GoHighLevel Client Onboarding Checklist 2026

The moment a contract is signed and first payment is collected, create the client’s sub-account. Do not wait until the kick-off call. Time to platform creation is a visible signal of agency operational quality.

• Create sub-account — navigate to Agency Dashboard → Sub-Accounts → + Add Sub-Account. Use the client’s business name exactly as they use it publicly.
• Set business address and timezone — critical for calendar availability, local SEO data, and any location-based automations. Settings → Business Profile.
• Upload client logo and brand colours — upload to the sub-account’s Business Profile. This ensures any branded assets (email templates, funnel pages) in the Snapshot pull the correct branding automatically.
• Set the primary phone number and business email — these appear in automated communications sent on behalf of the client. Confirm these details in the intake form before creating the account.
• Assign the account manager — in sub-account settings, assign the agency team member responsible for this client as the default user. This ensures task assignments and internal notifications route to the correct person.
• Deploy the relevant Snapshot — apply the pre-built Snapshot that matches the client’s service package. The Snapshot instantly populates the sub-account with the pipelines, workflows, email templates, funnel pages, and calendar configurations appropriate for their plan tier.

The welcome sequence begins the moment the sub-account is created — or the moment the client’s contact record is tagged “New Client” in the CRM. If your Snapshot includes a client onboarding workflow (it should), this fires automatically.

• Welcome email sent — personal, warm, specific to what they purchased. Not a generic “thanks for signing up.” Reference their business name, the service package, and the name of their account manager.
• Onboarding intake form link included — a GHL survey or form collecting everything needed for technical setup: domain access, social media logins, ad account IDs, Google Business Profile email, existing CRM data export, brand assets (logo, colours, fonts). This form populates directly into the client’s contact record.
• Kick-off call booking link included — embed the GHL calendar link for the kick-off call directly in the welcome email. Make it one click to book. Do not rely on the client to reach out and schedule it.
• Dashboard access credentials sent — if you are giving the client direct GHL dashboard access, send their login URL (your white-label domain), username, and a temporary password in the welcome email or a separate secure message.
• Set expectations on timeline — clearly state when they will have their first live automation running and when the kick-off call will be scheduled. Specificity reduces anxiety.

Every automated email sent from the client’s sub-account must come from their domain, not a generic sender. Skipping this step causes emails to land in spam and destroys campaign deliverability before it starts.

• Add client’s sending domain — Settings → Email Services → + Add Domain. Enter the client’s domain (e.g. clientbusiness.com).
• Configure SPF record — add the GHL-provided SPF value to the client’s DNS. Requires access to their domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare). Collect DNS access in the intake form.
• Configure DKIM record — add the DKIM TXT record provided by GHL to the client’s DNS. This authenticates outbound emails as genuinely from the client’s domain.
• Configure DMARC record — add a basic DMARC policy (p=none to start, escalate to p=quarantine after 30 days of monitoring). Increasingly required for inbox placement in 2026.
• Verify domain in GHL — after DNS records propagate (typically 15 minutes to 4 hours), click Verify in GHL’s Email Domain settings. All three records should show green.
• Send test email — send a test campaign email from the client’s sub-account to your own inbox and a Gmail test address. Confirm delivery, sender display name, and no spam folder placement.

If the client’s service package includes SMS automation, a phone number must be provisioned and configured before any SMS workflows can send messages.

• Provision a local phone number — Settings → Phone Numbers → + Add Number. Select a number with the client’s local area code. Local numbers have significantly higher answer and response rates than toll-free numbers for local service businesses.
• Complete A2P 10DLC registration — in 2026, all business SMS in the US requires A2P (Application-to-Person) 10DLC registration. Navigate to Settings → Phone Numbers → Compliance → submit the brand and campaign registration. This process takes 1–5 business days. Start it immediately — SMS workflows cannot send until registration is approved.
• Configure call forwarding — set the phone number to forward inbound calls to the client’s actual business phone. This ensures the GHL number functions as a real business number, not just an outbound SMS sender.
• Set up Missed Call Text Back — activate the Missed Call Text Back automation in the sub-account. This is the highest-ROI single automation in GHL — it fires automatically when the client misses an inbound call, sending a text message to the caller within seconds. Confirm it is active immediately after provisioning the number.
• Test SMS send and receive — send a test SMS from the GHL Conversations inbox and confirm it arrives. Reply from the test number and confirm the reply appears in GHL’s Conversations inbox.

