REVSET LABS · EXPERT GUIDE·CRM & Contacts
Send Beautiful HTML Emails in GoHighLevel: A Step-by-Step Guide
1,189 words·5 min read·Updated 28 April 2026·beginner· Quick Answer
To create and send beautiful HTML emails in GoHighLevel, go to Marketing → Emails → Templates to design your email, then use Marketing → Emails → Campaigns for one-time sends or Automations → Workflows for automated delivery. The initial setup and design of a basic email template typically takes about 15-20 minutes.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Always preview and send test emails to various devices before a live send.
- ✓Utilize GoHighLevel's drag-and-drop builder for efficiency, but don't shy away from custom HTML for unique designs.
- ✓Segment your audience and personalize content to significantly improve engagement rates.
- ✓Leverage workflows to automate email delivery based on specific triggers and customer journeys.
- ✓Prioritize mobile responsiveness; most emails are opened on smartphones.
What Are GoHighLevel's Email Design Capabilities?
Sending visually appealing emails is crucial for engaging your audience and strengthening your brand. GoHighLevel provides powerful tools to create stunning HTML emails, whether you're a design novice or an experienced coder. This guide will walk you through every step, from building your first template to automating its delivery.
🔥 Pro Tip
GoHighLevel's email builder supports custom fonts and advanced CSS, allowing for deep brand integration. Ensure your chosen fonts are web-safe or properly embedded to display correctly across all clients.
How Do You Create an HTML Email Template?
Every great email starts with a solid template. GoHighLevel offers a flexible builder that lets you drag and drop elements or dive into custom code. You can start from scratch or modify existing designs to fit your needs.
1
Access the Email Builder — From your GoHighLevel dashboard, click Marketing in the left sidebar, then select Emails, and finally click Templates. This opens the email template library where you manage all your designs.
2
Start a New Template — Click the + Create New button at the top right, then choose Email Template. You can select from a blank canvas, pre-designed templates, or opt to code your own HTML.
3
Choose Your Editor — Select Design Editor for a drag-and-drop experience, or Code Your Own if you have existing HTML or prefer direct coding. For most users, the Design Editor offers robust features without needing coding knowledge.
4
Select a Starting Point — If using the Design Editor, choose a Blank Template or pick from the Template Library designs. A blank template gives you full creative freedom, while library templates offer a head start.
5
Name Your Template — Enter a descriptive name for your email template in the Template Name field. A clear name helps you easily find and reuse the template later.
⚠️ When using "Code Your Own," ensure your HTML is well-formed and responsive. Poorly coded HTML can lead to rendering issues across different email clients.
How Do You Design Engaging Email Content?
The Design Editor makes it easy to build visually rich emails. You can add various content blocks, customize their appearance, and insert dynamic information. Focus on a clear message and an intuitive layout.
1
Add Content Blocks — In the Design Editor, drag and drop elements like Text, Image, Button, Video, Social, or Divider from the left-hand panel onto your canvas. Arrange blocks to create your desired layout and flow.
2
Customize Block Settings — Click on any block to open its settings panel on the right. Adjust text styles, image sources, button links, colors, padding, and more to match your brand.
3
Insert Personalization Tags — Click into a text block, then select the Custom Values icon (often a tag symbol) in the text editor toolbar. Choose tags like Contact Name or Company Name to personalize your message for each recipient.
4
Add Custom HTML Blocks (Optional) — If you need to embed specific code, drag the HTML block onto your template. Paste your custom HTML directly into the code editor that appears, ensuring it's valid and responsive.
5
Save Your Changes — Regularly click the Save Template button at the top right of the editor. Saving frequently prevents loss of your design progress.
🔥 Pro Tip
Use GoHighLevel's built-in image editor to resize or crop images directly within the platform. This ensures optimal loading times and consistent visual quality.
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How Do You Preview and Test Your Email?
Before sending, always preview your email on different devices and send test emails to ensure it renders correctly. This step is critical to catch any layout issues or broken links.
1
Preview Your Email — Click the Preview button at the top right of the email editor. This shows how your email will look on desktop and mobile devices.
2
Switch Device Views — Within the preview mode, toggle between Desktop and Mobile icons to check responsiveness. Ensure all elements are correctly aligned and readable on smaller screens.
3
Send a Test Email — Click the Send Test Email button, enter one or more recipient email addresses, and click Send. Check your inbox (and spam folder) on various email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) to see how the email appears.
4
Verify Links and Personalization — In your test email, click all links to confirm they work correctly. Also, check that personalization tags (e.g., `{{contact.first_name}}`) are populating with placeholder data.
How Do You Send HTML Emails with Campaigns?
Campaigns are ideal for one-time blasts, newsletters, or announcements to a specific group of contacts. You can quickly select your beautifully designed HTML template and send it out.
1
Navigate to Campaigns — From the left sidebar, click Marketing, then Emails, and select Campaigns. This section manages all your broadcast email sends.
2
Create a New Campaign — Click the + Create Campaign button at the top right. You will be guided through setting up your email broadcast.
3
Configure Campaign Details — Enter a Campaign Name, a compelling Subject Line, and a Sender Name and Sender Email. A strong subject line is vital for open rates, and a recognizable sender builds trust.
