GoHighLevel Setup & Onboarding Checklist
Simple GHL Checklist

GoHighLevel Sub-Account Creation & Client Setup

A simple, step-by-step checklist to set up a clean sub-account, get phone numbers approved without getting rejected, and organize the client's contacts and leads.

Core Progress: 0 of 25 Required tasks
0% Done +0 of 7 Optional steps checked
Step 1

Create the Sub-Account (The Initial Form)

Go to: Agency View > Sub-Accounts > Create Sub-Account > Add Manually
  • Fill in Basic Business Info Required
    Type in the business owner's First and Last Name, the official Business Name, and the Contact Email collected from your Client Onboarding Google Form.
    Open Client Google Form Edit Google Form / View Responses Open Master Google Sheet
  • Address & Time Zone Required
    Enter their physical business address and choose their local Time Zone. (This makes sure booking calendars and text reminders send at the right time).
  • Select "This is my client's account" Required
    Click the radio button to mark this as a client account.
  • Skip Phone, Niche, and Website (For Now) Optional / Skip
    You do not need to fill in phone number, niche, or website in this popup modal. You will buy a clean business phone line and connect the website in the next steps.
Step 2

Client Login & Email Setup

Go inside the new Sub-Account > Click Settings at bottom left
  • Create Client Login (Settings > My Staff) Required
    Click "Add User" inside My Staff. Enter their name and email, set them as Admin, and give them a password.
    Why do it here? Adding the user inside "My Staff" locks them safely into this account only. They will never accidentally see your agency dashboard or other clients.
  • Prevent Duplicate Contacts & Enable Unsubscribe Link Required
    In Settings > Business Profile (or Settings > General), configure these two simple toggles:
    • Duplicate Prevention: Turn OFF "Allow Duplicate Contact". This tells GHL to automatically merge leads by matching email and phone, preventing messy duplicate CRM records.
    • Email Compliance: Turn ON "Append Unsubscribe Link" to keep transactional and marketing emails CAN-SPAM compliant.
  • Connect Email Sending Domain & DMARC (Settings > Email Services) Required
    Add a dedicated subdomain like lc.clientdomain.com. Add the 5 DNS records (2 MX, 2 TXT, 1 CNAME) into Cloudflare or GoDaddy and click "Verify".
    Mandatory 2026 Deliverability Rule: Add a root TXT record for DMARC at _dmarc.clientdomain.com with value v=DMARC1; p=none;. Google & Yahoo reject business emails without DMARC.
  • Send Login Credentials & Mobile App Link Required
    Send the client their private login link, username, temporary password, and LeadConnector app download links via email/message (view template). No kickoff call required.
  • Client Adds Card for Usage Wallet (Settings > Company Billing) Required
    The client follows the detailed written click-guide inside their welcome message to add their card directly in Settings > Company Billing > Payment Methods. Verify the Auto-Recharge Rule ($25 refill when balance dips below $10). Critical: GHL requires an active card on file before purchasing a phone line or submitting A2P!
    Zero-Call Onboarding: Delivering clear written click-by-click instructions allows the client to enter their card in 2 minutes on their own time without waiting for a Zoom call, while keeping their card 100% encrypted in Stripe.
Step 3

Connect Domain & Build Website (Sites > Websites)

Set up the client's live website before submitting A2P texting compliance
  • Connect Custom Domain (Settings > Domains) Required
    In Settings > Domains, add the client's web address (e.g., www.clientbusiness.com). Add the DNS record in their domain host (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, or Namecheap): add a CNAME pointing to flash.funnels.msgsndr.com (or an A Record to 34.68.234.4).
    Shared Access Best Practice: Never ask clients for their domain account password. Request Delegate Access in GoDaddy (Settings > Delegate Access) or have them invite your agency technical email as a DNS manager with "Manage DNS only" rights.
  • Build or Load the Website (Sites > Websites) Required
    Go to Sites > Websites, click "New Website", and pick a clean template or build from scratch. Put together the core pages: Home, About Us, Services, and Contact. Make sure the business name, address, and phone in the footer match their official business documents.
  • Add Privacy Policy & Terms of Service Pages Required
    Create /privacy-policy and /terms-of-service pages and link them in the website footer. The Privacy Policy MUST have this exact sentence: "Mobile information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes."
  • Enable Chat Widget as Verified Opt-In & Keep Forms Hidden Carrier Strategy
    In Sites > Chat Widget, enable the chat bubble with SMS opt-in enabled and embed it on the website.
    Why this order? Carrier auditors require proof of an opt-in mechanism on the website URL you submit in Step 4. GHL's Chat Widget has built-in compliant carrier disclaimers. Keeping static forms hidden during review eliminates 99% of formatting rejections. Once A2P passes, you publish your full lead forms in Step 7.
Step 4

Getting Approved to Send Texts (A2P 10DLC)

Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center: How to get approved in 48 hours without rejections
  • 1. Buy a Local Phone Number Required
    In Settings > Phone Numbers, buy a local area code number. Set up Call Forwarding so any incoming calls automatically ring the business owner's personal phone.
  • 2. Upload IRS CP-575 / Enter EIN (Brand Registration) Required
    In Phone Numbers > Trust Center > Start Registration, upload the client's official IRS CP-575 PDF. This auto-populates the legal business name and EIN with 100% IRS accuracy, virtually eliminating carrier rejections. Coordinate in real time for the client to click the email OTP verification link.
  • 3. Submit Campaign & Connect Phone Number Required
    Choose Low-Volume Mixed. Provide the live website link (from Step 3). Write 2 sample text messages that include your business name and "Reply STOP to unsubscribe". Once approved by carriers (usually 24-48 hours), assign your phone number to the campaign.
Step 5

Connect Core App Integrations (Settings > Integrations)

Link the client's Google, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), and Stripe accounts
  • Connect Google & Google Business Profile (GBP) Required
    In Settings > Integrations > Google, sign in with the client's Google account. Connect their Google Business Profile to sync customer reviews directly into GHL, route Google Maps chat into the inbox, and connect Google Calendar.
  • Connect Meta (Facebook Page & Instagram) Required
    In Settings > Integrations > Facebook, connect the client's Facebook Page and Instagram Business account. All incoming Facebook Messenger chats and Instagram DMs flow directly into the GHL unified inbox, and Facebook Lead Ads sync instantly without Zapier.
  • Connect Stripe for Payment Processing & Invoices Required
    In Settings > Integrations > Stripe, connect their Stripe account with 1 click. This allows the business to accept credit card payments, send Text-to-Pay SMS invoices, and collect upfront deposits on booking calendars.
  • Connect QuickBooks Online / Accounting (Optional) Optional
    In Settings > Integrations > QuickBooks, connect their QuickBooks account to automatically sync customer invoices, payments, and estimates for seamless bookkeeping.
  • Connect Other Niche Apps (Marketplace, Webhooks & Make) Optional / As Needed
    If the client uses other tools (Shopify, Clio, ServiceTitan, Zoom, Slack, or a legacy CRM): check Settings > App Marketplace for 1-click installs, or connect via GHL's native Inbound/Outbound Webhooks or Make.com / Zapier.
Step 6

Setting Up the CRM (Contacts, Pipelines & Calendars)

Organizing the client's leads, customer lists, and appointments
  • Custom Fields (Settings > Custom Fields) Optional
    Add extra questions if needed for the client's business (for example: "Type of Roof", "Job Budget", or "Square Footage").
  • Create Contact Tags Required
    Set up simple tags to group people: where they came from (website-lead, google-ad) and who they are (past-client, new-lead).
  • Import Old Contacts with 'past-client' Tag Required
    Under Contacts > Import, upload the client's past customer spreadsheet. Map First Name, Phone, and Email, and tag them all as past-client so they don't accidentally receive automated "New Lead" messages.
  • Create Smart Lists (Saved Filters) Optional
    Save quick-click tabs at the top of Contacts: "New Leads", "Past Customers", and "Booked Appointments".
  • Build Sales Pipeline (Settings > Pipelines) Required
    Create stages to track how a lead becomes a paying job: New Lead > Estimate Scheduled > Quote Sent > Deposit Paid > Job Completed.
  • Create Booking Calendar (Settings > Calendars) Required
    Set up an appointment calendar for estimates or calls, and link it to the client's Google or Outlook calendar so they don't get double-booked.
Step 7

Daily Automations & Lead Capture

Automating fast replies and customer follow-up
  • Post-A2P Website Activation: Embed Forms & Go Live Required
    Now that A2P phone approval has passed and carrier audit is complete, unlock the full website:
    • Embed Lead Forms: In Sites > Websites, place the custom quote/contact forms onto the Homepage Hero, Contact Page, and Service subpages.
    • Turn On Sticky Contact: In Sites > Forms > Settings, enable "Sticky Contact" so returning visitors auto-merge into their existing CRM profile.
    • Live Test Submission: Submit a test lead to verify the contact enters the pipeline and triggers the automated fast-reply SMS.
  • New Lead Fast-Reply Workflow (Automations) Required
    When a customer fills out a form: GHL automatically (1) alerts the business owner's phone, and (2) texts the lead within 1 minute: "Hey, thanks for reaching out! How can we help?"
  • Turn on Missed Call Text Back (Settings > Phone Numbers) Optional / High Value
    If the client is busy and misses a call, GHL immediately texts the caller: "Hi, sorry we missed your call! How can we help you today?" (Saves lost customers).
  • End-to-End Live Launch Test (Form + Call + Text) Required
    Perform the complete live launch test before handing off: (1) Call the business number to confirm call forwarding rings the owner, (2) Submit a test form on the live site to confirm lead creation in the pipeline, (3) Confirm the 1-minute auto-reply SMS arrives on your test phone with compliant STOP language.
  • Automatic Google Review Request Optional / High Value
    When a job is dragged to "Completed" in the pipeline, GHL automatically texts the customer a friendly link to leave a 5-star Google review.
GoHighLevel Simplified SOP • Plain English Edition