# GoHighLevel Knowledge Base > **Purpose:** Step-by-step guidance and overviews for using GoHighLevel (GHL), distilled from tutorial videos. > **How to use:** Ask questions about any topic below; each section is self-contained with concrete steps. ## Overview - [What is GoHighLevel? (GoHighLevel Explained)](#what-is-gohighlevel-gohighlevel-explained) - [GoHighLevel CRM Overview](#gohighlevel-crm-overview) - [GoHighLevel Hidden Costs Explained (Usage Fees)](#gohighlevel-hidden-costs-explained-usage-fees) ## Workflows & Automation - [GoHighLevel Automations (Workflows) Explained](#gohighlevel-automations-workflows-explained) - [GoHighLevel Workflows & Automation Tutorial for Beginners](#gohighlevel-workflows-automation-tutorial-for-beginners) ## Funnels & Websites - [GoHighLevel Funnel Builder Explained (Funnels & Websites)](#gohighlevel-funnel-builder-explained-funnels-websites) - [GoHighLevel Website & Funnel Builder Explained](#gohighlevel-website-funnel-builder-explained) ## Calendar, AI & Courses - [GoHighLevel Features Explained (Calendar, AI & Courses)](#gohighlevel-features-explained-calendar-ai-courses) - [GoHighLevel AI Agents Explained (Conversation AI Bot)](#gohighlevel-ai-agents-explained-conversation-ai-bot) ## Contacts, CRM & Pipelines - [How to Import Contacts to GoHighLevel - Step by Step](#how-to-import-contacts-to-gohighlevel-step-by-step) - [GoHighLevel Opportunities & Pipelines Tutorial](#gohighlevel-opportunities-pipelines-tutorial) ## Conversations - [GoHighLevel Conversations Tutorial (Trigger Links & Snippets)](#gohighlevel-conversations-tutorial-trigger-links-snippets) ## Calendars & Booking - [How to Set Up a Calendar in GoHighLevel (Booking & Google Calendar Sync)](#how-to-set-up-a-calendar-in-gohighlevel-booking-google-calendar-sync) ## Payments - [How to Set Up Payments in GoHighLevel (Stripe & Invoices)](#how-to-set-up-payments-in-gohighlevel-stripe-invoices) --- # What is GoHighLevel? (GoHighLevel Explained) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KlDCJlfDVg This guide provides an overview of GoHighLevel, an all-in-one business platform that combines a CRM, sales funnel builder, email/SMS platform, meeting planner, automation engine, course platform, and white-label software in a single subscription. --- ## 1. What GoHighLevel Is GoHighLevel is a single platform built to replace many tools you would otherwise pay for separately. Instead of juggling multiple subscriptions, features like your CRM, sales funnel builder, and email and SMS tools all live in one place. The core functional areas covered by the platform: - **CRM** — Manage contacts, leads, and customers. - **Sales funnel builder** — Build landing pages and conversion paths. - **Email and SMS platform** — Send and track outreach. - **Meeting planner** — Schedule appointments via a built-in calendar. - **Automation engine** — Build workflows that run on autopilot. - **Course platform** — Create and deliver courses and memberships. - **White-label business software** — Rebrand and resell the platform (mainly for agencies). --- ## 2. Who GoHighLevel Is For GoHighLevel is a strong fit for: - **Agencies** that manage multiple client accounts under one roof. - **Service companies** that rely on appointment booking and follow-ups. - **Coaches** and consultants delivering programs and running small memberships. - **Solo entrepreneurs** who want a single tool for most of their marketing and sales stack. It is generally **not the best fit** for: - **Large enterprises** with complex, specialized requirements. - **Serious e-commerce stores** that need deep storefront functionality. --- ## 3. Trade-off: All-in-One vs. Best-in-Class The main question GoHighLevel asks you to weigh is whether having everything in one platform is worth more than having the best tool in each category. - GoHighLevel is **great for agencies, service companies, coaches, and solo entrepreneurs** who value convenience and consolidated cost. - If you need **best-in-class** tools (e.g., deep e-commerce, heavy custom design), you might still keep a dedicated platform for those specific needs. For most non-enterprise, non-heavy-e-commerce businesses, GoHighLevel provides more than enough capability in a single place. --- # GoHighLevel CRM Overview > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHhBjSnd5M This guide covers the GoHighLevel CRM, the foundation that most other platform features tie back to for managing contacts, leads, and customers through your sales process. --- ## 1. What the CRM Does A CRM (customer relationship management tool) is where you keep track of all your contacts, leads, and customers, and where they stand in your sales process. In GoHighLevel, the CRM is the foundation everything else is built on — most other features end up connecting back to your contacts. --- ## 2. Core CRM Features GoHighLevel handles the CRM basics well: - **Unlimited contacts on every plan** — No per-contact upcharge. - **Visual pipelines** — Drag and drop your leads through stages. - **Tags** — Organize contacts and segments however you like. - **Unified inbox** — All conversations with a contact land in one thread, whether they come from