GHL Workflows & Automations: What to Build First

So you've got a GHL sub-account. Maybe a fresh one, maybe you loaded a snapshot. Either way, you're looking at the Workflows tab wondering what to build. Don't build everything. Build the stuff that replaces manual work you're already doing.

These four workflows cover the basics. Every business needs them, regardless of industry. Nail these, then get creative.

1. Lead Capture — Incoming Contact

This is the one that triggers when a lead fills in a form, clicks a booking link, or gets added manually. It's the starting point for everything else.

Trigger: New Contact Created
What it should do:

Send the lead a welcome SMS within 2 minutes
Send a follow-up email within 1 hour if they haven't replied
Tag the lead by source (form, phone, referral)
Assign the lead to the right pipeline stage
Send you an internal notification

Watch out for: If you send too many messages in the first hour, you'll get unsubscribes fast. One SMS, one email, then a 24-hour gap before the next touch. That's the sweet spot.

2. Follow-Up Sequence — Nurture Drip

Most leads don't buy the same day. A nurture workflow keeps you in front of them without you lifting a finger. Schedule it to run over 7-14 days.

Trigger: Tag Added — "New Lead" (or Stage Entered)
Timeline:

Day	Action
Day 1	Email: "Quick intro — here's how we work"
Day 3	SMS: "Still thinking? Quick question below"
Day 5	Email: Case study or social proof
Day 7	Email: "One last thing before I stop messaging"
Day 10	Move to "Cold — Long Term Nurture" pipeline

The goal isn't to be annoying. It's to be present when they're ready to buy. A well-timed SMS on day 3 catches more conversions than anything else.

3. Review Request — Post-Purchase

Google reviews drive local SEO. GHL makes it easy to automate the ask — you just need the right timing.

Trigger: Opportunity Stage Changed to "Closed Won"
Wait: 3 days (gives them time to actually experience your service)
Action: Send SMS with a Google Review link

Wait another 7 days: Send a second SMS if they haven't left one. Keep it light. "No worries if you're busy — just wanted to make sure everything's okay." People respond better when it doesn't feel like a hard sell.

Pro tip: Use GHL's built-in review funnel. It redirects happy customers to Google, and unhappy ones to a private feedback form. Saves you from bad public reviews.

4. Appointment Reminder — No-Shows Killer

No-shows cost UK small businesses thousands a year. An automated reminder workflow pays for itself in the first week.

Trigger: Appointment Scheduled
Timeline:

24 hours before: SMS reminder with date, time, location
2 hours before: SMS — "See you at [time]?"
30 min after no-show: SMS — "Missed you. Reschedule here: [link]"
24 hours after no-show: Email — invoice for missed appointment (if your policy allows it)

The two-hour reminder catches 90% of would-be no-shows. The day-before reminder catches the rest. That combo alone can push your show rate above 95%.

Which One First?

If you're starting from scratch, build them in this order:

Lead capture — stops leads falling through the cracks
Appointment reminders — saves you money immediately
Review requests — builds your Google presence
Nurture sequence — long-term pipeline growth

Each one takes about 15 minutes to set up in GHL. The drag-and-drop builder is straightforward — triggers on the left, actions in the middle, conditions at the bottom. If you get stuck, the in-app help bar actually isn't bad.

Need a GHL account to build these on? Grab a sub-account for $97/year through TinyBills and start building today.