GHL CRM Configuration Blueprint
Complete GoHighLevel CRM specification — 8 pipelines with exact stages, entry/exit criteria, SLAs, and automation triggers; a full custom-field dictionary with 44 fields across Contact and Opportunity objects; a tag dictionary of 40+ tags with triggers and dependencies; and a lead-scoring model with scoring rules, decay, thresholds, and manual override capability.
1. Pipelines
1.1 New Lead Pipeline
All inbound leads before qualification. Every lead enters here regardless of source.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New | Lead created from any source (funnel form, calculator, assessment, worksheet, manual entry) | Lead is qualified OR marked as spam/invalid | First response within 5 minutes during business hours; within 30 minutes after hours | If no qualification action within 72 hours, escalate to rep manager | New Leads by Source, New Leads by Day |
| 2 | Attempting Contact | First contact attempt made (email, call, or SMS) | Contact established OR 3 failed attempts | 3 contact attempts within 5 business days | If 5 business days without contact established, move to Nurture | Contact Rate by Rep, Contact Rate by Source |
| 3 | Contacted | Meaningful two-way contact established | Qualification completed OR lead goes dark for 14 days | Qualification within 48 hours of contact | If no qualification within 7 days, escalate | Contact-to-Qualification Rate |
| 4 | Qualified | Qualification criteria met or qualification assessment completed | Strategy Call booked OR moved to Education/Nurture | Strategy Call offer within 24 hours of qualification | If no Strategy Call booked within 7 days, move to Nurture | Qualification Rate, Qualification Outcome Distribution |
| 5 | Disqualified | Lead does not meet qualification criteria or is not a fit | Moved to Nurture OR marked as do-not-contact | Nurture assignment within 48 hours of disqualification | Review disqualified leads quarterly for re-qualification potential | Disqualification Reasons, Disqualification Rate by Source |
2.2 Strategy Call Pipeline
Free 15-minute Strategy Call booking, reminders, attendance, and outcome.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scheduled | Calendly booking confirmed for Strategy Session | Call occurs (attended or no-show) OR contact cancels | Call preparation complete 2 hours before scheduled time | If call date passes with no outcome, flag for manual review within 24 hours | Strategy Calls Scheduled, Booking Source |
| 2 | Confirmed | Contact confirms attendance (reply to reminder or explicit confirm) | Call occurs | N/A — auto stage | N/A — transitions on call date | Confirmation Rate |
| 3 | Attended | Call completed. Rep marks attendance and records notes. | Outcome determined and next action taken | Follow-up action within 24 hours of call | If no outcome recorded within 4 hours of scheduled call time, flag | Call Outcome Distribution, Attendance Rate |
| 4 | No-Show | Call scheduled time passed with no attendance | Contact rebooks OR 72 hours pass with no response | Recovery outreach within 2 hours | If 72 hours without rebooking, move to Nurture | No-Show Rate, Rebook Rate After No-Show |
| 5 | Cancelled | Contact cancels via Calendly or direct communication | Contact rebooks OR marked as cancelled-final | Cancellation acknowledgment within 2 hours | If no rebook within 30 days, move to Nurture | Cancellation Rate, Cancellation Reasons |
3.3 Paid Strategy Session Pipeline
Paid diagnostic and strategy sessions — post free Strategy Call recommendation.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recommended | Free Strategy Call outcome = Recommend Paid Session | Paid session booked OR contact declines | Follow-up within 48 hours if no booking | If no booking or decline within 14 days, move to nurture | Paid Session Recommendation Rate |
| 2 | Booked | Paid session booking confirmed | Session occurs OR contact reschedules/cancels | Prep complete 48 hours before session | If payment not confirmed within 24 hours of booking, flag | Paid Session Booking Rate, Paid Session Revenue |
