Set up automatic launches
PhantomBuster's strength is in automation. For that reason, it is key that you know how to program a Phantom to launch repeatedly, every minute of every hour of every day that you need it to. Let's take a look at the different ways you can automatically launch a Phantom so you don't have to do it yourself!
Check out this demo video or continue reading for the written tutorial:
On the "Settings" step of a Phantom's setup, you'll find its "Launch" options. But there are more than you think - click on the three little dots in the top right corner to "Show advanced settings":
Repeatedly
When you choose "Repeatedly," you can set the frequency of launches from a list of options, whether it's X times per hour, per day, per week, or within working hours only:
Choosing X times per day will mean the Phantom launches this many times at equally-spaced intervals throughout a 24-hour period.
Working hours here are 9am to 5pm in your time zone (as set in the Org settings onyour account), weekends included.
For non-English natives, "every other hour" means "one out of two."
Repeatedly (advanced)
If you want to be more precise with the times and dates of your launches, right down to the exact minute, you can use this advanced option. The "Hours" and "Minutes" refer to the exact time of day, so in the example below the launch is set for 40 minutes past the hour, every working hour, every day:
Don't forget to tick at least one box in every section.
Every time another Phantom finishes
Choose this option if you would like to launch a Phantom each time another one finishes its launch. This is particularly useful when chaining Phantoms together. You'll have to select which Phantom to launch after:
It's important to note that if your first Phantom is set up to launch repeatedly, the following Phantom will launch after every one of its launches.
Once
Finally, and simply, for a single automatic launch at a set time choose "Once" and specify:
Stop automatic launches
Your Phantom will keep launching until you change its settings back to manual, even when it has already processed the input. In order to stop the automatic launches, go back into your Phantom's setting and change the automatic setting to manual. Don't forget to save! If not, your Phantom will keep launching.
