GoHighLevel Workflows: 15 Automation Sequences Every Agency Needs Right Now

How to Use This Workflow Library

Each workflow below is presented as a trigger-action blueprint. You can build these directly in GHL by navigating to Automation → Workflows → Add Workflow → Start from Scratch. For sequences that belong in your master snapshot, build them once in your template sub-account and they will clone to every new client account automatically.

Workflows are numbered by priority. Build 1 through 5 first—they address the highest-value moments in the lead lifecycle. Workflows 6 through 15 are enhancement layers that compound results over time.

Workflows 1–5: Core Lead Response Stack

Workflow 1: Instant New Lead Response

Trigger: Form Submitted (select all lead capture forms)

Actions:

• Send SMS immediately: "Hi {{contact.first_name}}! Thanks for reaching out to {{location.name}}. We'll call you within the next few minutes. Reply STOP to opt out."
• Send Email immediately: Deliver lead magnet or confirmation with next steps and a booking link
• Add Tag: "New Lead" + UTM source tag if available
• Add to Pipeline: Move to Stage 1 of the primary pipeline
• Assign to User: Round-robin or specific team member assignment
• Internal notification: Email or Slack alert to the assigned rep

Notes: Restrict delivery to business hours using the "Allowed Time" setting if your client cannot make calls outside working hours. Use a conditional branch to send a "we'll reach out first thing tomorrow" SMS if triggered outside hours.

Workflow 2: Lead Not Called Within 10 Minutes

Trigger: Form Submitted → Wait 10 minutes → Check Condition: Pipeline Stage is still "New Lead" (i.e., no activity recorded)

Actions:

• Send escalation notification to agency account owner or manager
• Send second SMS to contact: "We haven't been able to reach you yet—here's a link to book a time that works for you: {{calendar.link}}"
• Add internal note to contact record flagging the missed response window

Workflow 3: Appointment Booked Confirmation

Trigger: Appointment Status → Booked

Actions:

• Send confirmation SMS with appointment date, time, and location or meeting link
• Send confirmation email with full appointment details, calendar invite attachment, and what to expect
• Move pipeline stage to "Appointment Booked"
• Add Tag: "Appointment Scheduled"
• Internal notification to assigned rep

Workflow 4: Appointment Reminder Sequence

Trigger: Appointment Status → Booked (or use the "Appointment Reminder" trigger type for time-based scheduling)

Actions (time-based):

• 24 hours before: SMS — "Reminder: you have an appointment with {{location.name}} tomorrow at {{appointment.start_time}}. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule."
• 24 hours before: Email reminder with appointment details and a value-add (case study, preparation tips, FAQ)
• 2 hours before: SMS — "Your appointment is in 2 hours! {{appointment.start_time}}. See you then."
• 30 minutes before: SMS — "Almost time! Your appointment starts in 30 minutes. Here's your meeting link: {{meeting.link}}"

Workflow 5: No-Show Recovery

Trigger: Appointment Status → No Show

Actions:

• Wait 15 minutes
• SMS: "We missed you at your appointment today. Life gets busy! Here's a link to reschedule at your convenience: {{calendar.link}}"
• Move pipeline stage to "No Show"
• Wait 24 hours — if still in "No Show" stage: Email with reschedule offer
• Wait 3 days — if no reschedule: Add to 7-day re-engagement sequence (Workflow 8)

Workflows 6–10: Nurture and Re-Engagement

Workflow 6: 7-Day New Lead Nurture

Trigger: Tag Added → "New Lead" (and no "Appointment Scheduled" tag present)

Actions:

• Day 1: Welcome email with social proof (testimonials, results, case study)
• Day 2: SMS — brief value tip relevant to the client's service area
• Day 3: Email — "Here's what our clients typically experience in their first 30 days..."
• Day 5: SMS — direct booking ask with calendar link
• Day 7: Email — last value email before moving to monthly touchpoint cadence

Add a conditional exit: if the contact books an appointment at any point, remove them from this workflow and trigger Workflow 3 instead.

Workflow 7: Post-Appointment Follow-Up

Trigger: Appointment Status → Completed

Actions:

• 30 minutes after: SMS — "Great meeting with you today, {{contact.first_name}}! Here's what we discussed and the next steps: {{note or link}}"
• 1 hour after: Email — personalised follow-up with proposal or resources promised during the call
• Move pipeline to "Proposal Sent" or appropriate post-appointment stage
• 24 hours after: SMS — check-in if no reply received
• 72 hours after (if no deal closed): Email — "Any questions before you decide?"