| 3 | Completed | Paid session delivered with deliverables | Proposal sent OR referral made | Proposal or referral within 48 hours of session | If no outcome within 7 days, escalate | Paid Session Completion Rate, Session-to-Proposal Rate |
4.4 Proposal Pipeline
All proposals from creation through acceptance, decline, or expiration.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drafting | Proposal creation initiated | Proposal sent to contact | Proposal drafted within 3 business days | If draft not sent within 7 days, flag | Proposal Draft Time |
| 2 | Sent | Proposal delivered to contact | Accepted, declined, or 30 days with no response | First follow-up at 48 hours | If no response after 3 follow-ups and 30 days, auto-close as stale | Proposal Volume, Average Proposal Value |
| 3 | Negotiating | Contact responds with questions, objections, or counter-proposal | Accepted, declined, or goes dark for 14 days | Response to contact within 24 hours | If 14 days without contact, move back to Sent with re-engagement email | Negotiation Rate, Win Rate After Negotiation |
| 4 | Accepted | Proposal formally accepted | N/A — terminal state | Onboarding initiated within 24 hours | N/A — terminal | Win Rate, Closed Revenue, Average Deal Size |
| 5 | Declined | Proposal explicitly declined | N/A — terminal state | Decline acknowledgment within 24 hours | N/A — terminal | Loss Rate, Loss Reasons, Lost Revenue |
5.5 Client Onboarding Pipeline
Post-acceptance onboarding through active-client status.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kickoff Scheduled | Onboarding project created from proposal acceptance | Kickoff call completed | Kickoff call within 5 business days | If kickoff not scheduled within 3 days, escalate | Time to Kickoff |
| 2 | In Progress | Kickoff call completed, onboarding milestones in progress | All milestones complete | All milestones complete within 30 days | If any milestone 7+ days overdue, escalate | Onboarding Duration, Milestone Completion Rate |
| 3 | Complete | All onboarding milestones complete, client confirmed satisfaction | Moved to Active Client Pipeline | Transition to Active within 48 hours | N/A — transitional | Onboarding Completion Rate, Time to Active |
6.6 Active Client Pipeline
Ongoing client management with reviews, referrals, and retention monitoring.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active | Onboarding complete | Client churns, downgrades, or enters renewal | Monthly touchpoint minimum | If no engagement in 30 days, flag for outreach | Active Client Count, MRR, Avg Client Tenure |
| 2 | At Risk | Signs of potential churn: reduced engagement, complaint, late payment, NPS decline | Risk resolved OR client churns | Outreach within 24 hours of risk flag | If no resolution plan within 48 hours, escalate to Cecil | At-Risk Count, Churn Risk Distribution |
| 3 | Churned | Client formally cancels or contract expires without renewal | N/A — terminal state (with reactivation potential) | Churn survey sent within 48 hours | N/A — terminal | Churn Rate, Churn Reasons, Average Client Lifetime |
7.7 Partner & Referral Pipeline
Trade partners, referral sources, and strategic relationships.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identified | Potential partner or referral source identified | Initial outreach made | Outreach within 7 days of identification | If no outreach within 14 days, flag | Partner Pipeline Volume |
| 2 | In Discussion | Meaningful conversation established with potential partner | Agreement reached or declined | Follow-up within 14 days of each conversation | If 30 days without contact, send re-engagement | Partner Conversion Rate |
| 3 | Active Partner | Partner agreement in place, referrals flowing | Agreement expires or partner goes inactive | Quarterly touchpoint minimum | If no referrals in 6 months, flag for review | Referral Volume by Partner, Partner Revenue |
8.8 Reactivation Pipeline
Dormant leads and churned clients — systematic re-engagement.
