REVSET LABS · EXPERT GUIDE·Marketing & Campaigns
Mastering GoHighLevel Campaigns: Your Step-by-Step Guide
1,372 words·6 min read·Updated 28 April 2026·beginner· Quick Answer
To set up a new campaign in GoHighLevel, navigate to Marketing → Campaigns and click + Create Campaign. This process typically takes 5-10 minutes for a basic setup, allowing you to quickly launch automated message sequences.
Key Takeaways
- ✓GoHighLevel Campaigns are linear sequences of automated SMS and email messages designed for consistent follow-up.
- ✓Access and manage all your campaigns from the **Marketing → Campaigns** section within your GoHighLevel account.
- ✓Carefully configure message 'Wait' times to ensure a natural and effective communication flow with your contacts.
- ✓Utilize campaign settings like 'Stop on Response' to prevent over-messaging contacts once they engage.
- ✓Add contacts to campaigns manually or through Smart Lists to initiate the automated message sequence.
What Are GoHighLevel Campaigns?
GoHighLevel Campaigns are powerful, automated sequences of messages designed to engage your contacts over time. They allow you to send a series of SMS texts, emails, or even trigger calls, all on a predefined schedule. While GoHighLevel offers more advanced 'Workflows' for complex automation, Campaigns remain an excellent tool for straightforward drip sequences and consistent follow-ups.
Understanding how to effectively set up and manage these campaigns is crucial for nurturing leads, onboarding clients, or simply staying in touch with your audience. This guide walks you through every step to ensure your campaigns run smoothly and achieve your communication goals.
How Do You Create a New Campaign?
Starting a new campaign in GoHighLevel is a straightforward process. You will give your campaign a name, which helps you identify it later, and then proceed to add your desired messages. Follow these steps to get your first campaign underway.
1
Access Campaigns Section — From your GoHighLevel dashboard, click on Marketing in the left-hand navigation menu. Then, select Campaigns from the submenu to view your existing campaigns or create a new one.
2
Start New Campaign Creation — Click the large green button labeled + Create Campaign located at the top right of the Campaigns screen. This action opens a new window where you will define your campaign's basic information.
3
Name Your Campaign — Enter a descriptive name for your campaign in the provided text field. Choose a name that clearly indicates the campaign's purpose, such as 'New Lead Nurture' or 'Client Onboarding Sequence'. Click Save to finalize the campaign creation.
🔥 Pro Tip
Use clear and consistent naming conventions for your campaigns. This makes it much easier to find and manage them, especially as your number of campaigns grows.
How Do You Add Messages (Events) to Your Campaign?
Once your campaign is created, the next essential step is to populate it with messages, referred to as 'events' within GoHighLevel. These events define what messages are sent and when. You can add various types of events, including SMS, emails, and even calls.
1
Select Your Campaign — After creating or selecting an existing campaign, you will see its details. Click on the name of the campaign you wish to edit to open its event builder.
2
Add a New Event — Click the + Add Event button to open the event selection menu. This menu presents options for different types of messages you can add to your campaign.
3
Choose Event Type — Select either SMS or Email from the dropdown menu, depending on the type of message you want to send. For this guide, we will cover both common types.
4
Configure SMS Message — If you chose SMS, set the Wait time, which is the delay before this SMS sends (e.g., '0 minutes' to send immediately after the previous event, or '1 day' for a day later). Enter your message content into the SMS Body field. You can use custom values by clicking the Custom Values button. Finally, click Save.
5
Configure Email Message — If you chose Email, set the Wait time for the email. Enter a compelling Subject line and compose your Email Body. You can also select an existing Template or add attachments. Click Save to add the email to your campaign.
6
Add More Messages — Repeat the process by clicking + Add Event again to add more SMS, Email, or other event types to build out your full campaign sequence. Arrange them in the desired order and set appropriate 'Wait' times between each.
✅ Always review your message content for clarity, grammar, and tone before saving. Ensure any custom values will pull correct information.
