How to Use GoHighLevel - A Beginner Setup Tutorial in 9 Steps (2026)

To use GoHighLevel, set it up in a fixed order: account, domain, email, phone, CRM, calendar, funnel, then workflow. Each piece depends on the one before it. A funnel needs a domain, a workflow needs a phone number and sending email, and a booking calendar should feed a pipeline.

This tutorial walks a beginner through nine setup steps inside one sub-account, using the menu paths from HighLevel's own help center. By the end, you will have a working system: a lead fills in a form, lands in your pipeline, gets an instant text and email, and books a call on your calendar.

You need a HighLevel account to follow along. Plans start at $97 a month with a 14-day free trial.

Before You Start: How GoHighLevel Is Organized

GoHighLevel has two levels, and confusing them is the most common beginner mistake.

Even if you only run your own business, you do the real work inside a sub-account. Agencies create one sub-account per client.

Inside a sub-account, the left menu groups the tools you will use most:

Step 1: Create Your Sub-Account

From the agency view, create a new sub-account. On supported plans, HighLevel asks what kind of account it is: choose "This is my client's account" for a client, or "This is my own account" for your own business or agency workspace.

Then fill in the business profile under Settings: business name, address, phone, website and time zone. The time zone matters more than it looks, because calendars and workflow wait steps use it.

Step 2: Add Your Team and Install the Mobile App

Add each person who will use the account under Settings > My Staff > Add User. HighLevel plans include unlimited users, so there is no per-seat cost. Give each user only the permissions they need.

Then install the free LeadConnector app on your phone. It lets you reply to conversations, see appointments and get notifications, so leads never wait while you are away from your desk.

Step 3: Connect Your Domain

A domain lets your funnels, websites and forms load on your own address instead of a generic link.

1. Go to Sites > Settings > Domains and click Connect a Domain.
2. Enter your domain or a subdomain, such as go.yourbusiness.com.
3. If your registrar is supported (HighLevel names providers such as GoDaddy and Cloudflare), click Authorize and let HighLevel add the DNS records.
4. Otherwise, copy the records HighLevel shows into your registrar's DNS settings exactly as displayed.
5. Click Verify Records and link the domain to your funnel or website.

HighLevel says DNS changes can take from a few minutes to 24 hours. If you use Cloudflare, set the HighLevel records to "DNS only" (grey cloud).

Step 4: Set Up Email Sending

Emails from HighLevel are far more likely to reach the inbox when they come from your own dedicated sending domain.

1. Go to Settings > Email Services and open Dedicated Domain and IP.
2. Click Add Domain and enter a subdomain used only for sending, such as mg.yourbusiness.com.
3. Add the DNS records HighLevel shows, then click Verify Records.
4. Open the three-dot menu, choose Set Headers and enter your From name and From email.

HighLevel says a dedicated domain helps you "avoid spam filters, protect your brand reputation, and improve deliverability." Do not reuse a subdomain that already sends mail from another platform.

Step 5: Get a Phone Number and Register for Texting

Calls and texts run on LC Phone, HighLevel's built-in phone system.

1. Go to Settings > Phone System and click Add Number > Add Phone Number.
2. Filter by country or area code, pick a number and click Proceed to Buy.
3. Enable the number for both calls and SMS, and set call forwarding to your mobile if you want calls to ring through.

A2P 10DLC Registration

If you will text US contacts from a standard 10-digit number, you must register for A2P 10DLC. Go to Settings > Phone System > Trust Center and open Brand & Campaigns.

HighLevel says registration fees are passed through without markup. New campaigns stay pending until carrier vetting is complete, so start this on day one. Texts and calls also carry usage charges, covered in our GoHighLevel pricing guide.

Step 6: Set Up the CRM and Your First Pipeline

Contacts, Tags and Custom Fields

Before importing anyone, decide two things:

• Tags for lead source and status, such as fb-ads, google, referral, customer.
• Custom fields for the details you qualify on, such as service type or budget.

Then import contacts by CSV from the Contacts area and map each column to a field. Consistent tags make smart lists (saved filters) and reports reliable later.

Build a Pipeline

1. Go to Opportunities > Pipelines and click Create New Pipeline.
2. Name it and add stages that match how you actually sell.
3. Save, then add opportunities manually, by CSV import, or automatically with a workflow.

HighLevel's example stages include New Lead, Hot Lead, Booked Call, No Show and Closed. A simple starting pipeline:

Our GoHighLevel CRM guide covers contacts, pipelines and reporting in more depth.

Step 7: Create a Booking Calendar

1. Go to Calendars > Calendar Settings and click New Calendar.
2. Choose Personal Booking for one-to-one appointments.
3. Name it, choose the host, set the appointment length and your available hours.
4. On the Connections tab, connect Google Calendar (or Outlook) so existing events block your availability.
5. On the Video Conferencing tab, add Zoom or another meeting tool if you meet online.
6. Click Share to copy the booking link or embed code.

HighLevel notes that the booking calendar is still needed even when Google Calendar is connected, because it controls how bookings are accepted. Calendar integrations are covered in our GoHighLevel integrations guide.

Step 8: Build Your First Funnel

1. Go to Sites > Funnels and click New Funnel.
2. Choose Blank, From Template or Funnel AI. A template is fastest for a first build.
3. Edit the pages in the funnel editor. A simple lead funnel needs two pages: an opt-in page and a thank-you page.
4. Add a form from the form builder with only the fields you need (name, email, phone).
5. Embed your booking calendar on the thank-you page so new leads can book straight away.
6. Link the funnel to the domain from Step 3 and test it with your own details.

Step 9: Build Your First Workflow

Workflows are where HighLevel saves the most time. Go to Automation > Workflows and create a new workflow from scratch.

Add a second workflow for appointment reminders (a text the day before and an hour before) and a third that moves the opportunity to Booked when someone schedules. Make sure every workflow stops when the contact replies or books, so nobody gets chased after they have said yes.

Other Quick Wins for Week One

Test Everything Before Going Live

What Takes the Longest

Most of the clicking takes minutes. The waiting is what slows a launch, so start the slow items first and build while they process.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Building funnels before email and phone are ready. Leads come in, but follow-up fails silently.
• Skipping A2P registration. Unregistered texting to US numbers can be blocked or filtered by carriers.
• Too many pipelines and tags. Start with one pipeline and a short, consistent tag list.
• Automations with no exit. Every workflow should stop when the contact books or replies.
• Importing an untested snapshot. Review every workflow in a template before it can message real contacts.

What to Learn After the Basics

Once the nine steps work, add one capability at a time:

• Payments: connect Stripe under Payments > Integrations to take deposits, send invoices or charge at booking.
• Email campaigns: send a monthly newsletter to a smart list of past customers.
• Reporting: build a dashboard for leads, bookings and won value by source.
• AI: test Conversation AI for replies or Voice AI for calls, covered in our GoHighLevel AI guide.
• Agency setup: if you serve clients, read our GoHighLevel for agencies guide on snapshots, white label and rebilling.

For live help with these steps, see our GoHighLevel training guide, which covers the free bootcamp, HighLevel University and certification.

Our Verdict

GoHighLevel is easier to learn than it looks if you follow a fixed order. Set up the foundations first (sub-account, domain, email, phone and texting registration), then the CRM, calendar and funnel, and only then the workflows that tie them together. One complete lead-to-booking flow teaches more than a week of watching videos.

If you are still deciding whether the platform suits you, read what is GoHighLevel and our full GoHighLevel review.

Frequently Asked Questions