| # | Stage | Entry | Exit | SLA | Stale Rule | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dormant Identified | No contact engagement in 90+ days (lead) or churned client past cooling-off | Reactivation sequence initiated | Sequence initiated within 7 days of dormancy identification | N/A — auto stage | Dormant Contact Count, Dormant Revenue Potential |
| 2 | In Reactivation Sequence | Reactivation email sequence started | Contact engages OR sequence completes with no engagement | N/A — automated | N/A — terminal if no engagement after full sequence | Reactivation Response Rate, Revenue Reactivated |
| 3 | Reactivated | Dormant contact engages (opens, clicks, replies, or books) | Re-entered into appropriate active pipeline | Follow-up within 24 hours of re-engagement | If no conversion within 30 days of re-engagement, return to dormant | Reactivation Rate, Revenue from Reactivated Contacts |
2. Custom Field Dictionary
| Field | Object | Type | Required | Source | Usage | Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Contact | Text | No | Form | Business name | Standard |
| Website | Contact | URL | No | Form | Business website URL | Standard |
| Industry | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Business industry classification | Standard |
| Lead Source | Contact | Dropdown | Yes | Form | How the contact found CJM | Standard |
| Lead Source Detail | Contact | Text | No | Form | Specific source detail (e.g., 'Google — hvac marketing raleigh') | Standard |
| Campaign | Contact | Text | No | Form | Campaign name or UTM campaign | Standard |
| UTM Source | Contact | Text | No | Form | UTM source parameter | Standard |
| UTM Medium | Contact | Text | No | Form | UTM medium parameter | Standard |
| UTM Content | Contact | Text | No | Form | UTM content parameter | Standard |
| Referrer URL | Contact | URL | No | Form | Page the contact came from | Standard |
| Funnel | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Funnel the contact entered through | Standard |
| Funnel Stage | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Current stage within a funnel | Standard |
| First Touch Date | Contact | DateTime | No | Automation | Timestamp of first contact with CJM | Standard |
| Last Touch Date | Contact | DateTime | No | Automation | Timestamp of most recent engagement | Standard |
| Lead Score | Contact | Number | No | Automation | Calculated lead score (0–100) | Standard |
| Lead Score Tier | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Lead score tier derived from numeric score | Standard |
| Qualification Outcome | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Result of funnel qualification step | Standard |
| Qualification Date | Contact | Date | No | Automation | Date qualification was completed | Standard |
| Qualification Answers | Contact | Text | No | Automation | JSON blob of qualification responses | Standard |
| Decision Authority | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Contact's decision-making authority level | Standard |
| Lead Volume (Monthly) | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Approximate monthly lead volume | Standard |
| CRM Status | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Contact's current CRM usage | Standard |
| Current Response Time | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Self-reported lead response time | Standard |
| Revenue Objective | Contact | Dropdown | No | Form | Primary revenue goal | Standard |
| Assessment Type | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Type of assessment completed | Standard |
| Assessment Score | Contact | Number | No | Automation | Raw assessment score | Standard |
| Assessment Score Band | Contact | Text | No | Automation | Score band label (e.g., 'Growth Engine') | Standard |
| Calculator Type | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Type of calculator completed | Standard |
| Calculator Result | Contact | Text | No | Automation | Primary calculator result (e.g., '$21,600/month') | Standard |
| Worksheets Accessed | Contact | MultiSelect | No | Automation | Worksheets the contact has accessed | Standard |
| Resource Downloads | Contact | Number | No | Automation | Number of resources downloaded | Standard |
| Strategy Call Date | Contact | DateTime | No | Integration | Scheduled Strategy Call date/time | Sensitive |
| Strategy Call Outcome | Contact | Dropdown | No | Manual | Outcome of the Strategy Call | Standard |
| No-Show Count | Contact | Number | No | Automation | Number of times contact has no-showed | Standard |
| Paid Session Status | Contact | Dropdown | No | Manual | Paid Strategy Session status | Standard |
| Paid Session Date | Contact | DateTime | No | Manual | Scheduled paid session date/time | Sensitive |
| Client Since | Contact | Date | No | Automation | Date contact became a paying client | Standard |
