If you're running a service-based business in 2025, you've probably heard about Go High Level (GHL). But are you actually using it to its full potential? Most businesses aren't—and they're leaving hours of time (and thousands of dollars) on the table.
In this guide, we're breaking down everything you need to know about GHL automations: what they are, why they matter, and exactly how to set them up for maximum impact.
What Are GHL Automations?
At its core, an automation is a "if this, then that" workflow. When something happens (a trigger), GHL automatically does something else (an action). Simple concept, powerful results.
For example:
- Trigger: Someone fills out your contact form
- Action: They get added to your CRM, tagged as "New Lead," sent a welcome email, and assigned to a team member for follow-up
All of that happens in seconds, with zero manual work from you.
💡 Pro Tip
Start with your most repetitive task. Whatever you do manually more than 5 times a week is probably a good automation candidate.
The 5 Automations Every Business Needs
1. New Lead Welcome Sequence
First impressions matter. When someone expresses interest in your business, don't make them wait for a response. Set up an immediate welcome email that:
- Confirms their submission was received
- Sets expectations for next steps
- Provides valuable content (guide, video, etc.)
- Includes your booking link
2. Appointment Reminders
No-shows are profit killers. A solid reminder sequence typically includes:
- Confirmation email immediately after booking
- SMS reminder 24 hours before
- Email reminder morning of
- SMS reminder 1 hour before
"After implementing appointment reminders, our no-show rate dropped from 23% to under 5%. That's thousands of dollars in recovered revenue."
3. Post-Purchase Follow-Up
The sale isn't the end—it's the beginning. Automated follow-ups help you:
- Onboard new clients smoothly
- Collect testimonials at the right moment
- Upsell complementary services
- Turn one-time buyers into repeat customers
4. Re-Engagement Campaigns
Old leads aren't dead leads. Set up automations to reach out to contacts who haven't engaged in 30, 60, or 90 days with fresh offers or valuable content.
5. Review Requests
Timing is everything with reviews. Automate a request to go out when clients are happiest—usually right after a successful project completion or positive interaction.
Setting Up Your First Automation
Here's a step-by-step walkthrough for setting up a basic new lead automation:
Once you're in the workflow builder, here's what a simple new lead automation looks like:
⚠️ Important
Always test your automations with a test contact before activating them. Nothing worse than sending 1,000 people a broken email sequence.
Advanced Tips for Power Users
Once you've mastered the basics, here are some advanced strategies:
- Use wait steps strategically — Don't blast all your emails at once. Space them out naturally.
- Implement if/else branching — Different leads need different paths based on their behavior.
- Combine SMS and email — Multi-channel sequences have higher engagement rates.
- Use custom values — Personalization goes beyond {first_name}. Reference their specific pain points or interests.
Need Help Getting Started?
Setting up effective automations takes time and expertise. If you'd rather focus on running your business while we handle the tech, that's exactly what we do.
Book a free consultation and we'll audit your current setup, identify your biggest automation opportunities, and create a custom roadmap for your business.