15 GoHighLevel Workflow Recipes You Can Build Today (2026)

Why workflow recipes matter

GoHighLevel's visual workflow builder is one of the most powerful features in the platform. But staring at a blank canvas can be overwhelming. These 15 recipes give you ready-to-build workflows with clear triggers, actions, and conditions.

Each recipe includes the trigger, the action sequence, any conditions or branches, and tips for customisation. For a general overview of the workflow builder, see our automation workflows guide. For the full platform context, read our GoHighLevel review.

Recipe 1: Speed-to-lead auto-response

Why it matters. Leads that receive a response within 5 minutes are 100x more likely to convert than leads contacted after 30 minutes. This workflow responds in seconds.

Trigger: Form submission or new contact created

Actions:

1. Wait 10 seconds (feels more natural than instant)
2. Send SMS: "Hi [First Name], thanks for reaching out to [Business Name]. I received your request and will follow up shortly. Is there anything specific you need right away?"
3. Send email with more detailed information about the service they requested
4. Add contact to pipeline stage "New Lead"
5. Notify team member via internal notification

Conditions: Check if the contact already exists. If they are a returning lead, skip the introduction and send a "Welcome back" message instead.

Recipe 2: Missed call text back

Why it matters. 85% of people whose calls go unanswered will not call back. An immediate text captures their attention before they contact a competitor.

Trigger: Missed call (call status = no answer)

Actions:

1. Wait 30 seconds
2. Send SMS: "Hi, I noticed we missed your call. Sorry about that. Can you let me know what you needed, and I will get back to you right away? You can also book a time that works for you here: [calendar link]"
3. Add tag "Missed Call"
4. Create task for team to follow up within 1 hour

Tip: Include a booking link so the lead can self-schedule rather than playing phone tag.

Recipe 3: Appointment reminder sequence

Why it matters. Automated reminders reduce no-shows by 25-40%. This multi-touchpoint sequence maximises attendance.

Trigger: Appointment scheduled

Actions:

1. Immediately: Send confirmation email with appointment details, directions, and preparation instructions
2. 24 hours before: Send SMS reminder: "Hi [First Name], just a reminder about your appointment tomorrow at [Time]. Reply YES to confirm or call us to reschedule."
3. If no reply in 4 hours: Send follow-up SMS
4. 2 hours before: Send final SMS with directions and any last-minute instructions
5. If reply contains "reschedule" or "cancel": Trigger a branch that opens the calendar for rescheduling

Tip: The 24-hour reminder with a confirmation request is the most important touchpoint. It gives people enough time to reschedule if needed rather than simply not showing up.

Recipe 4: New client onboarding

Why it matters. Structured onboarding improves client retention and reduces early cancellations.

Trigger: Pipeline stage changed to "Won" or "New Client"

Actions:

1. Send welcome email with login credentials, next steps, and team contact info
2. Wait 1 day: Send "Getting started" guide
3. Wait 3 days: Send check-in email asking if they need help with setup
4. Wait 7 days: Send first value delivery email highlighting what has been accomplished
5. Wait 14 days: Send satisfaction check and request for a review

Conditions: If the client responds at any point, pause the automated sequence and let the team handle manually.

Recipe 5: Review request after service completion

Why it matters. Timing matters for reviews. Asking immediately after a positive experience gets the best results.

Trigger: Pipeline stage changed to "Service Complete" or appointment status changed to "Showed"

Actions:

1. Wait 2 hours (give the experience time to settle)
2. Send SMS: "Hi [First Name], thanks for choosing [Business Name]. If you had a positive experience, would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? It helps us a lot: [Google Review Link]"
3. Wait 2 days: If no review detected, send follow-up email with a different approach
4. If review is left: Send thank you message and add tag "Reviewed"

For more on this approach, see our reputation management guide.

Recipe 6: Lead nurture drip sequence

Why it matters. Most leads are not ready to buy immediately. A nurture sequence keeps you top of mind until they are.

Trigger: New lead enters pipeline at "Interested" stage

Actions:

1. Day 0: Send welcome email introducing your business and what makes you different
2. Day 3: Send case study or success story relevant to their interest
3. Day 7: Send educational content (guide, video, or blog post)
4. Day 14: Send comparison content showing why your solution is the best choice
5. Day 21: Send social proof (testimonials, review highlights)
6. Day 30: Send offer with urgency (limited-time discount or bonus)
7. Day 45: Send "still interested?" check-in

Conditions: If the lead books an appointment or responds at any point, remove them from the drip and move to active conversation.