| Service Tier | Contact | Dropdown | No | Manual | Active service tier | Standard |
| Success Manager | Contact | Text | No | Manual | Assigned CJM success manager | Standard |
| NPS Score | Contact | Number | No | Form | Net Promoter Score from survey | Standard |
| Last Referral Request Date | Contact | Date | No | Automation | Date of last referral request sent | Standard |
| Churn Date | Contact | Date | No | Manual | Date client churned | Standard |
| Churn Reason | Contact | Dropdown | No | Manual | Reason for client churn | Standard |
| Consent Timestamp | Contact | DateTime | No | Automation | Timestamp when contact consented to communications | Sensitive |
| Do Not Contact | Contact | Dropdown | No | Automation | Contact communication preference | Sensitive |
| Deal Value | Opportunity | Monetary | No | Manual | Total value of the deal/opportunity | Sensitive |
| Proposal Document ID | Opportunity | Text | No | Manual | Identifier for the proposal document | Standard |
| Proposal Send Date | Opportunity | Date | No | Manual | Date proposal was sent | Standard |
| Proposal Accepted Date | Opportunity | Date | No | Manual | Date proposal was accepted | Standard |
| Decline Reason | Opportunity | Dropdown | No | Manual | Reason for proposal decline | Standard |
| Onboarding Status | Opportunity | Dropdown | No | Manual | Client onboarding progress | Standard |
| Re-engagement Date | Opportunity | Date | No | Automation | Date for future re-engagement attempt | Standard |
3. Tag Dictionary
new-lead
Lead has just entered the system and has not been contacted
Trigger: Any form submission or manual lead creation
Remove: Remove when first contact attempt is made
Workflows: New Lead Captured
contacted
Two-way conversation has been established
Trigger: Rep logs first meaningful contact
Remove: Remove when lead is qualified or disqualified
Workflows: Qualification Completed
qualified
Lead meets qualification criteria and is Strategy Call ready
Trigger: Qualification outcome = qualified
Remove: Remove when Strategy Call is booked or lead goes dormant for 30 days
Workflows: Strategy Call Booked
education-first
Lead needs more education before a Strategy Call is appropriate
Trigger: Qualification outcome = education
Remove: Remove when lead completes education sequence and re-qualifies
Workflows: Education Before Qualification
not-suitable
Lead is not a fit for CJM services at this time
Trigger: Qualification outcome = not-suitable
Remove: Manual review after 90 days
dormant
Lead has gone cold and requires reactivation
Trigger: 90+ days without engagement
Remove: Remove when contact re-engages or is marked inactive
Workflows: Dormant Opportunity Reactivation
do-not-contact
Contact must not receive communications
Trigger: Contact unsubscribes or is marked invalid
Remove: Never — permanent suppression
funnel:ai-receptionist
Contact entered via AI Receptionist funnel
Trigger: Form submission on AI Receptionist funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: AI Receptionist Funnel
funnel:missed-call-recovery
Contact entered via Missed-Call Recovery funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Missed-Call Recovery funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Missed-Call Recovery Funnel
funnel:revenue-reactivation
Contact entered via Revenue Reactivation funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Revenue Reactivation funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Revenue Reactivation Funnel
funnel:customer-retention
Contact entered via Customer Retention funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Customer Retention funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Retention Funnel
funnel:crm-cleanup
Contact entered via CRM Cleanup funnel
Trigger: Form submission on CRM Cleanup funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: CRM Cleanup Funnel
funnel:lead-follow-up
Contact entered via Lead Follow-Up funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Lead Follow-Up funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Lead Follow-Up Funnel
funnel:contractor-automation
Contact entered via Contractor Automation funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Contractor Automation funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Contractor Automation Funnel
funnel:local-business-automation
Contact entered via Local Business Automation funnel
Trigger: Form submission on Local Business Automation funnel
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Local Business Automation Funnel
stage:form-submitted
Contact has submitted the initial funnel form
Trigger: Funnel landing form submitted
Remove: Remove when qualification starts
Workflows: Funnel Form Submitted
qual-outcome:qualified
Qualification determined the lead is Strategy Call ready
Trigger: Qualification result = qualified
