or bad. If you blast the wrong people or send generic messages, you’ll just annoy folks faster.
Pro tip:
Write out your ideal lead criteria and a 1-2 sentence message you’ll send them. Keep it human.
Step 2: Set Up a (Real) LinkedIn Account
Phantombuster needs a real, active LinkedIn account to work. It’s tempting to use a burner or a brand-new profile, but LinkedIn’s pretty good at sniffing out fakes.
- Use your real profile (or a legit, established team member’s).
- Add a photo, headline, and some activity.
- Don’t go from 0 to 100 connects overnight.
Warning:
If you use a brand-new or obviously fake account, you will get restricted or banned. Don’t risk it.
Step 3: Sign Up for Phantombuster
Head over to Phantombuster and create an account. There’s a free trial, but you’ll probably want a paid plan eventually if you’re serious.
- You don’t need to install anything—Phantombuster is cloud-based.
- You’ll need to install their browser extension (it grabs your LinkedIn cookies, which sounds sketchy but is required for automation to mimic your session).
Don’t love giving away your cookies?
You’re not alone. But almost all LinkedIn automation tools need this, or they can’t log in as you. If this makes you nervous, automation might not be for you.
Step 4: Find and Save Your LinkedIn Search URL
Your automation is only as good as your search. Here’s how to get it right:
- Go to LinkedIn and use the normal search bar.
- Apply filters: location, job title, industry, whatever you need.
- Run the search and copy the URL from the address bar.
What works:
- More filters = better-targeted results.
- Use “People” search, not “Posts” or “Jobs.”
What doesn’t:
- Don’t try to automate super-broad searches (thousands of results). LinkedIn will throttle you or your messages will be garbage.
Step 5: Set Up Your Phantombuster “Phantom”
In Phantombuster, “Phantoms” are just prebuilt automation scripts. For LinkedIn leads, you’ll want to start with these:
- LinkedIn Search Export — pulls a list of people from your saved search.
- LinkedIn Network Booster — sends connection requests with a note.
- LinkedIn Message Sender — follows up with messages to your new connections.
Setting Up LinkedIn Search Export
- In Phantombuster, search for “LinkedIn Search Export.”
- Paste your LinkedIn search URL.
- Set how many profiles you want to scrape per run (50–100 is safe).
- Save and launch.
Honest take:
LinkedIn’s limits are real. Stick to scraping 100–200 profiles per day max. Go overboard, and you’ll get rate-limited or restricted.
Step 6: Automate Connection Requests
Once you have your list of leads, it’s time to reach out. Here’s where most people mess up: sending a bland “I’d like to connect” message. Don’t be that person.
Using LinkedIn Network Booster
- Feed the exported list from Step 5 into the “LinkedIn Network Booster” Phantom.
- Write a short, personalized note. Use variables like {firstName} for a touch of humanity.
- Set a daily limit (30–50 requests/day is safe for most accounts).
- Schedule the Phantom to run daily or a few times a week.
What actually works:
- Mention something relevant (“Saw your work in X industry…”).
- Keep it under 200 characters.
- Don’t pitch right away—just connect.
What to ignore:
- Don’t use ultra-generic or spammy templates. People can smell a bot a mile away.
Step 7: Automate Follow-Up Messages
Most people won’t reply to your connection request. That’s normal—don’t take it personally. But a friendly follow-up message can double your reply rate.
Using LinkedIn Message Sender
- Use the “LinkedIn Message Sender” Phantom.
- Target only new connections (Phantombuster can filter these).
- Craft a non-pushy follow-up. No hard sell, just a relevant question or resource.
- Stick to 20–40 messages per day.
Pro tip:
Space out your follow-ups. Send 2–3 days after they accept. And stop messaging after two tries—don’t be a pest.
Step 8: Export and Organize Your Leads
Automation’s great, but if you can’t track replies or next steps, you’re just spamming into the void.
- Download your exported leads and connection results from Phantombuster as CSV files.
- Import into a CRM or even a Google Sheet.
- Add columns for status: Requested, Connected, Replied, etc.
Don’t overcomplicate it:
A simple sheet with name, company, message sent, and reply status is enough for most people starting out.
Step 9: Monitor, Adjust, and Stay Out of LinkedIn Jail
The best automation setups are boringly consistent—not reckless.
- Watch your LinkedIn notifications for any warning messages.
- If you get restricted, stop all automation for a week.
- Change up your connection/request message every few weeks.
- Keep your daily actions under 100 (requests + messages).
- If you start getting ignored or blocked a lot, your targeting or messages need work.
LinkedIn’s not dumb:
They know automation exists. If you push too hard, you’ll get flagged. No tool can save you from bad habits.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Tight targeting + human-sounding messages - Low, steady daily limits - Following up (once or twice, max) - Keeping things organized and tracked
What doesn’t: - Mass-blasting generic messages - Ignoring LinkedIn’s limits - Using brand-new or fake accounts - “Set and forget” automation (you still need to reply and build real conversations)
Ignore the hype: - No automation tool will magically close deals for you - “AI personalization” is mostly just mail merge with extra steps
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Automation can save you a ton of time on LinkedIn, but only if you start small, track what’s working, and keep your messages human. Don’t get seduced by dashboards or “growth hacks.” Build a simple system, improve it week by week, and focus on actually having conversations—not just collecting connections.
If something feels scammy or too good to be true, it probably is. Use automation as a helper, not a crutch. And when in doubt, slow down and make it personal. That’s what actually gets replies.