🔥 Pro Tip
Strategically plan your 'Wait' times between messages. Too short, and you might overwhelm contacts; too long, and they might lose interest. Test different delays to find the optimal rhythm for your audience.
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.
Beyond just adding messages, GoHighLevel allows you to fine-tune your campaign's behavior through its settings. These settings control important aspects like when messages can be sent and if the campaign should stop once a contact responds.
1
Open Campaign Settings — While viewing your campaign's events, click the Settings tab located next to the 'Events' tab. This will display various configuration options for your campaign.
2
Edit Campaign Name (Optional) — You can update the Campaign Name if you need to refine its identifier. Remember to choose a name that clearly reflects its purpose.
3
Set Do Not Disturb Window — Define your Do Not Disturb Window to restrict when messages can be sent. For example, set it from '9:00 PM' to '8:00 AM' to prevent messages from sending during late hours. This ensures you respect your contacts' time.
4
Configure Stop on Response — Toggle the Stop on Response option to 'On' if you want the campaign to immediately stop sending messages to a contact once they reply to an SMS or email. This prevents over-messaging engaged contacts.
5
Save Your Settings — After making any changes to your campaign settings, click the Save button. This ensures all your adjustments are applied to the campaign's behavior.
⚠️ Enabling 'Stop on Response' is generally recommended for nurturing campaigns to avoid bothering contacts who have already engaged. However, disable it for awareness campaigns where every message is crucial regardless of response.
A campaign cannot run without contacts! There are several ways to add contacts to your GoHighLevel campaigns, but the most direct method involves adding them manually or from your Smart Lists. Once added, contacts will begin receiving messages according to your campaign's schedule.
1
Navigate to Contacts — From your GoHighLevel dashboard, click on Contacts in the left-hand navigation menu. This will take you to your main contact list or Smart Lists.
2
Select Contacts — Check the boxes next to the individual contacts you wish to add to your campaign. If you want to add multiple contacts at once, use a Smart List to filter them, then select all visible contacts.
3
Initiate Add to Campaign/Workflow — After selecting your contacts, click the robot icon (also labeled 'Add to Campaign/Workflow') at the top of the contact list. This action opens a modal window for automation options.
4
Choose Your Campaign — In the modal window, select the specific campaign you want to add the contacts to from the dropdown menu. Ensure you pick the correct campaign to avoid sending unintended messages.
5
Add Contacts to Campaign — Click the Add button to confirm and add the selected contacts to your campaign. They will immediately begin receiving the first message in the sequence, respecting any initial 'Wait' times you set.
🔥 Pro Tip
Leverage GoHighLevel's Smart Lists to segment your contacts precisely. You can create Smart Lists based on tags, custom fields, or lead source, then add entire filtered groups to your campaigns in bulk.
How Do You Manage Existing Campaigns?
Managing your existing campaigns is essential for maintaining effective communication strategies. GoHighLevel provides tools to edit, pause, activate, or even delete campaigns as your needs evolve. Regularly reviewing your campaigns ensures they remain relevant and perform optimally.
1
Access Campaigns List — Go to Marketing → Campaigns to view a list of all your created campaigns. Here, you can quickly see their status and access management options.
2
Edit Campaign Content or Settings — Click on the name of any campaign to open its editor. From here, you can modify existing events, add new ones, or adjust the campaign's settings in the Settings tab. Remember to Save any changes.
3
Pause or Activate a Campaign — Use the toggle switch located next to each campaign in the list to Pause or Activate it. Pausing a campaign stops all active sequences, while activating resumes them for contacts currently enrolled.
4
Delete a Campaign — To remove a campaign entirely, click the trash can icon next to its name in the campaign list. A confirmation prompt will appear; click Delete to permanently remove the campaign and its associated events. This action cannot be undone.
⚠️ Deleting a campaign is a permanent action. All campaign history and associated data for that specific campaign will be lost. Ensure you no longer need the campaign before proceeding.