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Qualification Completed, Strategy Call Booked
qual-outcome:education
Lead needs education before Strategy Call
Trigger: Qualification result = education
Remove: Remove when education sequence complete
Workflows: Education Before Qualification
qual-outcome:resource
Lead should receive resource and enter nurture
Trigger: Qualification result = resource
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Long-Term Nurture
strategy-call-booked
Contact has a Strategy Call scheduled
Trigger: Calendly booking confirmed for Strategy Session
Remove: Remove when call is attended, no-showed, or cancelled
Workflows: Strategy Call Booked, Strategy Call Reminder
call-attended
Strategy Call was attended
Trigger: Rep marks call as attended
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Strategy Call Attended
call-outcome:recommend-paid
Contact is recommended for paid session
Trigger: Call outcome = Recommend Paid Session
Remove: Remove when paid session is booked or declined
Workflows: Paid Session Recommended
no-show
Contact no-showed a scheduled call
Trigger: Call scheduled time passed with no attendance
Remove: Remove when contact rebooks or is moved to nurture
Workflows: Strategy Call No-Show
paid-session-booked
Contact has a paid session scheduled
Trigger: Paid Strategy Session booking confirmed
Remove: Remove when session is completed or cancelled
Workflows: Paid Session Booked
proposal-sent
Active proposal is under consideration
Trigger: Proposal delivered to contact
Remove: Remove when proposal is accepted, declined, or stale
Workflows: Proposal Sent, Proposal Follow-Up
proposal-accepted
Deal closed — won
Trigger: Proposal formally accepted
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Proposal Accepted, Client Onboarding Started
proposal-declined
Deal closed — lost
Trigger: Proposal formally declined
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Proposal Declined
stale-proposal
Proposal timed out without response
Trigger: 30 days with no response to proposal
Remove: Remove if contact re-engages
Workflows: Proposal Stale
client
Contact is an active paying client
Trigger: Proposal accepted and onboarding started
Remove: Remove if client churns
Workflows: Client Onboarding, Customer Success, Referral Request
active-client
Client is fully onboarded and active
Trigger: Onboarding complete
Remove: Remove if client churns
Workflows: Quarterly Review, Annual Review, Referral Request
assessment:growth-index
Contact has completed the Growth Index
Trigger: Growth Index assessment completed
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Assessment Completed
assessment:revenue-leak
Contact has completed the Revenue Leak assessment
Trigger: Revenue Leak Assessment completed
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Assessment Completed
score-band:legacy
Contact is a Legacy Company
Trigger: Growth Index score 90–100
Remove: Remove on re-assessment
score-band:growth-engine
Contact is a Growth Engine
Trigger: Growth Index score 70–79
Remove: Remove on re-assessment
score-band:reactive
Contact is a Reactive Business
Trigger: Growth Index score 0–39
Remove: Remove on re-assessment
calculator:missed-call
Contact has used the missed-call calculator
Trigger: Missed-Call Calculator completed
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Calculator Completed
calculator:lead-value
Contact has calculated their lead value
Trigger: Lead Value Calculator completed
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Calculator Completed
resource:worksheet:missed-call
Contact has engaged with the missed-call worksheet
Trigger: Missed-Call Worksheet accessed
Remove: Persistent — audit trail
Workflows: Worksheet Follow-Up
moved-to-nurture
Contact is in long-term nurture — not actively in pipeline
Trigger: Contact moved to long-term nurture
Remove: Remove if contact re-engages
Workflows: Long-Term Nurture
referral-requested
Client has been asked to refer
Trigger: Referral request sent to client
Remove: Remove when referral received or request expires
Workflows: Referral Requested
reactivation-sequence:started
Reactivation sequence is active
Trigger: Dormant contact enters reactivation sequence
Remove: Remove when sequence completes or contact re-engages
Workflows: Dormant Opportunity Reactivation
4. Lead Scoring Model
Hot
80–100
Immediate outreach. Book Strategy Call within 24 hours. Rep priority 1.
Warm
50–79
Qualify within 48 hours. Add to nurture + engagement sequence. Rep priority 2.
Cool
20–49
Add to education sequence. Monitor for re-engagement. Auto-nurture.
Cold
0–19
Long-term nurture only. No active rep assignment. Review quarterly.
Score Decay
Score decays by 5 points every 30 days without engagement. Minimum score: 0. Maximum score: 100. Manual override always takes precedence over calculated score.