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