GHL Workflow Automation

Overview

GoHighLevel's Workflow Builder is the automation engine powering all marketing, sales, and operational processes. Workflows replace the legacy "Campaigns" and provide a visual, drag-and-drop interface for building complex multi-step automations.

Core Concepts

Concept Description

Trigger The event that starts a workflow (e.g., form submitted, tag added)

Action The task performed after a trigger fires (e.g., send SMS, add tag)

Condition (If/Else) Branching logic based on contact data, tags, or custom fields

Wait Step A timed delay between actions (minutes, hours, days, or specific time)

Goal A target state that, when reached, stops the workflow for that contact

Custom Values System-wide variables for dynamic content (e.g., {{custom_values.company_name}} )

Custom Fields Contact-specific data used in merge fields (e.g., {{contact.first_name}} )

Triggers Reference

Contact Events

• Contact Created — New contact added to the system

• Contact Changed — Any field on a contact is updated

• Tag Added / Tag Removed — Specific tag applied or removed

• Contact DND — Do Not Disturb status changed

• Birthday Reminder — Based on contact's birthday field

• Note Added / Note Changed — Internal notes activity

Communication Events

• Customer Replied — Contact responds via any channel (email, SMS, etc.)

• Form Submitted — A specific GHL form is completed

• Survey Submitted — A specific survey is completed

• Trigger Link Clicked — Special tracking link is clicked

• Email Events — Email opened, clicked, bounced, complained, unsubscribed

• Facebook Lead Form Submitted — Lead ad form captured

Sales & Booking Events

• Appointment Status — Booking confirmed, cancelled, no-showed

• Pipeline Stage Changed — Opportunity moves to a new stage

• Opportunity Status Changed — Deal won, lost, or abandoned

• Order Submitted / Order Form Submission

• Invoice — Invoice created, sent, paid, overdue

• Payment Received

Membership Events

• Membership New Signup

• Product Access Granted / Product Access Removed

• Offer Access Granted

• Category Completed / Product Completed

Other Events

• Task Added / Task Completed / Task Reminder

• Stale Opportunities — Opportunities inactive for a configured period

• Inbound Webhook — External systems trigger the workflow via webhook URL

• Manual / API Trigger — Workflow started manually or via API call

Best Practice: Always apply filters to triggers. For example, filter a Form Submitted trigger to a specific form. Without filters, the workflow fires for ALL forms.

Actions Reference

Communication

• Send Email — HTML or plain text, with merge fields and attachments

• Send SMS / MMS — Text messages with optional media

• Send Voicemail Drop — Ringless voicemail delivery

• Send to Messenger — Facebook Messenger message

• Send Internal Notification — Alert team members via email or SMS

• Send Review Request — Automated review solicitation

Contact Management

• Add / Remove Tag

• Create / Update Contact

• Add to / Remove from Workflow

• Add Internal Note

• Create Task — Assign follow-up tasks to team members

• Assign User — Assign contact to a specific team member

• Update Custom Field — Set or modify any custom field value

• Math Operation — Increment/decrement numeric fields (e.g., lead score)

• Set Contact DND

Pipeline & Sales

• Create / Update Opportunity

• Move Opportunity Stage

• Add to / Remove from Campaign

External & Advanced

• Webhook (Custom) — Send data to external systems (Zapier, Make, custom endpoints)

• HTTP Request — Make API calls to third-party services

• Google Sheets — Add rows, update cells

• If / Else Condition — Branch logic based on data

• Go To Step — Jump to a different action in the workflow

• Wait — Delay for a specified time or until a specific day/time

Custom Values vs. Custom Fields

Feature Custom Values Custom Fields

Scope System-wide (same for everyone) Per-contact (unique to each person)

Use Case Company name, phone, address, branding Contact name, email, lead score

Update Change once → updates everywhere Changes per individual contact

Merge Syntax {{custom_values.field_name}}

{{contact.field_name}}

Best For Snapshots, templates, global branding Personalization, segmentation

Custom Values Best Practices

• Group by category — Create folders like "Business Info", "Branding", "Social Links"

• Use for snapshots — Store client-specific details that can be easily swapped

• Naming convention — Use snake_case with clear prefixes (e.g., biz_phone , biz_email )

• Keep them current — Review and update quarterly

Workflow Design Best Practices

Planning

• Map the journey first — Sketch the trigger → action flow on paper before building

• Start simple — Begin with 3-5 steps, then add complexity

• One trigger per workflow — Avoid multiple triggers causing confusion

• Use descriptive names — Name workflows clearly: [Niche] - [Purpose] - [Channel] (e.g., Dental - New Lead Follow-Up - SMS )

Building

• Use if/else branches — Personalize paths based on tags, custom fields, or contact behavior

• Add wait steps — Space out messages naturally (don't send 5 SMS in 1 minute)

• Set time windows — Configure delivery hours (e.g., 9 AM–6 PM in contact's timezone)

• Use goals — Stop the workflow when the desired outcome is achieved (e.g., appointment booked)

• Add internal notifications — Alert team members at critical workflow points

Testing

• Test with a real contact — Create a test contact and run through the entire workflow

• Verify all links — Check every URL, tracking link, and redirect

• Check merge fields — Ensure all {{variables}} resolve correctly

• Test edge cases — Verify if/else branches with different contact data

• Monitor after launch — Watch the first 10-20 enrollments for errors

Performance

• Review weekly — Check open rates, click rates, and reply rates

• A/B test messages — Experiment with different copy, subject lines, and timing

• Archive unused workflows — Deactivate and archive workflows no longer in use

• Document your automations — Maintain an internal wiki or spreadsheet listing all active workflows

Common Workflow Templates

Speed-to-Lead (New Lead Response)

Trigger: Form Submitted → Send SMS (Immediate): "Thanks {{contact.first_name}}! We'll be in touch shortly." → Send Email: Welcome + value proposition → Internal Notification: Alert sales rep → Wait 5 min → If/Else: Contact replied? → Yes: End workflow → No: Send SMS follow-up → Wait 24 hours → Send Email: Case study / testimonial → Wait 48 hours → If/Else: Appointment booked? → Yes: End workflow → No: Send SMS with booking link

Appointment Reminder Sequence

Trigger: Appointment Status → Confirmed → Send SMS: "Your appointment is confirmed for {{appointment.date}}!" → Wait until 24hrs before appointment → Send SMS: "Reminder: Your appointment is tomorrow at {{appointment.time}}" → Wait until 1hr before appointment → Send SMS: "See you in 1 hour! Here's the address: {{custom_values.biz_address}}"

Review Request Automation

Trigger: Pipeline Stage Changed → "Completed" / "Delivered" → Wait 2 days → Send SMS: "How was your experience? We'd love a review! {{custom_values.review_link}}" → Wait 3 days → If/Else: Review received? → Yes: Send thank you SMS → No: Send Email: Gentle review reminder

Key Resources

• Official Help: Workflow Actions Reference

• Templates: Available in the GHL Marketplace

• Community: GHL Ideas Board for feature requests