Portal Creation
Portal Creation — Step-by-Step Guide
This guide walks Onboarding Specialists through the complete process of creating a new client's portal in GoHighLevel (GHL). This must be completed within 24 hours of a client's payment being received.
⏱️ Time Requirement
Portal creation should take approximately 10–15 minutes per client. Complete this task immediately when you receive a new client notification — do not batch it or wait until "later in the shift." The 24-hour clock starts the moment payment is confirmed.
Portal creation should take approximately 10–15 minutes per client. Complete this task immediately when you receive a new client notification — do not batch it or wait until "later in the shift." The 24-hour clock starts the moment payment is confirmed.
Before You Begin
Confirm you have the following information from the client's purchase record:
- ✅ Client's full legal name
- ✅ Client's email address
- ✅ Client's phone number
- ✅ Plan purchased (Basic $150 / Standard $249 / Premium $1,095)
- ✅ Date of purchase / signup
- ✅ Any notes from the sales process (if applicable)
Step-by-Step: Creating the Client Portal
Step 1 — Log Into GHL
Step 2 — Check for Existing Contact
- Go to Contacts in the left sidebar
- Search for the client by email address or phone number
- If a contact already exists (e.g., they were a lead before purchasing):
- Click into the existing contact
- Update any outdated information
- Proceed to Step 4
- If no contact exists, proceed to Step 3
⚠️ Duplicate Prevention
Always search before creating a new contact. Duplicate contacts cause confused automations, split conversation history, and billing errors. When in doubt, merge duplicates using GHL's merge contact function before proceeding.
Always search before creating a new contact. Duplicate contacts cause confused automations, split conversation history, and billing errors. When in doubt, merge duplicates using GHL's merge contact function before proceeding.
Step 3 — Create New Contact
- Click "+ Add Contact" button
- Fill in all required fields:
- First Name / Last Name: Use legal name exactly as on purchase record
- Email: Primary email used at purchase
- Phone: Include country code (e.g., +1 for US clients)
- Address: Leave blank — will be collected during document intake
- Tags: Add tag:
new-client,[plan-type](e.g.,standard-plan) - Source: Select "Meta Ads" or the appropriate source
- Click Save Contact
Step 4 — Set Up Client Tags & Custom Fields
- In the contact record, scroll to the Custom Fields section
- Fill in the following fields:
- Client Start Date: Today's date
- Plan Type: Basic / Standard / Premium
- Onboarding Specialist: Your name
- Assigned CSR: Leave blank until handoff is complete
- SmartCredit Status: "Pending Setup"
- Documents Received: "No"
Step 5 — Add Client to Onboarding Pipeline
- In the contact record, click "Add to Pipeline"
- Select the Onboarding Pipeline
- Set the stage to "New Client — Portal Creation"
- The pipeline card will now appear on the Onboarding board
Step 6 — Create Client Portal Access
📧 Portal Access Email Template
After sending portal access, follow up with this SMS:
"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, welcome to Crowned Credit! 🎉 We just sent your portal login to {{contact.email}}. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for an email from us. Once you're in, reply here and let us know — we'll schedule your welcome call right away!"
After sending portal access, follow up with this SMS:
"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, welcome to Crowned Credit! 🎉 We just sent your portal login to {{contact.email}}. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for an email from us. Once you're in, reply here and let us know — we'll schedule your welcome call right away!"
Step 7 — Log Access Confirmation
- Once the client confirms portal access (via SMS reply, email, or call), log it in GHL:
- Go to the contact record → Activity/Notes section
- Add note: "Portal access confirmed by client on [date]. Client logged in successfully."
- Update the Custom Field: Portal Status → "Active"
- Update pipeline stage to "Portal Active — Awaiting SmartCredit Setup"
Step 8 — Create DisputeFox Profile
- Log into DisputeFox
- Click "Add New Client"
- Enter the client's full name, email, phone, and start date
- Select the appropriate dispute package (matches their plan)
- Save the profile — do not add any dispute items yet (Dispute Team will do this after credit report pull)
- Go back to GHL and note the DisputeFox client ID in the contact record
Step 9 — Trigger Automation (if not auto-triggered)
- In the contact record, go to Automations / Workflows
- Confirm the New Client Welcome Sequence has been triggered (automated email + SMS welcome series)
- If it has NOT triggered, manually launch it by clicking "Enroll in Workflow" → select "New Client Welcome"
- Verify the first email/SMS has been sent in the contact's Conversation tab
Step 10 — Final QA Check
| Checkpoint | Verified? |
|---|---|
| Contact record created with correct name, email, phone | ☐ |
| Tags applied: new-client, plan type | ☐ |
| Custom fields filled (start date, plan, specialist name) | ☐ |
| Added to Onboarding Pipeline at correct stage | ☐ |
| Portal access email sent to client | ☐ |
| SMS follow-up sent with portal instructions | ☐ |
| DisputeFox profile created and ID noted in GHL | ☐ |
| Welcome automation confirmed as triggered | ☐ |
| Orientation call scheduled (or outreach attempt logged) | ☐ |