email, SMS, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram DMs. --- ## 3. The Unified Inbox Advantage The standout CRM feature is the **unified inbox**. Every conversation with a contact — email, SMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs — appears in a single thread. Without a unified inbox, you end up copying messages between tabs or duct-taping tools together with something like Zapier, which can break. The unified inbox avoids that fragmentation. --- ## 4. GoHighLevel vs. HubSpot HubSpot offers a similar CRM experience on the CRM side and works well too. However: - **HubSpot** can get costly as you scale because pricing grows with contact count. - **GoHighLevel** keeps the same price **no matter how many contacts** you add. If predictable, contact-unlimited pricing matters to you, GoHighLevel is a real win. --- # GoHighLevel Hidden Costs Explained (Usage Fees) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ahAcT4DoMM This guide explains the usage-based costs in GoHighLevel on top of your monthly plan, so you're not caught off guard by unexpected fees. --- ## 1. Usage Costs Overview The cost of the monthly plan you pick might **not** include all the costs you actually use. GoHighLevel charges separately for usage on a few different things. --- ## 2. What Costs Extra ### SMS (per message) SMS is priced per message and runs on **Twilio**, the underlying engine GoHighLevel uses to send and receive texts. ### Email Sending Email sending is done through **Mailgun** and billed based on usage. ### AI Features The AI features are billed based on how much you use them. --- ## 3. Realistic Expectations If you use all of these features to run your business through the platform, the usage costs will be **in addition to** your GoHighLevel plan. Realistically: - You will pay **more than just the GoHighLevel plan cost.** - But it will **still be cheaper** than paying for many of these dedicated tools separately. It's nothing to be too alarmed by, but you don't want to be caught off guard. If a fixed, predictable price that never changes matters a lot to you, specialty tools might have a slight edge. --- # GoHighLevel Automations (Workflows) Explained > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Phpey3MN0 This guide explains GoHighLevel automations (workflows) — the feature where much of the platform's real value lives, letting you build workflows that run on autopilot in the background. --- ## 1. What Workflows Do Workflows are simple logic: **if this happens, then do this.** They run on autopilot in the background to handle repetitive tasks. Common examples: - Send a **follow-up text** when someone misses a call. - Kick off a **nurture email sequence** when a lead fills out a form. - Move a contact through your **pipeline** when they book an appointment. --- ## 2. The Visual Builder GoHighLevel's workflow builder lets you: - Set **triggers** (the event that starts the workflow). - Add **conditional logic** to branch based on conditions. - **Chain together as many steps** as you want. --- ## 3. Replacing Multiple Tools The main pitch of automations is that you're not just replacing one tool — you're replacing several: - Things people normally use **Zapier** for. - A separate **email automation** tool. - **CRM triggers** for moving contacts. All of this can live in one place within GoHighLevel, built natively into the platform. --- ## 4. Learning Curve More complex workflows do take some time to learn, and there is a learning curve when you first start. However, once you get the hang of it, the big advantage is that everything is built natively into the platform. Instead of stitching together five different tools and hoping the connections don't break, your automations talk directly to your CRM, email, SMS, and calendar. --- # GoHighLevel Workflows & Automation Tutorial for Beginners > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgur-STwS4c This guide introduces GoHighLevel workflows — simple "if this, then do that" logic that puts repetitive tasks on autopilot — including how to create them using the new AI-powered assistant or from a template. --- ## 1. What Workflows Are Workflows are simple logic that says **if this happens, then do this.** By using workflows, you can put repetitive tasks on autopilot and focus on important work. --- ## 2. Access Workflows 1. Click **Automation** on the left. 2. You'll be taken to the **Workflows** tab. --- ## 3. Create a Workflow with AI (Beta) GoHighLevel recently added an AI feature (in beta) that lets you create a workflow by simply describing what you want in **plain language prompts**. 1. Choose an **example**, such as: - **Lead nurturing** - **Form automation** - **Email campaigns** 2. **Describe your goal** in plain language. 3. The AI automatically designs a workflow for you. ### What you'll see - The **AI assistant** is represented on the left. - On the right is the **constructor** that populates the steps in the workflow. --- ## 4. Start from a Template Instead If you don't like the AI's starting point, you can go back to workflows and start from a template: 1. Click **Create Workflow**. 