GoHighLevel Complete Guide
GoHighLevel (GHL) — Complete Guide
GoHighLevel is Crowned Credit's CRM, automation engine, payment processor, and sales pipeline — all in one platform. Every lead, every client, every payment, and every communication flows through GHL. Mastering it is essential for every team member who interacts with clients.
⚠️ CRITICAL RULE — READ FIRST: GHL has 536 workflows, 402 of which are ACTIVE. Modifying, deleting, or pausing any workflow without explicit approval from Jethro can break client communications, billing automations, and sales processes. When in doubt — DON'T TOUCH IT. Ask first.
What GHL Does for Crowned Credit
GoHighLevel serves as the operational backbone of Crowned Credit. Here is a breakdown of every major function we use:
| Function | How We Use It |
|---|---|
| CRM / Contacts | All leads and clients stored here. Full contact history, notes, tags, pipeline stage. |
| Pipeline / Opportunities | Lead qualification → Consultation → Closed Won/Lost. Tracks every deal from first touch to payment. |
| Automations / Workflows | Welcome emails, SMS follow-ups, billing reminders, onboarding sequences (536 total, 402 active). |
| Payments / Invoices | All client invoices, setup fees, and recurring monthly subscriptions managed here. |
| Calendar | Appointment scheduling for sales consultations. Integrated with automated SMS confirmations and reminders. |
| Calls (Closers) | Closers use GHL's built-in dialer for ALL sales calls. NEVER use Aircall for outbound sales. |
| SMS | Automated and manual SMS to clients. Merge tags for personalization by rep name and client name. |
| Reputation Management | Review requests sent automatically via GHL after client milestones. |
| Reporting | Close rates, revenue tracking, appointment show rates, and call logs by rep. |
Login & Navigation
GHL is a web-based platform. Access it from any browser — no download required for the desktop version.
How to Log In
- Go to app.gohighlevel.com
- Enter your assigned email and password
- If you see multiple sub-accounts, select "Crowned Credit"
- You will land on the Dashboard — this shows a summary of recent activity
💡 If you don't have login credentials, contact your direct manager. Do not share login credentials with other team members — each person has their own account for tracking purposes.
Left Sidebar Navigation
| Icon / Label | What It Does | Who Uses It |
|---|---|---|
| 📋 Contacts | Search, view, and manage all leads and clients | All team members |
| 🎯 Opportunities | Pipeline view — kanban board or list view of all deals | Closers, Sales Managers |
| 📅 Calendar | View and manage appointments and consultation schedule | Closers, Schedulers |
| 🤖 Automations | All 536 workflows — DO NOT edit without Jethro's approval | Admin only |
| 💰 Payments | Invoices, subscriptions, payment history, failed charges | Billing team, Managers |
| 📣 Marketing | Email and SMS campaigns for leads and existing clients | Marketing team, Admin |
| 📊 Reporting | Close rates, revenue data, rep performance, call logs | Management |
| ⚙️ Settings | Sub-account configuration — admin access only | Jethro / Admin |
Common Tasks: Step-by-Step
How to Search for a Client
- Click Contacts in the left sidebar
- Use the search bar at the top — you can search by name, phone number, or email address
- Click the contact name to open their full profile
- The profile shows: all activity, notes, tags, current pipeline stage, and full payment history
How to View Client History
- Open the client profile (Contacts → Search → Click name)
- The activity feed on the right panel shows all interactions: calls, emails, SMS, notes, pipeline moves
- Scroll down for the full conversation history in chronological order
- Click the "Appointments" tab to see their full consultation history
- Click the "Payments" tab to see all invoices and billing history
How to Add a Note to a Client
- Open the client profile
- Click the "Notes" tab in the profile menu
- Click "+ Add Note"
- Type your note — always include: date, your name, and the action you took or the outcome of the interaction
- Example format: "2026-03-20 | Maria | Called client to follow up on onboarding. Client confirmed SmartCredit is set up. No issues."
- Click Save
How to Check Payment Status
- Go to Payments in the left sidebar
- Click Invoices
- Search the client's name or email in the search bar
- View invoice status: Paid / Pending / Failed / Void
- Click any invoice to see full details: amount, date, payment method, and transaction ID
- For failed payments, escalate to the billing team (Khryzza or Regine) immediately
How to Move a Contact in the Pipeline
- Go to Opportunities in the left sidebar
- Find the contact — you can switch between Kanban view (drag cards) or List view
- In Kanban: drag the card from one column to the next
- In List: click the contact → select the new stage from the dropdown
- Moving to "Closed Won" automatically triggers the onboarding workflow — do not do this unless payment has been confirmed
How to Send a Manual SMS
- Open the client profile
- Click Send SMS (speech bubble icon) in the action bar
- Type your message — keep it professional and on-brand
- Do NOT send SMS that contradict or override automated sequences without checking with your manager
- Your message will appear in the conversation thread automatically
Pipeline Stages Explained
The pipeline tracks every prospect from first contact to enrolled client. Understanding each stage helps ensure the right actions happen at the right time.
