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I want to import a list from Sales Nav (With Phantom Buster)

Calendar icon marking the date this article was publishedMay 12, 2026
Clock icon marking how long this article takes to read5 min read

This article explains how to export a list of leads from Sales Navigator using PhantomBuster, a third-party automation tool, so the data can be used in spreadsheets or external tools.

Prerequisites:

Before starting, make sure the following requirements are met:

  • Access to a Sales Navigator account
  • An active PhantomBuster account
  • The PhantomBuster browser extension is installed
  • A Sales Navigator people search has already been created

Important: The export runs using the Sales Navigator session currently logged into the browser.

👉 PhantomBuster Link

Step-by-step instructions

1. Create your Sales Navigator search

  1. Go to Sales Navigator
  2. Run a People search using your filters (company size, role, seniority, location, etc.)
  3. Once the results load, copy the URL directly from the browser address bar

Tip: Sales Navigator limits people searches to 2,500 results. If you need more, split the search into multiple URLs.

Sales Navigator lead search results with the browser address bar highlighted, next to the filter panel holding the job title and company size filters

2. Select the correct Phantom

In PhantomBuster:

  1. Go to Browse Phantoms
  2. Select Sales Navigator Search Export
  3. Click Use now

This Phantom is specifically designed to extract people searches from Sales Navigator, which avoids URL validation errors.

PhantomBuster dashboard with the option to build a lead list by scraping Sales Navigator searches highlighted among the popular solutions
Sales Navigator search export page in the PhantomBuster store, with the use now button highlighted above the overview text

3. Paste the Sales Navigator search URL

  1. In the Sales Navigator search URL field, paste the URL you copied directly from the browser
  2. Click Save to validate the search

If the URL is valid, PhantomBuster will move you to the next step.

If you see an error, double-check that:

  • The URL comes from a People search
  • You copied it directly from the address bar
  • You are logged into Sales Navigator in the same browser
Searches to export step with the Sales Navigator search URL tab selected and the copied search address pasted into the highlighted field

4. Connect your Sales Navigator account

PhantomBuster will ask you to select a Sales Navigator account.

  • Choose the account currently logged in via the browser extension.
  • This can be a shared or paid account, as long as you have browser access.

Once selected, continue to the next step.

Connect to Sales Navigator step with the account picker highlighted, waiting for one or more Sales Navigator accounts to be selected

5. Configure export behavior (optional)

You can keep the default settings, or adjust them if needed:

  • Results to export per search URL
    Default: 2,500
  • Results per launch
    Controls how many profiles are processed in a single run

These limits help keep your account safe and aligned with Sales Navigator usage restrictions.

Behavior step of the export tool with the results per search URL and results per launch both set to 2500 and the save button highlighted

6. Choose the launch frequency

This setting controls how often PhantomBuster runs the export.

  • Once → Runs the export a single time (recommended for one-off lists)
  • Repeatedly → Re-runs the search on a schedule to capture new results over time
  • After another Phantom → Used only for advanced workflows

For most cases, select Once.

You can also choose to:

  • Launch manually
  • Schedule the launch for a specific time
Launch settings of the Sales Navigator search export tool, with the run frequency set to once and the launch option set to manual

7. Launch the Phantom

  1. Save the configuration
  2. Click Launch

PhantomBuster will start extracting profiles from your Sales Navigator search.

Phantom page for the Sales Navigator search export showing the job as inactive, with the launch button highlighted on the right

8. Access your results

Once the Phantom finishes running:

  • Go to the Results tab
  • Download the exported data as a spreadsheet (CSV / Google Sheets)

The file typically includes:

  • Name
  • Job title
  • Company
  • LinkedIn profile URL
  • Location
  • Industry (when available)

Common issues and how to avoid them

  • “This is not a valid LinkedIn people search URL”
    → Make sure you’re using the Sales Navigator Search Export Phantom and a People search URL
  • Session or connection errors
    → Confirm you’re logged into Sales Navigator and the PhantomBuster extension is active
  • Missing results
    → Split large searches into multiple URLs

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