How to Launch Your First GoHighLevel Automation in 45 Minutes—A Beginner's Complete Guide (2026)

As someone who was in the room when GoHighLevel first launched to a group of 50 people back in 2018, I've had a front-row seat to watch this platform evolve. What started as a powerful all-in-one CRM has transformed into an AI-driven automation powerhouse. The single most impactful feature for any new user is, without a doubt, the automation builder. It's the engine that drives everything.

But if you're just starting out, the idea of "building an automation" can sound intimidating. It's not. In this guide, I'll walk you through every single step to create a simple, effective lead follow-up automation that will save you hours each week and ensure no lead ever slips through the cracks again.

What is GoHighLevel Automation? Understanding the Core Concepts

Before we dive into building, let's understand the key components. GoHighLevel automation (also called "Workflows") is a visual system for creating automated sequences of actions that are triggered by specific events. Think of it as setting up a series of digital dominoes: when one domino falls (the trigger), it sets off a chain reaction (the actions).

1. The Visual Workflow Builder: Your Drag-and-Drop Command Center

What it is: A graphical canvas where you map out your automation steps visually. You select triggers and actions from a menu and connect them with lines. No coding is ever required.

Why it matters for beginners: It turns a complex process into a simple flowchart. You can see exactly what will happen and in what order, making it easy to build, troubleshoot, and modify your automations.

2026 AI Integration: The builder now includes an "AI Workflow Assistant." You can type a goal like, "Create a workflow to follow up with new leads from my website," and the AI will generate a complete, pre-built workflow for you to customize. This is a game-changer for beginners who aren't sure where to start.

2. Triggers: The Starting Gun for Your Automation

What it is: The specific event that initiates your workflow. Without a trigger, your automation just sits there waiting.

Why it matters: Triggers are the "if" in "if this, then that." They ensure your automation only runs when a specific condition is met, giving you precise control over when things happen.

Common Triggers for Beginners:

• Form Submitted: When someone fills out a contact form on your website.
• Appointment Booked: When a lead schedules a call using your GoHighLevel calendar.
• Tag Added: When you manually or automatically add a tag (like "New Lead" or "Hot Prospect") to a contact.
• Opportunity Stage Changed: When a deal moves to a new stage in your sales pipeline.

3. Actions: The Workhorses of Your Automation

What it is: The tasks that the workflow performs automatically once a trigger occurs. This is where the magic happens.

Why it matters: Actions are what save you time and do the heavy lifting. Instead of manually sending emails, updating records, or notifying your team, the automation handles it all.

Essential Actions for Beginners (with AI):

• Send Email / Send SMS: The AI can now write the email or text message for you based on the lead's information and your goal. You just review and approve.
• Wait: Pause the automation for a specific amount of time (e.g., "Wait 1 day" before sending a follow-up). This creates natural, human-like timing.
• Add Tag: Organize your contacts by adding tags like "Responded," "Hot Lead," or "Needs Follow-Up."
• Update Opportunity: Move a deal to the next stage in your pipeline automatically.
• Send Internal Notification: Alert yourself or your team via email or SMS when something important happens.
• AI Conversation Bot: If a lead replies, you can have an AI agent take over the conversation to answer questions, qualify the lead, or even book an appointment.

4. How AI Supercharges Your Automations in 2026

The biggest change in GoHighLevel over the past year has been the integration of AI throughout the platform. Here's how it specifically helps with automations:

• AI Content Generation: Instead of staring at a blank screen trying to write the perfect follow-up email, you can ask the AI to write it for you. It will personalize the message based on the lead's name, source, and any other data you have.
• AI Workflow Suggestions: The platform can analyze your business type and suggest entire workflows that are proven to work for businesses like yours.
• AI Lead Qualification: You can set up an AI agent to have a conversation with new leads via SMS or email, ask qualifying questions, and route them to the right place based on their answers.
• AI Response Handling: If a lead replies to your automated message, the AI can detect the sentiment and intent, then either respond automatically or alert you if human intervention is needed.

Step-by-Step: Building Your First Lead Follow-Up Automation (45-Minute Guide)

Let's build a real-world automation together. Our goal: When a new lead fills out a form on our website, we want to instantly send them a personalized email and SMS, then follow up 24 hours later if they don't reply. This is one of the most valuable automations you can create because it ensures every lead gets immediate attention.

Step 1: Navigate to the Automation Dashboard (2 minutes)

1. Log in to your GoHighLevel account at app.gohighlevel.com
2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on the "Automations" tab. This will open your workflow dashboard where you can see all your existing automations (if any) and create new ones.

Step 2: Create a New Workflow (5 minutes)

1. Click the green "+ Create Workflow" button in the top right corner of the screen.
2. GoHighLevel will present you with two options: start from a template or start from scratch. Templates are great for common use cases, but for this tutorial, we'll start from scratch so you understand every component. Click "Start from Scratch."
3. At the top of the page, you'll see a field to name your workflow. Give it a descriptive name like "New Lead Follow-Up - Website Form" so you can easily identify it later.
4. Click "Create." You're now looking at a blank canvas—your workflow builder.

Step 3: Set Your Trigger (5 minutes)

1. On the canvas, you'll see a box that says "+ Add New Trigger." Click on it.
2. A menu will appear with dozens of trigger options. In the search bar at the top, type "Form Submitted" and select it from the list.
3. A configuration panel will open on the right side of the screen. Here, you need to specify which form will trigger this workflow. Click "+ Add Filters" and select "Form is."
4. From the dropdown menu, choose the specific contact form you want to use as the trigger. If you haven't created a form yet, you'll need to do that first in the "Sites" or "Funnels" section of GoHighLevel.
5. Click "Save Trigger." Your workflow now has its starting point. Every time someone submits that form, this automation will kick off.