| Stage | Meaning | Who's Responsible | Next Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Lead | Lead came in from Meta ad, form submission, or referral | System / Scheduler | Closer calls within 5 minutes of appointment being booked |
| Consultation Booked | Appointment confirmed in GHL calendar | Closer | Automated confirmation SMS + reminder sequence fires automatically |
| Consultation Complete | Call happened — verified by call record over 60 seconds | Closer | Send follow-up email + proposal same day |
| Proposal Sent | Pricing/offer sent to the prospect | Closer | Follow up same day via SMS, and again next morning |
| Follow-Up | No decision made after proposal was sent | Closer + Automation | Automated + manual follow-up sequence (multiple touchpoints over 7–14 days) |
| Closed Won ✅ | Payment received — setup fee confirmed | Closer | Onboarding workflow triggers automatically. DO NOT move here without confirmed payment. |
| Closed Lost ❌ | No purchase, no response after full follow-up sequence | System | Contact enters long-term nurture sequence (30/60/90-day touchpoints) |
Key Workflows (Do Not Modify Without Approval)
GHL runs 402 active workflows. These power nearly every automated communication Crowned Credit sends. Touching the wrong workflow can break client onboarding, billing, or sales follow-up at scale.
| Workflow | Purpose | Risk Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Payment Automation | Sends welcome email and onboarding instructions when a new client pays their setup fee | 🔴 Critical — DO NOT touch | Triggers immediately on payment |
| Monthly Billing Reminders | Notifies clients 3 days before their billing date | 🔴 Critical | Reduces failed payments and chargebacks |
| No-Show Follow-Up (25+ versions) | Sends follow-up from rep's individual phone number after missed appointment | 🟡 Medium — per-rep, intentional | See note below on why there are 25+ versions |
| Lead Nurture Sequence | Email + SMS follow-up for leads who didn't convert | 🟡 Medium | Multi-week cadence |
| Onboarding Checklist | Guides new client through portal setup and SmartCredit sign-up | 🔴 Critical | First impression for every new client |
| Review Requests | Sends Google and BBB review requests after key milestones | 🟢 Low risk | Drives 4.9★ rating |
| Referral Program | Triggers when a client sends a referral | 🟢 Low risk | Tracks referral commissions |
| Long-Term Nurture (Closed Lost) | Keeps in touch with unconverted leads over 6–12 months | 🟢 Low risk | Brings back cold leads |
💡 Why 25+ No-Show Workflows?
Each closer sends follow-up messages from their individual phone number. GHL cannot dynamically send from different numbers in one workflow, so each rep has their own dedicated workflow. These are intentional — do NOT consolidate them.
Reporting: What to Track
GHL's Reporting section gives management full visibility into sales and operational performance. Key reports include:
| Report | Where to Find It | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment Report | Reporting → Appointments | Total appointments booked, showed, no-showed, and cancellation rate by closer |
| Opportunity Report | Reporting → Opportunities | Pipeline conversion rates, revenue won, deals in progress by stage |
| Call Report | Reporting → Calls | Call volume, duration, connected rate per closer — used for performance reviews |
| Revenue Report | Payments → Transactions | Total revenue, recurring subscription revenue, setup fee revenue by time period |
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Can't find a contact | Wrong spelling or contact is in another sub-account | Try searching by phone number or partial name. Check that you're in the correct Crowned Credit sub-account. |
| Workflow not firing | Contact missing a required tag or trigger condition not met | Check the workflow trigger conditions. Do NOT manually re-trigger without checking with admin first. |
| Payment showing as failed | Client's card expired or insufficient funds | Escalate to billing team. Do NOT manually charge from the client profile — follow the billing escalation process. |
| Client not receiving SMS | Phone number invalid, opted out, or SMS credits exhausted | Verify phone number format in the contact. Check if the client has opted out (look for "Unsubscribed" tag). If opt-out, do not send manual SMS. |
| Wrong pipeline stage | Contact was moved accidentally | Move it back to the correct stage. Add a note explaining the correction. Never move to "Closed Won" without confirmed payment. |
| Calendar appointment missing | Booking confirmation didn't save or was deleted | Check under the contact's activity feed. If the appointment is gone, have the client rebook via their confirmation link. |
Rules & Etiquette
- Never edit or pause workflows without explicit written approval from Jethro.
- Never move a contact to Closed Won without confirmed payment receipt.
- Always add a note after any client interaction — call, SMS, or email.
- Never delete a contact — archive or tag instead. Deleted contacts cannot be recovered.
- Closers use GHL dialer for ALL outbound sales calls — never Aircall for sales.
- Do not share your GHL login. Each rep has individual tracking tied to their account.
- When in doubt about any action in GHL — ask before clicking.