🔥 Pro Tip
Before making significant changes to an active campaign, consider pausing it temporarily. This prevents contacts from receiving inconsistent or incomplete messages during your adjustments.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
⚠️ Campaign not sending messages to added contacts.
First, check if the campaign is Active using the toggle switch in the Marketing → Campaigns list. Next, verify that contacts were added correctly and that the 'Do Not Disturb' window in campaign settings isn't preventing sends.
⚠️ SMS messages are not delivering to contacts.
Confirm that the contact's phone number is valid and correctly formatted. Ensure your Twilio (or other SMS provider) integration is active and has sufficient credits. Check for any SMS limits or carrier restrictions.
⚠️ Email messages are not being received by contacts.
Verify that your email service (e.g., Mailgun or LC Email) is properly connected and configured in Settings → Email Services. Ensure your sending domain is verified and not on any blacklists. Check contact's email for typos.
⚠️ Campaign stops sending messages to a contact unexpectedly.
Review the campaign's Settings tab and check the Stop on Response toggle. If it's enabled, the campaign will stop for a contact once they reply to any campaign message. Adjust this setting if you need further messages to send.
⚠️ Can't find a specific campaign I created previously.
Ensure you are logged into the correct sub-account within GoHighLevel if you manage multiple locations. Campaigns are specific to the sub-account they were created in. Also, double-check the spelling if you are using the search bar.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- →Confusing GoHighLevel Campaigns with Workflows, which are more advanced and flexible automation tools.
- →Forgetting to activate a newly created campaign, leading to contacts being added but no messages sending.
- →Not setting appropriate 'Wait' times between messages, resulting in messages sending too rapidly or too slowly.
- →Failing to add contacts to the campaign after creating it, meaning the campaign exists but has no audience.
- →Overlooking the 'Stop on Response' setting, which can unintentionally halt a campaign sequence for engaged contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat is the main difference between GoHighLevel Campaigns and Workflows?
GoHighLevel Campaigns are linear, time-based sequences of messages (SMS, email) designed for simpler drip campaigns and follow-ups. They follow a fixed path. Workflows, on the other hand, are much more powerful, allowing for complex conditional logic, branching paths, external actions, and integrations. Workflows can react to contact behavior, while campaigns primarily follow a set schedule. For basic, predictable sequences, campaigns are sufficient; for dynamic, responsive automation, workflows are necessary.
QCan I add a contact to multiple campaigns at once?
Yes, you can add a contact to multiple campaigns simultaneously. However, be cautious about over-messaging your contacts. Each campaign will run independently, so a contact might receive messages from different campaigns at overlapping times. It's generally best practice to manage a contact's communication journey carefully, often using workflows to ensure a coherent experience and avoid subscriber fatigue.
QHow do I track the performance of my campaigns?
GoHighLevel provides basic reporting for campaigns. You can navigate to **Marketing → Campaigns** and view metrics like 'Delivered,' 'Opened,' and 'Clicked' rates for emails, and 'Sent' and 'Delivered' rates for SMS. For more in-depth analytics and performance tracking, especially for conversion goals, integrating with Workflows and using the Reporting section of GoHighLevel is recommended.
QWhat happens if a contact replies to an SMS in a campaign with 'Stop on Response' enabled?
If 'Stop on Response' is enabled in your campaign's settings and a contact replies to an SMS message, the campaign will immediately halt for that specific contact. They will no longer receive any subsequent messages from that campaign. This feature is designed to prevent sending automated messages to a contact who has already engaged, allowing for a more personalized, manual follow-up or transition to another automation.
QCan I use custom fields in campaign messages?
Yes, GoHighLevel Campaigns fully support the use of custom fields in both SMS and email messages. When composing your message, click the **Custom Values** button to insert placeholders for contact's first name, email, phone number, or any custom fields you have created. This allows for highly personalized communication, making your messages more relevant and engaging for each individual contact.
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:GoHighLevelCampaignsMarketing AutomationSMS MarketingEmail MarketingDrip Campaigns
