REVSET LABS · EXPERT GUIDE·CRM & Contacts

How to Activate and Configure Notifications in GoHighLevel

847 words·4 min read·Updated 27 April 2026·beginner·

Arsalan ZaffarLinkedIn

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Quick Answer

To activate notifications in GoHighLevel, you configure individual user settings in Settings → My Staff → [User Name] → User Permissions → Notification Settings for personal alerts. For automated, event-driven notifications to staff or clients, set them up within Automation → Workflows. This comprehensive setup typically takes 10-15 minutes.

Key Takeaways

✓Customize individual staff notification preferences to prevent overwhelm and ensure relevant alerts.
✓Utilize GoHighLevel workflows to automate SMS and email notifications for critical events like new leads or bookings.
✓Always test your workflow notifications after setup to confirm they send correctly and to the right recipients.
✓Regularly review your notification settings, especially when onboarding new staff or changing processes, to maintain efficiency.
✓Ensure your Twilio Account SID is unique per sub-account to avoid duplicate SMS notifications.

Understanding GoHighLevel Notification Types

GoHighLevel offers several notification types to keep you and your team informed. Understanding each type helps you choose the best way to activate alerts. You can set up in-app notifications, email alerts, and SMS messages. Each serves a different purpose, ensuring you never miss important activity within your account.

How to Activate User-Specific Notifications (In-App & Email)

Every user in your GoHighLevel account can customize their personal notification preferences. This ensures they receive relevant alerts without being overwhelmed. You can control what events trigger an in-app notification or an email directly to their inbox.

Access Staff Settings — From the left-hand menu, click on Settings. Then, select My Staff to view your list of team members.

Select User Profile — Find the staff member whose notifications you want to activate or modify. Click their name or the Edit icon next to their entry.

Navigate to Notification Settings — Within the staff member's profile, click on the User Permissions tab. Scroll down to locate the 'Notification Settings' section.

Configure In-App Notifications — Toggle the switches next to each event type to enable or disable in-app alerts. Common options include 'New Lead', 'New Appointment', 'Missed Call', and 'New Voicemail'.

Configure Email Notifications — Similarly, toggle the switches under the 'Email Notifications' column for each event. This sends an email alert directly to the staff member's registered email address.

Save Changes — After making your selections, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save to apply the new notification settings for that user. Repeat this process for all relevant staff members.

🔥 Pro Tip

Encourage each staff member to review and adjust their own notification settings. This empowers them to manage their workflow and reduces unnecessary distractions.

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How to Set Up Automated Notifications via Workflows (SMS & Email)

Workflows are the most powerful way to activate automated notifications in GoHighLevel. You can send SMS or email alerts to your team or even your clients based on specific triggers, like a form submission or a new booking. This ensures immediate communication for critical events.

Access Workflows — From the left-hand menu, click on Automation. Then, select Workflows to view your existing automations or create a new one.

Create or Edit a Workflow — Click + Create Workflow to start from scratch, or select an existing workflow to modify. If creating new, choose 'Start from Scratch' or a relevant template.

Add a Trigger — Define the event that will start this notification workflow. Click + Add new Workflow Trigger and select an option like 'Form Submitted', 'Appointment Status', or 'Tag Added'.

Add an 'Send SMS' Action — Click the + icon to add a new action step. Search for and select Send SMS. This action lets you send text messages.

Configure SMS Notification Details — Choose the recipient for the SMS. You can send to 'Contact' (the person who triggered the workflow), 'Custom Number', or 'Assigned User'. Type your message in the 'SMS Body' field, using custom values for personalization. Click Save Action.

Add an 'Send Email' Action — Click the + icon again to add another action. Search for and select Send Email. This action allows you to send email alerts.

Configure Email Notification Details — Enter the 'From Name', 'From Email', and 'Subject'. Choose the recipient (e.g., 'Contact', 'Assigned User', or 'Custom Email'). Write your email content in the body, using custom values. Click Save Action.

Publish Your Workflow — Once all notification actions are configured, switch the workflow from Draft to Publish. Click Save in the top right corner to activate the workflow and its notifications.

⚠️ Ensure you have a connected Twilio account for SMS notifications and an integrated email service for email notifications. Without these, your workflow actions will fail.