2. Select one of the **templates**. - There are many options to choose from. - Narrow them down by **searching by category**. --- ## 5. Learn More If you want to learn more, the **GoHighLevel support portal** offers many resources for understanding automations and workflows. --- # GoHighLevel Funnel Builder Explained (Funnels & Websites) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_9ZpvRjiA This guide covers GoHighLevel's drag-and-drop builder for landing pages, sales funnels, and basic websites, including where it excels and where it falls short. --- ## 1. What You Can Build GoHighLevel comes with a **drag-and-drop builder** you can use to create: - **Landing pages** - **Full sales funnels** - **Basic websites** The templates are clean, and the pages you build work automatically on **mobile**. --- ## 2. Where It Shines For most use cases, GoHighLevel fully replaces a dedicated funnel builder like **ClickFunnels**. If you're running: - **Lead gen funnels** - **Sales pages** - **Appointment booking flows** ...this is more than enough, and you can build pretty much any type of conversion-focused page you'd need. --- ## 3. Where It Falls Short The builder is less strong on the **website side**, especially if you care a lot about: - **Custom design** - **SEO depth** Tools like **Webflow** or **WordPress** give you more control there. --- ## 4. Honest Verdict - GoHighLevel is **great for landing pages and funnels.** - GoHighLevel is **fine for simple websites.** - If you're building a **design-forward brand site**, you'll probably want to keep that on a separate, dedicated platform. --- # GoHighLevel Website & Funnel Builder Explained > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNK4IerOcfw This guide explains the difference between sales funnels and websites in GoHighLevel, and the wide range of things you can build in the Sites section without design or coding experience. --- ## 1. Sales Funnels vs. Websites It's worth understanding the difference between **sales funnels** and **websites**: - **Sales funnels** are step-by-step conversion paths — for example, a landing page that leads to a checkout page and then a thank-you page — designed to direct visitors to a **single action**. - **Websites** give you more options for **navigation** thanks to menus, multiple pages, and the freedom for visitors to **browse your business**. The good news is you can create **both** very easily in GoHighLevel. --- ## 2. No Design or Coding Experience Needed You can choose and customize **templates** without any design or coding experience. --- ## 3. What You Can Build in the Sites Section The Sites section brings a ton of functionality together in one place: - **Stores** — Sell products from the checkout section using the built-in e-commerce option. This can replace tools like **Shopify** for simple use cases. - **Blogs** — Publish content. - **WordPress hosting** — Host your WordPress site directly in GoHighLevel. - **Webinars** — Host webinars. - **Lead collection** — Collect leads using **forms**, **surveys**, and **quizzes**. This brings the rest of the platform together into one place where your customers can find you. --- # GoHighLevel Features Explained (Calendar, AI & Courses) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaTNENSKKMo This guide covers three GoHighLevel feature areas — the calendar, AI tools, and the course builder — each capable of replacing a dedicated tool for most people. --- ## 1. Calendar (Appointment Scheduler) GoHighLevel has a built-in appointment scheduler that fully replaces a tool like **Calendly**. It can: - **Sync with Google Calendar.** - Handle **individual and team bookings.** - Let every appointment **automatically trigger workflows** elsewhere in the platform. The interface can feel a little dated, but functionally it does everything most people need. --- ## 2. AI Tools GoHighLevel has a growing stack of AI tools, including: - **Voice agents** that can answer phone calls. - **Conversation AI** that can handle chats with leads. - **Content AI** for writing emails. These are generally impressive for an all-in-one platform, even if they don't always match the most specialized AI tools. --- ## 3. Course & Membership Builder GoHighLevel includes a course and membership builder that replaces something like **Kajabi**, **Thinkific**, or **Teachable** at the basic level. It's a great fit if you're: - A **coach delivering programs**. - Running a **small membership**. However, if you're building a serious course business with **hundreds of students or more**, a dedicated platform will probably serve you better. --- # GoHighLevel AI Agents Explained (Conversation AI Bot) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wn_YLA0jr4 This guide covers building AI-powered bots in GoHighLevel for live chat, appointment bookings, and even phone calls, so you can capture leads 24/7. --- ## 1. What Conversation AI Does Conversation AI is the area of GoHighLevel where you build **AI-powered bots** for: - **Live chat** - **Appointment bookings** - **Phone calls** This lets you **capture leads 24/7** without leaving any business on the table. --- ## 2. Create a Bot 1. Click **Conversation AI**. 2. Click **Create Bot**. 