When you first open GoHighLevel, the dashboard can feel a little crowded. There are many tools in one place and it is not always clear where to start. The good news is that GoHighLevel is easier than it looks. Once you understand the basic sections, you can run your full marketing and sales system from one dashboard.
This guide will show you how to use GoHighLevel in a simple way. You will learn the main tools, how they work, and how to start using them for your business.
Step 1: Set Up Your Account
Once you log in, the first thing you should do is set up your business profile.
Go to Settings and update these areas:
• Business name
• Time zone
• Contact information
• Domain connection
• Email and phone settings
If you plan to send emails or SMS, you must connect your sending records. This allows GoHighLevel to send messages on your behalf.
Step 2: Add Contacts
Your CRM is the heart of your account. GoHighLevel lets you store leads, clients, and team contacts in one place.
Go to the Contacts page and do any of the following:
• Add a new contact manually
• Import a list from a CSV file
• Sync contacts through forms or funnels
Each contact can have notes, tags, custom fields, tasks, and activity logs. This helps you understand your full history with every lead.
Step 3: Create Your Pipeline
A pipeline helps you track where each lead is in your process.
To create one:
- Go to Opportunities
- Click Pipelines
- Add stages such as New Lead, Follow Up, Booked Call, Closed
When new leads come in, GoHighLevel can place them in the right stage automatically. This makes it easier to see who needs attention and who is ready for the next step.
Step 4: Build Forms and Funnels
GoHighLevel includes a full funnel builder similar to many landing page tools. You can build forms, pages, surveys, and full funnels without extra software.
Inside the funnel builder you can:
• Add drag and drop sections
• Connect forms
• Add tracking
• Build thank you pages
• Link calendars
Once the funnel is published, every lead will flow directly into your CRM.
Step 5: Set Up Your Calendar
If your business books calls or appointments, the calendar tool is very important.
Create a calendar by:
- Opening the Calendar menu
- Adding your availability
- Connecting your email or Google Calendar
- Setting appointment types
You can embed the calendar on your website or inside a funnel. When someone books a time, GoHighLevel can send confirmations and reminders automatically.
Step 6: Send Email and SMS Campaigns
GoHighLevel allows you to send broadcasts or automated messages using SMS, email, or both.
For email campaigns, go to Email Marketing and:
• Write your message
• Choose your audience
• Send immediately or schedule it
For SMS broadcasts, use the same process but choose the text message option.
Always test your message before sending it to a full list.
Step 7: Create Automated Workflows
Workflows are one of the most powerful features inside GoHighLevel. They save time by running tasks for you. A workflow can send emails, schedule SMS, update pipelines, add tags, and much more.
Popular workflows include:
• New lead welcome messages
• Missed call text back
• Appointment reminders
• Onboarding sequences
• Review request messages
To create one:
- Go to Workflows
- Choose a trigger
- Add actions like Send Email, Send SMS, Wait, Move to Pipeline
You can build simple or advanced systems depending on your needs.
Step 8: Track Your Results
GoHighLevel includes reporting for calls, emails, SMS, funnels, pipelines, and tasks. This helps you understand what is working and what needs improvement.
You can check:
• Email open rates
• Text delivery
• Funnel traffic
• Calendar bookings
• Sales stage progress
Good tracking helps you make smart decisions and grow faster.
Step 9: Add Your Team or Clients
If you run an agency or a team, GoHighLevel lets you add users with different permission levels. You can also create sub accounts for clients. Each client gets their own CRM, funnel builder, and automation system under your main agency account.
This makes GoHighLevel one of the best tools for agencies that want to offer software level services.
Step 10: Use Templates for Faster Setup
GoHighLevel offers templates for:
• Funnels
• Workflows
• Emails
• Pipelines
• Calendars
Templates save time and help beginners get results faster. You can customize them to match your brand.
Final Thought
Learning how to use GoHighLevel is much easier when you follow the platform step by step. Start with your settings, add contacts, build your pipeline, and then move into funnels and automation. Once you understand these basics, you can run your entire business from one dashboard.
GoHighLevel is powerful because it replaces so many tools. When used correctly, it makes your work faster, easier, and more organized.