Workflow 8: Cold Lead Re-Engagement (30-Day)

Trigger: Tag Added → "Cold Lead" (typically added by Workflow 5 or manually after 30+ days of no response)

Actions:

• Day 1: Email — "We haven't heard from you in a while. Has your situation changed?"
• Day 7: SMS — short, human-sounding message: "Hey {{contact.first_name}}, still thinking about [service]? Happy to answer any questions."
• Day 14: Email — a strong result or case study from a client in a similar situation
• Day 21: SMS with a time-limited offer or added-value incentive
• Day 30: Final email — "We'll stop reaching out, but we're here when the timing is right."
• After Day 30: Add "Long-Term Nurture" tag, move to monthly newsletter list

Workflow 9: Review Request Sequence

Trigger: Appointment Status → Completed (or custom trigger for job completion in field service businesses)

Actions:

• Wait 2 hours after completion
• SMS: "Hi {{contact.first_name}}, hope everything went well! If you're happy with the service, we'd love a quick Google review—it means the world to us: {{review.link}}"
• Wait 48 hours — if no review left: Email with review request and direct Google link
• Wait 5 days — if no review: Final SMS reminder (do not send more than 3 requests total)

Workflow 10: Referral Request

Trigger: Tag Added → "Active Client" (set this tag when a deal is marked Closed Won)

Actions:

• Wait 14 days (enough time for the client to experience early value)
• SMS: "Hi {{contact.first_name}}! Glad things are going well. Do you know anyone else who might benefit from what we do? We'd love an introduction."
• Wait 7 days — if no referral action: Email with referral program details if applicable

Workflows 11–15: Operational and Revenue Automation

Workflow 11: Missed Call Text-Back

Trigger: Missed Call (inbound call to sub-account number that was not answered)

Actions:

• Immediately: SMS — "Hi! Sorry we missed your call. We're with a customer right now. Can you let us know what you need and the best time to reach you? Or book a call here: {{calendar.link}}"
• Create contact record if not already in CRM
• Add Tag: "Missed Call Lead"
• Internal notification to on-call team member

This single workflow recovers an average of 23% of missed calls as booked appointments. It is often the highest-ROI workflow in any GHL setup.

Workflow 12: Payment Failed Recovery

Trigger: Payment Status → Failed (via GHL Payments or Stripe integration)

Actions:

• Immediately: Email — "There was an issue processing your payment. Here's a secure link to update your card: {{payment.link}}"
• 24 hours later (if still unpaid): SMS — friendly payment reminder
• 72 hours later (if still unpaid): Email from a senior team member name for authority
• 7 days later (if still unpaid): Internal escalation notification and pipeline stage change to "Payment Issue"

Workflow 13: New Inbound DM Response (Facebook/Instagram/Google Chat)

Trigger: Customer Message Received (via GHL Conversations from any connected social channel)

Actions:

• If outside business hours: Automated reply — "Thanks for reaching out! Our team is back at [time]. We'll reply then. In the meantime, you can book a call here: {{calendar.link}}"
• During business hours: Internal notification to assigned rep
• Create or update contact record
• Add Tag: "Inbound DM" for tracking

Workflow 14: Pipeline Stage Stall Alert

Trigger: Pipeline Stage Changed → any stage → Wait [X] days with condition: stage has not changed

Actions:

• Internal notification to assigned rep: "{{contact.name}} has been in [Stage] for [X] days with no activity. Action required."
• Add Tag: "Stale Opportunity"

Set the wait time to match a realistic sales cycle: 3 days for fast-moving leads, 7 days for complex service sales, 14 days for high-ticket offers. This workflow eliminates the silent pipeline bleed that kills agency revenue forecasting.

Workflow 15: Win/Onboarding Trigger

Trigger: Pipeline Stage Changed → Closed Won

Actions:

• Send congratulations/welcome SMS and email to the new client
• Add Tag: "Active Client" (which triggers Workflow 10 after a delay)
• Remove from all nurture and follow-up workflows
• Create onboarding task in the assigned rep's task list
• Webhook to notify your project management tool (ClickUp, Asana, Notion, etc.) to create the client project
• Internal team notification with client details and service purchased

Workflow Management Best Practices

• Name workflows consistently: Use a prefix system like "L-" for lead workflows, "A-" for appointment workflows, "C-" for client workflows. Makes the workflow list scannable across dozens of sequences.
• Document every workflow: Add a description in the workflow notes field explaining what it does, when it fires, and which other workflows it interacts with. Future you will thank present you.
• Audit monthly: Review workflow execution stats—how many contacts entered, how many completed, where they exited early. Adjust waits and copy based on real data.
• Test with internal contacts: Create a test contact with your own phone and email before going live. Walk through every step and check delivery, formatting, and timing.
• Version control: When updating a workflow, duplicate it first (GHL has a clone workflow feature). Keep the old version as a backup until the new version is confirmed working.