How Do GoHighLevel Workflows Work?
Short answer
A workflow starts when a trigger fires, like a form submission, and then runs a sequence of actions, like sending an email or SMS. It runs only after you publish it, and its Settings tab controls re-entry, timing, and sender details.
Checked against HighLevel’s help center on . HighLevel updates its interface often, so match the labels you see on screen.
| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Starts the workflow when an event happens | Form submitted, appointment booked, or payment received |
| Trigger filter | Limits which events start the workflow | Incoming calls to a specific phone number |
| Action | A step that runs after the trigger fires | Send an email or SMS, or assign a task |
| Wait | Holds a contact until a time, reply, event, or condition | 1 day after sign-up |
| If/Else | Sends contacts down different branches based on conditions | Opened the email or not |
Build your first workflow
- 1Go to Automation, then Workflows and click “+ Create Workflow”
- 2Select “+ Start from scratch.” HighLevel also offers templates and an AI builder.
- 3Click Add New Trigger, choose the event, and add filters if you need them
- 4Click the + icon under the trigger to add actions, waits, and If/Else steps
- 5Open the Settings tab to set re-entry, time window, timezone, and sender details
- 6Publish and save the workflow. It runs only while published and only for contacts who meet the trigger conditions.
- 7Test with a fresh contact that has never entered the workflow
How waits and branches behave
A Wait step can hold a contact for a set time, until a date, on a recurring schedule, relative to an appointment or invoice due date, until the contact or a team member replies, until a trigger link click or email event, or until conditions you build are true. Reply, action, and condition waits have an optional timeout so contacts move on when nothing happens. Editing a Wait doesn’t change waits already in progress.
An If/Else step checks contact data and creates a branch for each condition group you set. HighLevel adds a None branch for contacts who match nothing, and that branch can’t be removed.
Settings that control who enters
- Allow Re-entry lets a contact run the workflow again after finishing it or being removed. A contact who is still active in it can’t re-enter.
- Appointment and invoice triggers let a contact enter once per appointment or invoice, whatever the re-entry setting
- Stop on Response ends the workflow for any contact who replies to a message it sent
- Time Window holds emails, SMS, and calls outside the hours and days you choose until the next open slot
- Timezone sets whether timed steps follow the account’s timezone or each contact’s timezone
Want Help With This?
Learn it free
Sell More Academy runs free HighLevel training, including Tactical Walkthroughs that show each build on screen, and provides resources for doing the work yourself.
Visit Sell More Academy (opens in a new tab)Have us do it
Workflow builds are part of our Setup work, from the first trigger to the follow-up messages and the settings that keep contacts from repeating a sequence.
Sources
- Getting Started with Workflows (opens in a new tab), updated Aug 27, 2026
- Workflow Settings Overview (opens in a new tab), updated Oct 14, 2026
- Workflow Action: Wait (opens in a new tab), updated Sep 7, 2026
- Workflow Action: If/Else (opens in a new tab), updated Sep 1, 2026
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