4
Select Your HTML Template — In the content section, choose Template and select the HTML email template you designed earlier from the dropdown menu. This will load your custom-designed email into the campaign.
5
Choose Recipients — Click Add Contacts and select the specific contacts, smart lists, or tags you want to send the email to. Segmenting your audience ensures your message reaches the most relevant people.
6
Schedule or Send Immediately — Review all settings, then click Send Now to dispatch immediately or Schedule Send to pick a future date and time. Carefully choose your send time for maximum impact.
How Do You Automate HTML Emails with Workflows?
For ongoing communication, automated emails triggered by specific actions are incredibly powerful. GoHighLevel workflows allow you to send your HTML emails automatically based on contact behavior or events.
1
Access Workflows — From the left sidebar, click Automations, then select Workflows. Workflows are where you build automated sequences.
2
Create a New Workflow — Click + Create Workflow at the top right, then choose Start from Scratch or select a relevant recipe. Starting from scratch gives you full control over your automation.
3
Set a Workflow Trigger — Click + Add New Workflow Trigger and select an event, such as Form Submitted, Tag Added, or Opportunity Status Changed. This action will initiate your automated email send.
4
Add a "Send Email" Action — Click the + icon below your trigger, then select the Send Email action under the Communication section. This action will dispatch your chosen email.
5
Configure Email Action — In the "Send Email" action settings, enter a Subject, From Name, and From Email. Then, select your beautifully designed HTML email template from the Template dropdown. Ensure the subject line and sender details are consistent with your brand.
6
Save and Publish — Click Save at the top right, then toggle the workflow to Publish to make it active. Once published, contacts meeting the trigger criteria will automatically receive your HTML email.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
⚠️ My email looks broken or unformatted after sending.
Ensure you tested your email using the Send Test Email feature to multiple clients. If using custom HTML, double-check for syntax errors or missing closing tags. Images might be linked from private servers; ensure they are publicly accessible.
⚠️ Images in my email are not loading for recipients.
Verify that the image URLs are correct and publicly hosted (e.g., on your GHL media library or a public CDN). Avoid linking to local files or internal network paths. Re-upload images if necessary.
⚠️ Personalization tags (e.g., contact name) are showing as blank or incorrect.
Check if the contact's profile has the necessary custom field data filled out. Ensure you selected the correct personalization tag from the Custom Values menu in the email builder.
⚠️ My campaign email isn't sending, or my workflow email isn't triggering.
For campaigns, check if it's scheduled for a future time or if there were issues with the contact list. For workflows, ensure the workflow is Published and that the trigger conditions are being met by the contacts you expect. Check workflow history for errors.
⚠️ My email is landing in the spam folder.
Review your subject line for spammy keywords. Ensure your sender domain is authenticated (SPF, DKIM records). Avoid excessive use of images, all caps, or exclamation marks. Ask recipients to mark your email as "not spam."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- →Not Testing Across Devices: Failing to preview and send test emails to various clients and screen sizes, leading to broken layouts.
- →Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness: Designing only for desktop, resulting in a poor experience for the majority of users on mobile devices.
- →Overloading with Images/Large Files: Using too many large images can slow load times and trigger spam filters.
- →Neglecting Personalization: Sending generic emails when GoHighLevel offers robust personalization, missing an opportunity for higher engagement.
- →Forgetting to Save Progress: Losing design work by not frequently clicking the Save Template button in the email builder.
Frequently Asked Questions
QCan I import an HTML email template I designed outside of GoHighLevel?
Yes, GoHighLevel allows you to import external HTML. When creating a new email template, choose the "Code Your Own" option. You can then paste your entire HTML code directly into the editor. Ensure your code is responsive and uses inline CSS for best compatibility across email clients.
QHow do I ensure my HTML emails are mobile-responsive in GoHighLevel?
GoHighLevel's Design Editor automatically creates responsive emails. If using custom HTML, you must implement responsive design principles using media queries and fluid layouts within your code. Always use the "Preview" feature and send test emails to various mobile devices to verify responsiveness before sending.
QWhat's the difference between sending an HTML email via a campaign versus a workflow?
Campaigns are for one-time, broadcast sends to a selected group of contacts, ideal for newsletters or announcements. Workflows are for automated, triggered sends based on specific actions or events (e.g., form submission, purchase), perfect for onboarding sequences or lead nurturing.
QWhy are my embedded videos not playing directly in the email?
Most email clients do not support direct video playback within the email itself for security and rendering reasons. GoHighLevel's video block automatically converts your video into a clickable image thumbnail that links to the actual video hosted elsewhere (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo), providing a better user experience.
QCan I track the performance of my HTML emails sent from GoHighLevel?
Yes, GoHighLevel provides robust analytics for all emails sent through campaigns and workflows. You can track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribes directly within the **Marketing → Emails → Analytics** section or within individual campaign/workflow reports.
Try GoHighLevel Free
Start your 30-day GoHighLevel free trial
Everything in this guide is in your free trial. 30 days, no credit card — the platform behind 78+ revenue systems.
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.
Connect on LinkedInTags:Email MarketingHTML EmailEmail BuilderWorkflowsCampaignsGoHighLevel Features