3. You'll see several options. It's recommended to set up the form with **instructions** — it's fast and recommended if you're just starting out. ### Choose a bot type and continue 1. Click **Create a New Bot**. 2. Select a bot type, such as: - **General Questions and Answers** - **Appointment Booking** 3. Click **Continue**. From here, you'll go through a short **introductory phase** that sets up: - Your **brand voice**. - The bot's **parameters**. - The bot's **goals**. --- ## 3. Tips for an Effective Bot - Setting up an effective AI bot takes **time and tweaking**. - If you have a type of business where you want to **capture leads 24/7**, it's highly recommended to **book a live session with the GoHighLevel team** to tailor the bot to your business. - If it doesn't work for you right now, you can always **come back to it later**. --- # How to Import Contacts to GoHighLevel - Step by Step > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhByGjigQeM This guide walks through adding contacts manually and importing a full list of leads into GoHighLevel from another system. --- ## 1. Add a Single Contact Manually Contacts are the heart of your CRM, and everything else in GoHighLevel connects back here. 1. Click the **Add Contact** button in the top right. 2. Fill in your contact details. 3. Click **Save**. This opens the contact view where you have: - **Information** on the left. - **Messaging** in the center — email directly, or if they have a number, **WhatsApp or SMS**. - **Activity, tasks, and notes** on the right. > **Note:** You may see some sample contacts you'll want to remove. For the tutorial, it's helpful to leave them. --- ## 2. Import Contacts in Bulk If you're coming from another system with a full list of leads, you can import contacts: 1. Click the **back arrow or smart lists** to return to the contacts list. 2. Click the **Import** button. 3. Follow the **four-step process**. ### Step 2 — Use the sample CSV GoHighLevel provides a **sample CSV file** that makes it easy to arrange your data. 1. Upload your sheet. 2. **Map your columns** to fields — this is straightforward if your column names match up. 3. **Verify** and start the import. Your new leads will then be added to the platform. --- ## 3. Tracking Long Imports - For long-running imports, check the progress under **Bulk Actions**. - To see just the contacts you imported in this file, click the **three-dot action menu** and select **Show Imported**. --- # GoHighLevel Opportunities & Pipelines Tutorial > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRZ26Du20ec This guide covers sales funnels (pipelines) and opportunities in GoHighLevel — how to visually track deals as they move through stages from new lead to close. --- ## 1. Understanding Sales Funnels (Pipelines) Sales funnels let you visually track your deals as they move through various stages. A default marketing funnel has **six stages by default**. --- ## 2. Customize a Sales Funnel 1. Click **Sales Funnels** at the top. 2. Click the **three-dot menu** next to your sales funnel to edit. From here you can: - **Rename** the sales funnel. - **Rename stages**. - **Add a new stage** using the **Add Stage** button. - **Delete** any unnecessary stages. - Choose how your **stage is displayed**. - Adjust the **colors** of stages individually. --- ## 3. Create a New Sales Funnel If the default sales funnel doesn't suit you, or you want to add another one: 1. Click **Create Sales Funnel**. 2. Set up a brand new funnel. --- ## 4. Add an Opportunity 1. Return to the **Opportunities** tab. 2. Click **Add Opportunity**. 3. **Select your primary contact** and enter a **name** for the opportunity. 4. Select a **sales funnel stage**. 5. Add an **opportunity value**. 6. Update any other fields you need. 7. Click **Create**. Back in your sales funnel, you'll see your lead in the **New Lead** column. --- ## 5. Interact with Opportunities - **Drag** opportunities through the funnel as your deals progress. - **Click and hold** a card and drag to classify the opportunity as **Won**, **Declined**, or **Lost** at the bottom. --- ## 6. View Won and Lost Opportunities By default, only your **open** opportunities are displayed. To view won and lost deals: 1. Click **Advanced Filters**. 2. Click the **Edit** button under **Status** to choose what is displayed. --- ## 7. Import Opportunities in Bulk You can **import many opportunities at once**, just like you import contacts. As your deals progress through the sales funnel, remember to check your **main dashboard** — it becomes more useful as you add more lead data. --- # GoHighLevel Conversations Tutorial (Trigger Links & Snippets) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_PqnIVp9Qk This guide covers the GoHighLevel Conversations inbox — your all-in-one place for emails, texts, calls, and web chats — plus two productivity features: trigger links and snippets. --- ## 1. The Conversations Inbox The Conversations section is an all-in-one inbox where **emails, texts, calls, and web chats** are managed together. Instead of jumping between Gmail, your phone, and a chat tool, everything is in one place. At the top there are several tabs. Two useful features work well together: - **Trigger links** — trackable links inside your emails. - **Snippets** — reusable blocks of text. --- ## 2. Create a Trigger Link Trigger links let you place trackable links inside your emails so you can see how many contacts click through. 