Set Up Your GoHighLevel Account
Create your account and set up the basics — the $97 Starter plan is all you need to begin.
Don't overthink this step. Start on the $97/mo Starter plan — it does everything you need to land and serve your first clients. The $297 plan adds more room as you grow, and SaaS Pro ($497/mo) unlocks white-labeling, rebilling, and automated sub-accounts once you want to resell GoHighLevel as your own product. Pick the plan that matches where you are today and upgrade when the revenue is there — you do NOT need the top plan to make your first money. Getting stuck here, trying to do everything at once, is the #1 reason beginners quit GHL. Do the basics below and move on.
Which GoHighLevel Plan Should You Start On?
This is the question every beginner gets wrong. Here's the simple answer:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Best For | When to Upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $97/mo | Testing the platform, first sub-account | When you sign your first client |
| Pro (Unlimited) | $297/mo | Running 2+ active clients | When you have 2–3 paying clients |
| SaaS Pro | $497/mo | White-labeling GHL as your own software | When you want to bill clients directly inside GHL |
Start with the $97 Starter plan. Your first client's setup fee ($297–$497) covers your first several months. Upgrade to SaaS Pro only after your second or third client — that's when the automation and rebilling features start saving you real time.
White labeling means you put your own brand name on GoHighLevel's software. Your clients log in to your platform — not GoHighLevel's. They see your logo, your colors, your domain (e.g., app.youragency.com). GoHighLevel powers everything behind the scenes, but your clients never see the GHL name. You're not reselling GHL. You're delivering a branded software experience that you built on top of GHL's infrastructure. That's what justifies charging $297–$797/month instead of just pointing clients to GHL directly.
Step-by-Step Checklist
- 1.Start your extended 30-day trial (link below) — the $97 Starter plan is all you need to begin
- 2.Name your agency (use the Name Generator below if you're stuck) and add your logo + colors
- 3.Connect Stripe so you can collect payments from your clients
- 4.Create one sub-account — that's your build site for your first client
🔒 Advanced — only when you're scaling (SaaS Pro) (optional — tap to expand)
Skip all of this on day one. Come back once you have a few clients and want to resell GoHighLevel under your own brand. You do NOT need any of this to make your first money.
- 1.Upgrade to SaaS Pro ($497/mo) to fully white-label the platform under your brand
- 2.Set up the SaaS Configurator to sell GoHighLevel as your own branded product
- 3.Turn on rebilling so clients pay you automatically for usage (calls, texts, AI)
- 4.Automate sub-account creation so new clients are provisioned instantly
Agency Name Generator
Stuck on what to call your agency? Enter your niche and get a dozen name ideas for your brand and domain. Tap any name to copy it.
Set Up a Professional Sending Email Before You Contact a Single Prospect
This is the step most beginners skip — and it's the one that quietly kills their results. By default, GoHighLevel sends your emails through HighLevel's shared servers. That means your emails show up in a prospect's inbox as "sent via msgsndr.com" instead of your agency name. It looks unprofessional and it tanks your deliverability. The fix is built right into GHL through LeadConnector (LC Email) — no third-party email service needed. You just need a domain name and 15 minutes.
Step 1 — Buy Your Agency Domain Directly Inside GHL
You no longer need to go to Namecheap, GoDaddy, or any third-party registrar. GoHighLevel now has a built-in domain purchase feature — you can search, buy, and manage your domain entirely without leaving the platform. Your domain comes with free WHOIS privacy protection automatically.
- Go to Settings → Domains inside your sub-account
- Use the search bar to check availability for your agency name (e.g., clearleadai.com, nextlevelautomation.co)
- Click "Buy" next to your chosen domain — registration completes in about 1 minute
- Your domain is automatically verified and ready to configure — no external steps needed
Keep it short, professional, and easy to say out loud on a cold call. "Hi, I'm calling from Clear Lead AI" lands better than "Hi, I'm from XYZ-Digital-Pro-Solutions-LLC." Avoid hyphens and numbers.
You can transfer it into GHL (Settings → Domains → Transfer In) or simply point its DNS to GHL without transferring. Either works — buying inside GHL is just the simplest path for new users.
Step 2 — Set Up Your Dedicated Sending Domain in GHL
This is where you connect your domain to LeadConnector so every email you send comes from you@youragency.com — not a generic GHL address.
- Inside your GHL account, go to Settings → Email Services
- Click the "Dedicated Domain and IP" tab
- Click "+ Add Domain"
- Enter a subdomain — not your root domain. Use something like mail.youragency.com or send.youragency.com
- Click "Add & Verify"
- If you bought your domain inside GHL: DNS records are added automatically with one click — no manual entry needed. GHL handles everything since it's also your registrar.
- If your domain is hosted elsewhere (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.): GHL will show you the DNS records to add manually — copy each one (TXT, CNAME, MX) into your registrar's DNS settings
- DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to verify, but usually complete within 1–10 minutes
- Once verified, you'll see a green "Verified" status on the domain
Using a subdomain (e.g., mail.youragency.com) protects your main domain's reputation. If your cold outreach ever gets flagged as spam, it won't affect your main website or funnel domain.
Step 3 — Assign Your Sending Domain to Your Email Types
Once verified, assign your dedicated domain so GHL uses it for all outgoing emails: go to Settings → Email Services → SMTP Service, and under Domain Configuration assign your verified domain to each email type, then save your settings. Now every email — cold outreach, follow-ups, appointment reminders — goes out from your professional agency domain.
- 1-to-1 Emails (direct messages to contacts)
- Workflow Emails (automated follow-up sequences)
- Marketing Campaigns (bulk outreach)
Step 4 — Set Up Your Email Signature
Every email you send needs a clean, professional signature. Add this in GHL under Settings → My Profile → Email Signature:
[Your Name] AI Automation Specialist [Your Agency Name] [Your Phone Number] [Your Website] [Your Email — you@youragency.com] Helping local businesses capture more leads with AI — 24/7.
Step 5 — Warm Up Your Domain Before Cold Outreach
A brand new domain sent to 50 strangers on Day 1 will land in spam. Warm it up first — this takes 7–10 days and makes a massive difference in whether your emails get opened or ignored.
- For the first week, send 5–10 emails per day to real contacts (friends, family, existing connections)
- Reply to emails you receive from your new address
- After 7–10 days, your domain has an established sending reputation
Set up Google Postmaster Tools for your sending domain. It's free and shows you your domain reputation, spam rate, and deliverability health — so you can catch problems before they hurt your outreach.
Checklist: Email Setup Complete
- ✓Agency domain purchased inside GHL (Settings → Domains) — or transferred in from another registrar
- ✓Dedicated sending subdomain added and verified (Settings → Email Services → Dedicated Domain and IP)
- ✓DNS records auto-applied (GHL domain) or manually added (external registrar)
- ✓Sending domain assigned to 1-to-1, Workflow, and Campaign emails
- ✓Email signature created in GHL (Settings → My Profile → Email Signature)
- ✓Domain warmed up for 7 days before cold outreach
- ✓Google Postmaster Tools set up for deliverability monitoring