How to Create Simple GoHighLevel Workflows – Easy Guide

GoHighLevel workflows are powerful automation tools that streamline your business processes, from lead nurturing to customer follow-ups. This easy guide will walk you through creating your first simple workflow in GoHighLevel, helping you automate common tasks like sending welcome emails and SMS messages to new contacts. Learn to define triggers, add actions, and publish your workflows to boost your efficiency and enhance customer engagement effortlessly.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding Workflows: GoHighLevel workflows automate sequential tasks, responding to triggers like new contact creation or form submissions.
• Core Components: Every workflow requires a “Trigger” (what starts it) and one or more “Actions” (what it does, such as sending emails or SMS).
• Start Simple: Begin with a basic workflow like a welcome sequence for new leads to understand the core functionality before adding complex logic.
• Utilize Custom Values: Personalize your automated communications (emails, SMS) by strategically using GoHighLevel’s custom values, pulling contact-specific information.
• Always Publish and Test: Workflows must be set to “Publish” to become active. Always test your workflows thoroughly by manually adding a contact that meets the trigger criteria.
• Map Your Process: Before building, briefly map out your desired automation flow on paper or in your mind. This prevents errors and ensures a logical sequence.
• Troubleshooting Basics: If a workflow isn’t firing, check if it’s published, ensure the trigger conditions are met, and verify contact entry in the workflow builder.

How to Create Simple GoHighLevel Workflows – Easy Guide

Welcome to the world of automation! If you’re using GoHighLevel to manage your business, you know how crucial efficiency is. Imagine a tool that sends welcome emails, schedules follow-ups, and even notifies your team, all without you lifting a finger. That’s precisely what GoHighLevel workflows do. They are your secret weapon for automating routine tasks, saving you time, and ensuring no lead or customer ever falls through the cracks.

This easy guide is designed to help you create your very first simple workflow in GoHighLevel. We’ll walk through the process step-by-step, making it super clear and straightforward. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to set up an automation that truly helps your business run smoother. Get ready to boost your productivity and impress your clients with timely, automated responses!

Getting Started: Accessing the Workflow Builder

Before we dive into creating your first GoHighLevel workflow, let’s make sure you know where to find the magic.

1. Log In to Your GoHighLevel Account: Start by logging into your GoHighLevel account. You’ll usually land on your main dashboard.
2. Navigate to “Automation”: On the left-hand sidebar, you’ll see a menu. Look for and click on “Automation.” This is your hub for all things automated, including workflows, campaigns, and triggers.
3. Access “Workflows”: Once inside the “Automation” section, you’ll likely see “Workflows” as the primary option. Click on it.
4. Create a New Workflow: You’ll see a list of any existing workflows. To start fresh, click the “Create workflow” button, usually located in the top right corner.
5. Start from Scratch: A pop-up might appear asking you to choose a template or start from scratch. For this easy guide, we’ll select “Start from Scratch.” This gives you full control and helps you understand each component.

Great! You’re now inside the GoHighLevel workflow builder, a visual canvas where you’ll assemble your automation.

Understanding GoHighLevel Workflow Components

Before we build, let’s quickly grasp the basic building blocks of any simple workflow in GoHighLevel.

• Triggers: Think of a trigger as the “start button” for your workflow. It’s the event that initiates the entire sequence. Without a trigger, your workflow won’t do anything. Examples include a contact being created, a form being submitted, a tag being added, or an appointment being booked.
• Actions: Once a workflow is triggered, actions are the “steps” it takes. These are the tasks the workflow performs. Examples include sending an email, sending an SMS, adding a tag, updating a contact field, or notifying a user.
• Conditions/Decisions: (For more advanced workflows) These allow your workflow to make choices based on certain criteria, creating different paths. For a simple workflow, we might not use these extensively, but it’s good to know they exist.
• Time Delays: These allow you to pause the workflow for a specified period (e.g., 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day) before the next action fires. They are crucial for creating natural-feeling communication sequences.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Simple GoHighLevel Workflow (New Lead Welcome)

Let’s create a classic and incredibly useful simple workflow: a welcome sequence for a new lead who fills out a form on your website. This workflow will send a welcome email, wait a bit, and then send a follow-up SMS.

