What Are Workflow Actions?
Once a trigger starts your automation, actions determine what happens next. This is where your system actually does the work—sending emails, creating tasks, updating contact details, and more.
Think of it like a water slide:
The trigger is what gets someone into the slide.
Actions are all the twists, turns, and loops that happen along the way.
The goal or end condition determines when they exit.
Actions are the backbone of automating customer engagement, making sure people get the right message at the right time without you having to manually do it.
Setting Up Your Actions
After you’ve created an automation and added a trigger, the next step is choosing what happens next.
Inside GoHighLevel’s automation builder, actions are grouped into categories like:
Contact Actions – Update contact details, add tags, move between lists
Communication Actions – Send emails, SMS, voicemail drops
Internal Actions – Assign tasks, notify team members, split test steps
Marketing & Sales – Add opportunities, manage payments, track appointment status
Some actions are only available if certain triggers exist—for example, you can’t use an appointment-based wait action unless the trigger is related to appointments.
Common Actions You’ll Use Most
1. Sending an Email
This is one of the most commonly used actions. If someone signs up, buys a product, or schedules an appointment, you can automate a follow-up email instantly.
Example: A welcome email after a form submission
Action: Send an email with a personalized message
💡 Pro Tip: Name your emails clearly (e.g., Welcome Email – New Lead), so it’s easy to track later.
2. Sending an SMS
Want to keep engagement high? Automate text messages to remind people about appointments, confirm sign-ups, or follow up after purchases.
Example: A friendly check-in message after 24 hours
Action: Wait 1 day → Send SMS
💡 Example SMS Template:
"Hey [First Name], just checking in! Let me know if you have any questions."
3. Adding a Wait Time
A Wait Action delays the next step, allowing time before sending a follow-up.
Options include:
Time-Based Waits – Wait X minutes/hours/days
Event-Based Waits – Wait until a specific action occurs (e.g., an appointment status change)
Example: Send an email immediately, wait 1 day, then send a text
Action Sequence: Send Email → Wait 1 Day → Send SMS
💡 Pro Tip: If you want follow-ups only during business hours, adjust wait settings in workflow settings.
4. Adding a Tag
Tags help segment contacts and can trigger future automations.
Example: If someone purchases, add the tag "Customer"
Action: Add tag → Move them to a different automation
💡 This is great for separating leads from buyers and organizing your contacts for future marketing.
5. Using Goals to End Automations
A Goal Action helps determine when a contact exits the automation early because they’ve taken the desired action.
Example: A lead books an appointment → Exit the sales sequence
Action: Goal = Appointment Confirmed → Remove from automation
💡 Pro Tip: Goals prevent unnecessary follow-ups, ensuring customers don’t receive messages after they’ve already taken action.
Best Practices for Using Actions
✅ Keep it simple – Start with basic actions (send email, wait, send SMS) before adding complexity.
✅ Save your progress often – Avoid losing work by hitting save frequently.
✅ Use tags to organize contacts – Helps with segmentation and future automations.
✅ Test your automation – Run test contacts to make sure everything works before launching.
✅ Think logically – Start with “What’s the goal?” and work backward.
What’s Next?
Now that you understand triggers and actions, the next step is learning advanced automation techniques—like split testing, conditional logic, and external integrations.
We’ll break these down in the next guide, so stay tuned!