Recipe 7: Re-engagement campaign for cold leads

Why it matters. Your CRM is full of leads that went cold. Reactivation campaigns cost nothing compared to generating new leads.

Trigger: Manual or scheduled (run monthly on leads with no activity in 90+ days)

Actions:

1. Send SMS: "Hi [First Name], it has been a while since we connected. We have some new [services/features] I thought you might be interested in. Worth a quick chat?"
2. Wait 2 days: If no reply, send email with valuable content (not a sales pitch)
3. Wait 5 days: If no reply, send final SMS with a specific offer
4. If reply at any point: Move to active pipeline, notify team
5. If no reply after all three: Tag "Unresponsive" and remove from future re-engagement for 6 months

Tip: The first message should feel personal, not automated. Use merge fields and reference something specific when possible.

Recipe 8: Invoice follow-up automation

Trigger: Invoice sent (via webhook or manual trigger)

Actions:

1. Day 0: Send invoice via email
2. Day 3: If unpaid, send friendly reminder SMS
3. Day 7: If unpaid, send follow-up email
4. Day 14: If unpaid, send final notice and notify team for manual follow-up

Recipe 9: Birthday and anniversary campaigns

Trigger: Date-based trigger using contact's birthday or anniversary custom field

Actions:

1. Send personalised birthday/anniversary message via SMS or email
2. Include a special offer or discount valid for 7 days
3. If redeemed: Track in CRM and move to active pipeline

Recipe 10: Webinar or event registration follow-up

Trigger: Form submission on webinar registration page

Actions:

1. Immediately: Send confirmation email with event details and calendar invite
2. Day before: Send reminder SMS
3. 1 hour before: Send "starting soon" notification with join link
4. After event: Send replay link and call to action
5. Wait 2 days: Send follow-up offer related to webinar topic

Recipe 11: Referral request automation

Trigger: Pipeline stage = "Happy Client" (set manually or triggered by positive review)

Actions:

1. Send personalised referral request: "Hi [First Name], we are thrilled you had a great experience. If you know anyone who might benefit from [service], we would love to help them too. Here is a link you can share: [referral link]"
2. Wait 14 days: If no referral, send follow-up with incentive (discount on next service)
3. If referral received: Send thank you and apply referral credit

Recipe 12: Contract renewal reminder

Trigger: Date-based trigger 30 days before contract end date

Actions:

1. 30 days before: Send email overview of results achieved and renewal terms
2. 14 days before: Send follow-up with updated pricing and any new features
3. 7 days before: Send urgency SMS about upcoming renewal deadline
4. 1 day before: Final reminder and connect to team for any questions

Recipe 13: Upsell sequence for existing clients

Trigger: Pipeline stage = "Active Client" for 90+ days

Actions:

1. Send personalised email highlighting a service they do not currently use
2. Include a case study from a similar client who added the service
3. Wait 5 days: If no response, send SMS with limited-time offer
4. If interested: Move to upsell pipeline and notify team

Recipe 14: Abandoned form recovery

Trigger: Contact created but form not completed (partial submission via webhook)

Actions:

1. Wait 30 minutes: Send SMS: "Hi [First Name], it looks like you started filling out a form on our website but did not finish. Can I help you with anything?"
2. Wait 1 day: Send email with the form link and a note about what they will get after completing it
3. Wait 3 days: Send final SMS with a direct offer to help over phone

Recipe 15: Seasonal campaign automation

Trigger: Scheduled start date (set quarterly or for specific seasons/holidays)

Actions:

1. Segment contacts by tags and past purchases
2. Send personalised seasonal offer to each segment
3. Wait 3 days: Send reminder to non-openers
4. Wait 7 days: Send urgency message with deadline
5. After campaign end: Move responders to sales pipeline, tag non-responders for next campaign

How to build these workflows

All 15 recipes use GoHighLevel's visual workflow builder. Navigate to Automation, then Workflows, then Create Workflow. You can start from scratch or use GoHighLevel's template library as a foundation.

For a detailed guide on the workflow builder interface, see our automation workflows guide. For ready-made setups you can import directly, check out our GoHighLevel snapshots guide.

If you need email marketing workflows specifically, that guide covers email-focused automations in more depth.

For additional context, see marketing automation benchmarks from HubSpot.

For additional context, see GoHighLevel workflow documentation.

You can start building these workflows today with a 30-day free trial.