Step 1: Name Your Workflow and Choose a Starting Point

Once you’ve clicked “Start from Scratch,” you’ll see a blank canvas. The first thing to do is name your workflow so you can easily identify it later.

• Click on the “Settings” tab at the top of the workflow builder (next to “Actions”).
• In the “Name” field, type something clear like “New Lead Welcome Sequence” or “Form Submission Welcome.”
• Optionally, you can set the “Allow multiple” option. For most welcome sequences, you’d leave this off, meaning a contact only goes through this workflow once. However, if it’s a general notification, you might turn it on. For our simple welcome sequence, keep “Allow multiple” off.
• Click “Save” on the settings panel.

Step 2: Define the Workflow Trigger

This is what kicks off your workflow. For our example, we’ll use a form submission.

• On the canvas, click the “+ Add New Workflow Trigger” box.
• A sidebar will appear with a list of trigger options. Scroll down and select “Form Submitted.”
• Now, you need to configure the trigger. Under “Filters,” click “Add Filter.”
• Select “Form” from the dropdown.
• Then, select the specific form that your new leads will fill out (e.g., “Website Contact Form”). If you haven’t created a form yet, you’ll need to do that under “Sites” -> “Forms” first.
• Click “Save Trigger.”

Practical Tip: You could also use “Contact Created” as a trigger if leads are added manually or via another integration. Or “Tag Added” if you want to trigger a sequence when a specific tag is applied to a contact.

Step 3: Add Your First Action – Send an Email

Our first action will be to send a friendly welcome email.

• Below your trigger, click the large “+” icon to add your first action step.
• In the sidebar, scroll down and select “Send Email.”
• Now, configure the email details:
  • From Name: Your business name or your personal name (e.g., “Your Company Name”).
  • From Email: The email address you want the email to come from (e.g., “info@yourcompany.com”).
  • Subject: A compelling subject line (e.g., “Welcome to Our Community! Here’s What’s Next…” or “Thanks for Reaching Out!”).
  • Body: Write your welcome message here.

    Practical Tip: Use GoHighLevel’s custom values to personalize your email! Click the little person icon next to the body field. You can insert things like {{contact.first_name}} to automatically pull the contact’s first name, making the email feel much more personal. For example: “Hi {{contact.first_name}}, welcome to our community!”

• Click “Save Action.”

Step 4: Add a Time Delay

It’s rarely a good idea to bombard a new lead instantly. A short delay makes the follow-up feel more natural.

• Click the “+” icon below your “Send Email” action.
• Select “Wait” from the action list.
• In the configuration sidebar, choose how long you want the workflow to pause. For our example, let’s select “Time Delay” and set it to “1 hour” or “1 day.”
• Click “Save Action.”

Step 5: Add a Follow-Up Action – Send an SMS

A short, personalized SMS can be a great way to reinforce your welcome message and offer another way to connect.

• Click the “+” icon below your “Wait” action.
• Select “Send SMS” from the action list.
• In the configuration, type your SMS message. Keep it concise, as SMS messages have character limits.

  Practical Tip: Again, use custom values! Example: “Hey {{contact.first_name}}, just wanted to say thanks for connecting! Let me know if you have any questions. – [Your Name/Company]”

• Click “Save Action.”

Step 6: Add an Internal Notification (Optional, but Recommended)

It’s always good to keep your team informed when a new lead comes in.