✅ Consider adding a 'Wait' step before sending notifications in workflows. This can prevent overwhelming recipients with instant multiple alerts and allows for conditional logic.

🔥 Pro Tip

Always test your workflow notifications thoroughly before making them live. Submit a test form or create a test appointment to ensure messages send correctly and to the intended recipients.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

⚠️ I am getting duplicate SMS notifications.

This often happens if the same Twilio Account SID is connected to multiple GoHighLevel sub-accounts. Ensure each sub-account uses a unique Twilio integration or contact GoHighLevel support for assistance in consolidating.

⚠️ My workflow notifications are not sending.

Check if the workflow is 'Published' and 'Saved'. Verify the workflow trigger is correctly set up. Also, check the 'Execution Log' for the workflow to see if it's running and if any steps are failing. Ensure the contact has valid SMS or email details.

⚠️ Email notifications are going to spam.

Verify your sending domain is properly authenticated with SPF and DKIM records in GoHighLevel's Settings → Email Services. Advise recipients to whitelist your sending email address.

⚠️ In-app notifications are not appearing for a user.

Confirm the user is logged into GoHighLevel. Check their individual 'Notification Settings' under Settings → My Staff → [User Name] → User Permissions to ensure in-app alerts are enabled for the relevant event types.

⚠️ SMS notifications are not delivering.

Check the contact's phone number for accuracy and valid formatting. Review your Twilio logs for delivery errors. Ensure you have sufficient Twilio balance. Some carriers may block messages if content is flagged as spam.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

→Forgetting to click 'Save' after making changes to user notification settings or workflows.
→Not testing workflows thoroughly before publishing, leading to incorrect or missing notifications.
→Using incorrect custom values in workflow messages, resulting in blank or generic alerts.
→Over-notifying staff or clients, which can lead to notification fatigue and ignored alerts.
→Neglecting to update notification settings for new staff members, causing them to miss critical updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

QHow can I stop receiving too many notifications in GoHighLevel?

To reduce notification volume, navigate to **Settings → My Staff → [Your User Name] → User Permissions → Notification Settings**. Here, you can individually toggle off specific in-app and email notifications for events that are less critical to your role. Additionally, review any workflows where you are a recipient and adjust or remove those notification actions if they are no longer needed.

QCan I customize the content of my automated notifications?

Yes, you can fully customize the content of SMS and email notifications sent through workflows. When you add a 'Send SMS' or 'Send Email' action in a workflow, you get a text editor to write your message. You can also insert 'Custom Values' (like contact name, appointment time, or assigned user) to personalize each notification automatically, making them highly relevant and engaging for the recipient.

QWhat is the difference between user-specific and workflow notifications?

User-specific notifications are personal settings for an individual staff member, controlling what in-app alerts or emails they receive directly from the platform for general events (e.g., new lead assigned). Workflow notifications, conversely, are automated messages (SMS, email) triggered by specific events within a workflow and can be sent to contacts, assigned users, or custom recipients, offering more dynamic and event-driven communication.

QWhy are my SMS notifications not delivering to clients?

Several factors can prevent SMS delivery. First, check the contact's phone number for any errors. Ensure your Twilio account is active, has sufficient balance, and is correctly integrated in GoHighLevel under **Settings → Phone Numbers**. Also, review your Twilio logs for specific error messages, which can indicate issues like invalid numbers, carrier filtering, or compliance problems. Sometimes, a high volume of similar messages can trigger spam filters.

QHow often should I review my GoHighLevel notification settings?

It is best practice to review your notification settings periodically, ideally quarterly, or whenever there are significant changes to your team, processes, or campaign strategies. This ensures that new staff members are properly set up, outdated alerts are removed, and notifications remain optimized for efficiency and relevance. Regular review helps prevent missed opportunities and reduces notification fatigue.

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Some links are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend GoHighLevel because we build on it every day.

Arsalan Zaffar

Revset Labs · Revenue Systems · 78+ GHL Builds

Arsalan writes GHL guides from real build experience — 78+ systems, $9.2M in client pipeline. Wharton, CXL & Google certified.

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Tags:notificationsalertsGoHighLevelGHLworkflowsSMSemailautomation