Step 4: Add Your First Action - Immediate SMS (10 minutes)

1. Below your trigger box, you'll see a "+" icon. Click it to add your first action.
2. In the action menu, search for and select "Send SMS."
3. In the configuration panel, you'll see a message box. This is where you write (or have AI write) the text message that will be sent to the lead.
4. Here's where the AI magic comes in. Look for the "AI" button (usually a sparkle icon) near the message box. Click it.
5. A prompt box will appear. Type something like: "Write a friendly, professional SMS to a new lead named {{contact.first_name}} who just filled out our contact form. Thank them for their interest and let them know we'll be in touch shortly. Keep it under 160 characters."
6. The AI will generate a message. Review it, make any edits you want, and click "Use This Message."
7. Make sure the "To" field is set to {{contact.phone}} (this is a placeholder that will automatically insert the lead's phone number).
8. Click "Save Action."

Step 5: Add a Second Action - Immediate Email (10 minutes)

1. Click the "+" icon again, right below the SMS action you just created.
2. Select "Send Email."
3. Fill in the "From Name" (your name or company name), "From Email" (your email address), and "Reply-To Email" fields.
4. For the subject line, you can use the AI. Click the AI button and prompt it: "Write a compelling email subject line for a welcome email to a new lead who just submitted our contact form." It might generate something like "Thanks for reaching out, {{contact.first_name}}!"
5. In the email body, use the AI writer again. Prompt it: "Write a warm, professional welcome email to a new lead. Introduce our company briefly, thank them for their interest, and let them know we'll be in touch within 24 hours. Include a clear call to action to reply if they have any immediate questions."
6. The AI will generate a full email. Review it, personalize it with any specific details about your business, and make sure it sounds like you.
7. Click "Save Action."

Step 6: Add a Wait Step and Follow-Up (8 minutes)

1. Click the "+" icon below the email action.
2. Select "Wait." This action pauses the automation for a specified amount of time.
3. Set the duration to 1 day (24 hours). This gives the lead time to respond to your initial outreach before you follow up.
4. Click "Save Action."
5. Click the "+" icon again. Add another "Send Email" action.
6. Use the AI to write a follow-up email. Prompt: "Write a friendly follow-up email to a lead who hasn't responded yet. Check in to see if they had a chance to review our information and ask if they have any questions. Keep it brief and helpful, not pushy."
7. Review, edit, and save the email.

Step 7: Publish and Test Your Workflow (5 minutes)

1. In the top right corner of the workflow builder, you'll see a toggle switch that says "Draft" or "Inactive." Click it to switch to "Active" or "Published."
2. Click "Save" to finalize your workflow.
3. Your automation is now live! But before you walk away, you should test it to make sure everything works as expected.
4. To test, go to the webpage where your contact form is embedded. Fill it out with your own information (use your personal phone number and email).
5. Within seconds, you should receive the SMS and email you configured. Check that they look good and that all the personalization (like your name) is working correctly.
6. If everything looks good, you're done! If something needs tweaking, go back to the workflow builder, make your changes, and test again.

Real-World Use Case: A Local Home Services Business

Let me give you a concrete example of how this automation works in the real world. Imagine you run a local HVAC company. You've added a "Request a Quote" form to your website. Here's what happens when a homeowner fills it out:

Immediately (within 10 seconds):

• The homeowner receives an SMS: "Hi Sarah, thanks for requesting an HVAC quote! We've received your info and will have a technician review it shortly. Any urgent questions? Reply here!"
• They also receive a welcome email with your company logo, a brief introduction, and a link to your service area page.

Behind the scenes:

• The lead is automatically added to your "New Quotes" pipeline in GoHighLevel.
• You (the business owner) receive an internal notification via SMS or email so you can review the quote request.

24 Hours Later:

• If Sarah hasn't replied or booked an appointment, she receives a follow-up email: "Hi Sarah, just wanted to follow up on your HVAC quote request. We'd love to help! Do you have any questions or would you like to schedule a free in-home estimate?"

The Result: Sarah feels like she's dealing with a highly professional, responsive company. You look like a well-oiled machine, even if you're a one-person operation. No leads are forgotten, and the entire follow-up process is handled without you lifting a finger. This kind of automation can increase your lead-to-customer conversion rate by 30-50% because you're engaging leads at the exact moment they're interested.

Advanced Tips: Taking Your Automation to the Next Level

Once you've mastered the basics, here are some ways to make your automations even more powerful:

1. Add Conditional Logic (If/Then Branches)

You can create different paths in your workflow based on specific conditions. For example, if a lead's location is in your service area, send them one message. If they're outside your service area, send a different message or don't send anything at all.

2. Use the AI Conversation Bot for Lead Qualification

Instead of just sending a static follow-up email, you can have an AI agent engage in a two-way conversation with the lead via SMS. The AI can ask qualifying questions like "What type of service are you interested in?" or "When are you looking to get started?" and route the lead accordingly.

3. Integrate with Your Calendar

Add an action that sends the lead a link to book an appointment directly on your calendar. This removes friction and gets them scheduled faster.

4. Track Engagement and Re-Engage Cold Leads

You can set up automations that track whether a lead opened your email or clicked a link. If they don't engage after a certain period, you can trigger a "re-engagement" campaign to win them back.