• Click the “+” icon below your “Send SMS” action.
• Select “Internal Notification.”
• You can choose to send an “Email,” “SMS,” or “Notification” (to the GoHighLevel mobile app). Let’s pick “Email.”
• Configure the notification:
  • Type: Email
  • Send To: You can select a specific user (e.g., “Assigned User”), a specific team member’s email, or even “Custom Email” if you want to send it to someone outside GoHighLevel. For simplicity, let’s select “Specific User” and choose yourself or a team member.
  • Subject: “New Lead from Form Submission – {{contact.first_name}} {{contact.last_name}}“
  • Message: Provide details for your team. E.g., “A new lead, {{contact.full_name}}, just submitted your form. Email: {{contact.email}}. Phone: {{contact.phone}}. Follow up!”
• Click “Save Action.”

Step 7: Save and Publish Your Workflow

You’ve built your simple workflow! Now, let’s make it live.

• In the top right corner of the workflow builder, you’ll see a “Save” button and a toggle that says “Draft.”
• First, click “Save” to save all your changes.
• Then, click the “Draft” toggle. It will change to “Publish.” This makes your workflow active!

Congratulations! Your first simple workflow in GoHighLevel is now live and ready to automate your new lead welcome process.

Practical Tips for Creating Simple GoHighLevel Workflows

• Start Simple: Don’t try to build a mega-workflow on your first try. Master the basics of triggers and actions with simple sequences.
• Map It Out: Before you even touch GoHighLevel, sketch your desired workflow on paper. What’s the trigger? What’s the first step? Then the next? This visual roadmap prevents confusion.
• Use Clear Naming Conventions: Name your workflows and individual actions clearly (e.g., “Lead Nurture – Webinar Registrants,” “Email – Welcome Offer”). This helps you and your team understand their purpose at a glance.
• Test Thoroughly: Always test your workflows before relying on them. Create a test contact, fill out the triggering form (or manually add the trigger), and ensure all actions fire as expected. Check your email and SMS inboxes!
• Leverage Custom Values: Personalization is key. GoHighLevel’s custom values (e.g., {{contact.first_name}}) are incredibly powerful for making automated messages feel human.
• Don’t Forget to Publish: A workflow in “Draft” mode won’t run. Always remember to toggle it to “Publish” once you’re satisfied.
• Review and Refine: Periodically review your workflows. Are they still relevant? Can they be improved? Automation is an ongoing process.

Troubleshooting Common GoHighLevel Workflow Issues

Even with simple workflows, sometimes things don’t go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

• Workflow Not Triggering:
  • Is the workflow “Published” (not in “Draft” mode)?
  • Did the contact truly meet the trigger criteria? For example, if the trigger is “Form Submitted,” did the contact actually submit that specific form? Double-check the form selection in your trigger.
  • Are there any other workflow settings (like “Allow multiple” or “Contact enters X times”) that might be preventing entry?
  • Check the “Workflow History” tab within the workflow to see if contacts are attempting to enter and if there are any errors.
• Actions Not Firing (e.g., Email/SMS Not Sending):
  • Did the contact successfully enter the workflow (check “Workflow History”)?
  • Is the email/SMS action configured correctly? Are there “From Name” and “From Email” specified for emails? Is the SMS content present?
  • For emails, check your email service provider connection (e.g., Mailgun, LC Email).
  • For SMS, ensure your Twilio or LeadConnector Phone system is properly set up and has credit.
  • Are there any preceding “Wait” steps that haven’t completed yet?
• Contacts Not Entering the Workflow:
  • This often goes back to the trigger. Ensure the action you took (e.g., adding a tag, submitting a form) perfectly matches the workflow’s trigger configuration.
  • Sometimes, contacts might already be in another active workflow that prevents them from entering a new one if “Allow multiple” is off.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully learned how to create a simple GoHighLevel workflow. You now have the power to automate critical aspects of your business, from welcoming new leads to sending timely follow-ups. GoHighLevel workflows are not just about saving time; they’re about providing a consistent, professional experience for your customers, ensuring nothing gets missed.

Start with simple automations, test them thoroughly, and gradually expand your skills. The more you use GoHighLevel workflows, the more you’ll discover their immense potential to streamline your operations and help your business thrive. Happy automating!