For local service businesses, connecting Google Business Profile enables review monitoring, review request automations, and Google Messaging integration — features that directly impact local search visibility and client acquisition.

• Connect Google Business Profile — Settings → Integrations → Google → authenticate with the client’s Google account and select their Google Business Profile location.
• Enable review monitoring — once connected, GHL pulls new Google reviews into the Reputation Management section. Set up an internal notification to alert the account manager when a new review is posted.
• Configure review request automation — activate the review request workflow from the Snapshot (or build one): trigger on deal moved to “Closed Won” → wait 3–7 days → send SMS with direct Google review link. The direct review link format is: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=[PLACE_ID]
• Connect Facebook Business Page — Settings → Integrations → Facebook → authenticate and connect the client’s Facebook Page. This enables Facebook Messenger to appear in the GHL Conversations inbox alongside SMS and email.
• Set up Google Messaging — if Google Messaging is enabled on the client’s GBP, connect it in GHL so inbound Google Business messages appear in the Conversations inbox.

The appointment booking system must be configured and live before the kick-off call — ideally before the client has their first login — so they can see a functional, professional booking system the moment they access their dashboard.

• Configure availability hours — set the client’s actual working hours in Calendar Settings → Availability. Confirm these in the intake form rather than assuming standard 9–5.
• Set timezone correctly — verify sub-account timezone matches client’s local timezone (Settings → Business Profile → Timezone). This is the most common setup error.
• Connect Google Calendar (two-way sync) — Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar → link client’s personal or business Google Calendar. Two-way sync prevents double-bookings from existing calendar commitments.
• Customise the booking page — add client logo, business description, and account manager photo to the booking page. A branded booking page converts better and reinforces professional positioning.
• Activate reminder workflows — confirm the appointment confirmation, 24-hour reminder, and 1-hour reminder SMS and email workflows from the Snapshot are active. Send a test booking through the live calendar to verify the full reminder sequence fires correctly.
• Share booking link with client — include the direct calendar booking link in the kick-off call confirmation email so the client can share it immediately with their own contacts.

The Snapshot deploys a default pipeline — but the stage names and structure must be reviewed and adjusted to match the client’s actual sales process before any contacts enter the system.

• Review and rename pipeline stages — confirm the default Snapshot pipeline stages map to the client’s real sales workflow. A cleaning company’s pipeline (“New Lead → Estimate Requested → Estimate Sent → Booked → Completed → Review Requested”) differs from a consultant’s pipeline (“Discovery Call Booked → Call Completed → Proposal Sent → Closed Won / Lost”).
• Set monetary values per stage — assign an average opportunity value at the deal-creation stage. This immediately gives the pipeline a revenue forecast view that is useful in client reporting.
• Create custom fields for client-specific data — if the client needs to capture data not covered by GHL’s default contact fields (property address for real estate, vehicle type for auto service, pet details for veterinary), create custom fields and add them to the intake forms and relevant workflows.
• Import existing contacts if applicable — if the client has an existing contact list from a previous CRM or email platform, import it as a CSV. Map fields correctly and apply appropriate tags (e.g. “Existing Customer,” “Past Lead”) to segment new from existing contacts immediately.
• Test pipeline automation — manually create a test contact and move them through pipeline stages. Confirm the stage-change automations (SMS sends, task assignments, email triggers) fire correctly at each stage.

