How to Set Up GoHighLevel: A Step-by-Step Guide for Australian Businesses

GoHighLevel is one of the most powerful all-in-one marketing and CRM platforms available today. But getting started can feel overwhelming if you do not know where to begin. This guide walks you through exactly how to set up GoHighLevel correctly from day one so your business can start generating leads, automating follow-ups, and managing clients without the confusion.

What Is GoHighLevel and Why Does It Matter?

GoHighLevel is an all-in-one CRM, marketing automation, and client management platform built specifically for agencies and businesses that want to centralise their operations. Instead of juggling separate tools for email marketing, SMS follow-ups, appointment booking, pipeline management, and landing pages, GoHighLevel brings everything into one dashboard.

For Australian businesses and agencies, GoHighLevel removes the need for multiple software subscriptions and replaces them with a single platform that handles the entire client journey from first contact to closed deal.

What You Need Before You Set Up GoHighLevel

Before you log in and start clicking, get these things ready.

• Your business name, logo, and brand colours

• A domain name you own and can access DNS settings for

• Your business email address

• A phone number for SMS and call features

• Your Stripe account details for payment integration

• A clear idea of which services or pipelines you want to manage first

Having these ready saves you from stopping mid-setup to hunt for details.

Step One: Create Your GoHighLevel Account

Go to gohighlevel.com and start your 14-day free trial. You will be asked to enter your agency name, email address, and basic business details.

Once inside you will land on the Agency Dashboard. This is the top level of your GoHighLevel account. Everything you build, sub-accounts, snapshots, white label settings, sits under this dashboard.

Take a few minutes to explore the layout before making any changes. Understanding the difference between the Agency level and the Sub-Account level early on saves a lot of confusion later.

Step Two: Set Up Your Agency Profile

Go to Settings at the agency level and fill in your full business details. This includes your business name, address, phone number, and logo. These details appear across your account and in client-facing materials so get them right from the start.

Under the same settings panel, configure your timezone and business hours. GoHighLevel uses these settings to trigger automations and schedule messages correctly. If your timezone is wrong, your follow-up sequences will fire at the wrong times.

Step Three: Connect Your Domain

Connecting a custom domain to GoHighLevel is essential for white labelling and for making your funnels and websites look professional.

Go to Settings, then click on Domains. Add your domain and follow the DNS instructions provided. You will need to add a CNAME record in your domain registrar pointing to GoHighLevel's servers.

Once verified, your funnels, websites, and client portals will run on your own domain rather than a generic GoHighLevel URL. This is a non-negotiable step for any serious setup.

Step Four: Configure Your Email and SMS Settings

GoHighLevel handles both email and SMS communication but you need to connect the right services first.

For email, connect either Mailgun or SMTP. Mailgun is the recommended option as it gives you better deliverability and tracking. Set up your sending domain inside Mailgun and verify it before sending any campaigns.

For SMS, GoHighLevel uses Twilio. Create a Twilio account, purchase a phone number, and connect your Twilio credentials inside GoHighLevel under Settings then Phone Numbers. Once connected you can send SMS campaigns, automated follow-ups, and two-way text conversations directly from the platform.

Step Five: Set Up Your First Sub-Account

Sub-accounts in GoHighLevel represent individual businesses or clients. If you are an agency, each client gets their own sub-account. If you are a single business, your one sub-account is where all your day-to-day work happens.

To create a sub-account go to the Agency Dashboard and click Add Sub-Account. Fill in the business name, address, and contact details. Assign the correct timezone and industry so GoHighLevel can suggest relevant templates.

Once created, switch into the sub-account to begin building pipelines, funnels, and automations specific to that business.

Step Six: Build Your Pipeline

A pipeline in GoHighLevel tracks where every lead sits in your sales process. Without a pipeline, leads fall through the cracks.

Inside your sub-account go to CRM then Pipelines. Click Add Pipeline and name it based on your sales process. Create stages that reflect your actual workflow. Common stages include New Lead, Contacted, Appointment Booked, Proposal Sent, and Closed Won.

Keep your pipeline simple to start. You can always add stages later but a cluttered pipeline with too many stages slows your team down and makes reporting messy.

Step Seven: Set Up Your First Automation

Automations are where GoHighLevel earns its reputation. A basic follow-up automation alone can save hours every week.

Go to Automation then Workflows. Click Add Workflow and start from scratch or use one of the built-in templates. A simple starting automation looks like this:

• Trigger: New lead added to pipeline

• Action: Send SMS within 5 minutes

• Action: Send follow-up email 1 hour later

• Action: Assign task to team member if no reply after 24 hours

This single workflow ensures no lead goes cold without anyone having to manually follow up. Build this first before anything else.

Step Eight: Connect Your Calendar

GoHighLevel has a built-in calendar and booking system that removes the need for Calendly or similar tools.

Go to Calendars inside your sub-account and create a new calendar. Set your availability, buffer times, and appointment duration. Connect it to your Google Calendar to avoid double bookings.

Once set up, embed the booking link in your funnels, website, and automated messages. Leads can book directly without going through a third-party platform.

Step Nine: White Label Your Dashboard

If you are running GoHighLevel as a white-labelled product for clients, this step is critical.

Go to Agency Settings then White Label. Upload your logo, set your brand colours, and configure the custom domain for your client portal. Your clients will log in to what looks like your own branded software, not GoHighLevel.

Remember to flush your permalinks and DNS settings after making white label changes. Skipping this step is one of the most common causes of white label setup errors.

Common GoHighLevel Setup Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the domain connection and using default GoHighLevel URLs

• Not verifying your Mailgun sending domain before launching campaigns

• Building automations before setting up your pipeline stages

• Forgetting to set the correct timezone at both agency and sub-account level

• Creating too many pipeline stages before understanding your actual sales process

• Not testing your automations before going live

Do You Need Help Setting Up GoHighLevel?

Setting up GoHighLevel correctly from the start saves weeks of troubleshooting later. But it takes time, technical knowledge, and experience to configure the platform in a way that actually drives results.

Bolder Digital is a GoHighLevel Certified Admin agency based in Tasmania. We set up, manage, and optimise GoHighLevel accounts for Australian businesses so you get a fully configured platform without the learning curve.

If you want your GoHighLevel account set up correctly from day one, get in touch with the Bolder Digital team today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to set up GoHighLevel?
A basic GoHighLevel setup including domain connection, email, SMS, pipeline, and first automation takes between 4 to 8 hours for an experienced user. A full agency setup with multiple sub-accounts, snapshots, and white labelling can take several days.

Do I need technical knowledge to set up GoHighLevel?
Some steps like connecting Mailgun, setting up Twilio, and configuring DNS records require basic technical knowledge. If you are not comfortable with these steps, working with a GoHighLevel certified agency like Bolder Digital ensures the setup is done correctly.

Can I white label GoHighLevel for my clients?
Yes. GoHighLevel's Agency Pro plan includes full white labelling so you can present the platform under your own brand. You will need a custom domain and your own branding assets to complete the white label setup.

What is the difference between the Agency level and Sub-Account level in GoHighLevel?
The Agency level is the master dashboard where you manage all client accounts, billing, and white label settings. Sub-accounts sit underneath and represent individual businesses or clients. Day-to-day operations like pipelines, automations, and campaigns happen inside sub-accounts.

Is GoHighLevel suitable for small businesses in Australia?
Yes. GoHighLevel works for businesses of all sizes. For small businesses in Australia it replaces multiple tools like Mailchimp, Calendly, and separate CRM software, reducing costs and centralising operations into one platform.