1. Open the **Trigger Links** tab. 2. Click **Add Link**. 3. Give it a **name** and a **URL**. 4. Click **Save**. --- ## 3. Create a Snippet and Embed a Trigger Link Snippets are reusable text blocks you can quickly insert when composing a message — a big time-saver if you send similar emails regularly. 1. Go to the **Snippets** tab. 2. Click **New Snippet**, then **Email Snippet**. 3. Give your snippet a **name** and a **subject**. 4. Write your message in the snippet's **body**. - You can insert **custom values** like the contact's name to personalize the email. 5. To insert the trigger link, click the **Trigger Links** button in the toolbar and select the link you created. - Don't worry that it doesn't show as a hyperlink yet. 6. Click **Save**. --- ## 4. Send the Snippet as a Real Email 1. Go back to the **Conversations** tab. 2. Click **New**, then **Direct Message**, and select a contact. 3. Choose **Email**, then click the **Insert Snippet** button to select your snippet. - The snippet populates the email with everything you set up, including the trigger link. 4. To make it a hyperlink: - Click **Add Link** → **Trigger Link** → select your link. - Choose to open in a new window, then **Save**. 5. Click **Send**. Your contact receives the email with the trackable link inside. --- ## 5. Analyze Trigger Link Performance 1. Go back to the **Trigger Links** tab. 2. Click **Analyze**. 3. View a breakdown of **total clicks over time**. --- # How to Set Up a Calendar in GoHighLevel (Booking & Google Calendar Sync) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8PIAOIcwDM This guide walks through creating a personal booking calendar in GoHighLevel, including the required step of assigning yourself to a subaccount before you can create it. --- ## 1. Access Calendars GoHighLevel has a built-in calendar tool for scheduling appointments and connecting with clients. 1. Click **Calendars** on the left-hand side. 2. You won't have a calendar yet, so go to **Calendar Settings** to create one. --- ## 2. Important Prerequisite: Assign Yourself to the Subaccount Every calendar in GoHighLevel must be connected to a **team member** (a staff person who takes the bookings). However, when you sign up, HighLevel creates your user at the **agency level** — you are **not** a team member inside your subaccount yet. To fix this: 1. Click the **business name** in the top left and switch to **Agency View**. 2. Go to **Settings** at the bottom. 3. Click **Team**. 4. Find yourself in the list and click the **pencil icon** to edit. 5. Under **Roles and Permissions**, assign yourself to your subaccount. 6. Click **Save**. Now switch back to your subaccount using the drop-down in the top left. --- ## 3. Create a Personal Booking Calendar 1. Go back to **Calendars**, then **Calendar Settings**. 2. Click **New Calendar**. 3. Choose **Personal Booking**. 4. Now you'll see yourself available in the **Team Member** drop-down (this is why we assigned yourself to the subaccount). 5. Fill out your **calendar details**. 6. Click **Confirm**. Once you confirm, you'll get a **booking link** and can **preview the booking widget** to see what your contacts will see when they book. --- ## 4. Sync with Google or Outlook If you already use a Google or Outlook calendar, you can sync them to keep everything in one place: 1. Go to the **Connections** tab. 2. Click **Add New** and sign in to the calendar you'd like to connect. --- # How to Set Up Payments in GoHighLevel (Stripe & Invoices) > **Source video:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFnfsTz9G9c This guide walks through connecting a payment gateway, adding a product, and sending your first invoice in GoHighLevel. --- ## 1. Connect a Payment Gateway Before you can send invoices, you need to set up a payment gateway. 1. Click the **Integrations** tab on the far right (or use the banner if you see it). 2. View the list of supported payment providers, such as **Stripe**, **PayPal**, etc. 3. To connect Stripe, for example: - Click **Connect**. - Click **Connect to Stripe**. - Follow the instructions to **link your account**. --- ## 2. Add a Product Once your gateway is connected, the next step is to add a product. 1. Click the **Products** tab at the top. 2. Click **Create Product**. 3. Enter information about your product: - Set **prices**. - Add any **options**. - Fill in the **search engine listing** details. 4. Click **Save**. --- ## 3. Send Your First Invoice Once you have at least one payment gateway connected and one product, you can send an invoice. 1. Click the **Invoices and Estimates** tab. 2. Click **New**, then **New Invoice**. 3. At the top: - Give your invoice a **name**. - Choose a **client**. - Add the **product** you just created. - Fill in any other details you need. 4. When ready, click **Submit** and start collecting revenue. --- ## 4. More Payment Options The Payments tab also supports: - **Subscriptions** - **Contracts** - **Coupons** - **Payment links** Everything is connected to your contacts and invoices.