Before giving a client access to their dashboard, configure their user permissions so they see only what is relevant to them — and cannot accidentally break workflows or settings they should not touch.

• Create client user account — Settings → Team → + Add User. Use the client’s name and business email. Set role to “User” rather than “Admin” unless they specifically need admin-level access.
• Configure permission levels — GHL allows granular permission control. For most clients: enable access to Contacts, Calendar, Conversations, and Reporting. Restrict access to Workflow builder, Settings, and Sub-Account configuration — these are operational areas the client should not edit directly.
• Send login credentials via white-label domain — the login URL should be your agency’s white-label domain (app.youragency.com), not app.gohighlevel.com. This reinforces that they are using your agency’s platform, not a third-party tool.
• Record a personalised Loom walkthrough — a 5–7 minute screen recording walking the client through their specific dashboard — their pipeline, their conversations inbox, their calendar — is more effective than any written documentation. Reference their business name and the specific features relevant to their service package.
• Provide help documentation link — include the link to your agency’s help centre or knowledge base in the access email. At minimum, cover: how to view and respond to conversations, how to check the pipeline, and how to access their reports.

The kick-off call is the most important human touchpoint in the onboarding process. Its purpose is not to explain how GHL works — that is what the Loom video is for. Its purpose is to align on goals, set expectations, and confirm the technical setup is correct. A well-run kick-off call transforms a nervous new client into a confident one.

Kick-Off Call Agenda

• [0–5 min] Welcome and context-setting — thank the client, reference why they chose your agency specifically, and briefly recap what you will cover in the call. Do not start with technical questions.
• [5–15 min] Goal alignment — ask: “What does success look like for you at the 90-day mark?” and “What is the one metric that will tell you this is working?” Document the answers in the client’s GHL contact record as custom field notes. These become your reporting benchmarks.
• [15–25 min] Technical confirmation — walk through the platform live: show the pipeline, the calendar, the Conversations inbox, and confirm the first automation is active. Ask: “Is there anything we set up that does not look right for your business?” This is the moment to catch and correct Snapshot misconfigurations before they cause problems.
• [25–35 min] Communication preferences — confirm: preferred reporting format (dashboard vs email summary), preferred communication channel (email, WhatsApp, Slack), response time expectations, and escalation path if something goes wrong.
• [35–45 min] Next 14 days preview — tell them exactly what will happen in the next two weeks: which automations go live on which dates, what they will see in their pipeline, and when the first report will be sent. Specificity here prevents the “nothing is happening” anxiety that leads to early churn.

Snapshots deploy workflows in a draft or inactive state. Every workflow must be individually reviewed, customised for the client, and activated before it runs. This is the step most frequently rushed — and the one that causes the most client-visible failures.

• Audit every workflow in the sub-account — open each workflow and review the trigger, conditions, and actions. Confirm that phone numbers, email addresses, calendar links, and personalisation tokens are client-specific, not placeholder values from the Snapshot template.
• Test each workflow with a live contact — create a test contact (use your own mobile number and email) and trigger each workflow manually. Confirm every SMS arrives, every email delivers to the inbox (not spam), and every pipeline action executes correctly.
• Activate workflows in order of priority — activate the highest-impact workflows first: Missed Call Text Back, new lead follow-up sequence, appointment reminder sequence. Lower-priority workflows (re-engagement, review request) can be activated in week 2.
• Set workflow error notifications — configure GHL to send an internal alert (email or Slack via webhook) when any workflow action fails. Workflow failures that go unnoticed can leave leads uncontacted for days.
• Document active workflows for client reporting — create a simple list of active automations to share with the client at the 30-day check-in: “These X automations have been running since [date] and have sent Y messages.”

The pipeline is only useful when leads are flowing into it. Connecting every lead source in the first two weeks ensures the client sees activity in their dashboard from day one.

• Connect Facebook Lead Ads — Settings → Integrations → Facebook → link the client’s Facebook Ads account and map their lead form fields to GHL contact fields. New Facebook lead form submissions now create contacts in GHL automatically and trigger the lead follow-up workflow.
• Connect Google Ads (if applicable) — for clients running Google Ads, connect the Google Ads account to enable conversion tracking and lead import from Google lead form extensions.
• Embed GHL forms on client website — replace any existing website contact forms (WordPress contact form, Wix forms, etc.) with embedded GHL forms. Submissions now go directly into the GHL CRM rather than arriving as untracked emails.
• Configure lead source tags — set up distinct tags for each lead source (Facebook Ad, Google Ad, Website Form, Referral, Direct Call) so pipeline reporting can show which channels are generating leads. Apply these tags via workflow based on the lead’s entry point.
• Import historical leads if applicable — for clients with an existing prospect list, import as a CSV and enrol them in a re-engagement workflow. Tag them as “Historical Lead” to distinguish from new leads in reporting.
• Verify first live lead flows correctly — when the first real lead enters the system, verify manually that the contact was created, the pipeline opportunity was created, the follow-up SMS and email fired, and the internal notification reached the correct team member.

The 30-day check-in is the first formal review of results — and the most important retention intervention in the first 90 days. Clients who receive a clear, data-driven 30-day report feel informed and cared for. Clients who receive nothing in the first 30 days feel ignored and begin looking at their options.

• Pull the reporting data before the call — gather: total leads captured, leads by source, appointments booked, pipeline stage distribution, SMS and email delivery rates, and any revenue attributed to closed deals. Pull this from GHL’s Reporting section and the pipeline dashboard.
• Compare against kick-off call goals — revisit the goals documented in the kick-off call. Frame the report around progress toward those specific outcomes, not just raw activity metrics. “You said success meant 10 qualified appointments per month — here is where we are at day 30.”
• Identify and explain any underperformance — if results are behind target, explain why with specificity and present a clear adjustment plan. Clients tolerate underperformance when it is explained honestly with a corrective action. They do not tolerate being surprised by it on month 2’s invoice.
• Confirm month 2 plan — present the month 2 actions: which additional automations will go live, any ad campaign changes, any new funnel pages being built. Clients need to see a forward plan, not just a backward-looking report.
• Ask the retention question — close the check-in with: “On a scale of 1–10, how satisfied are you with the onboarding experience so far?” A score below 8 is a churn signal. Probe for specifics and action them immediately.
• Send the written report within 24 hours of the call — a PDF or Google Doc version of the report, sent the same day or next day, reinforces professionalism and gives the client a shareable record of progress.

Retention is the most valuable outcome of good onboarding — and it is partly engineered through automated touchpoints that keep the client feeling supported between monthly calls. Build a client-facing retention workflow that runs continuously from month 2 onward.

• Monthly performance summary email — schedule an automated monthly email to the client contact summarising the month’s activity: leads captured, appointments booked, calls handled, reviews generated. This is not a replacement for the monthly call — it is a warm-up that ensures clients see their numbers before the call, not for the first time on it.
• Login inactivity alert — build an internal workflow that flags when a client sub-account has had no activity (no conversations opened, no pipeline updates) for 21 days. Assign a task to the account manager to proactively check in. Clients who disengage from the platform are pre-churn signals.
• Quarterly win celebration — at the 90-day mark, trigger an automated email celebrating a specific result (“You have generated 47 leads in your first 90 days with us”). Clients who receive specific success acknowledgement are significantly more likely to renew and refer.
• Renewal anchor email — 30 days before the end of any fixed-term contract, send a proactive renewal discussion email from the account manager. Do not wait for the contract to expire and then scramble — initiate the renewal conversation a month early.
• Referral request sequence — at the 60-day mark (assuming positive results), send an automated referral request: “We have loved working with [Business Name] — do you know any other business owners in [City] who could benefit from what we have built for you? We offer a referral reward for every new client you introduce.”