Setting up GoHighLevel Integration

The Downline Builder Plugin provides seamless integration with GoHighLevel, allowing you to automatically add leads and members to your GoHighLevel contacts with custom fields and tags. This guide will walk you through the complete setup process, including both admin-level and user-specific configurations.

Overview

The GoHighLevel integration automatically:

• Adds new leads and members to your GoHighLevel contacts
• Creates custom fields for referrer information tracking
• Applies customizable tags for lead and member segmentation
• Supports both admin-level configuration and individual user API keys
• Automatically manages contact creation with proper data mapping

Prerequisites

Before setting up the integration, ensure you have:

• An active GoHighLevel account with API access
• A GoHighLevel location (sub-account) configured
• Administrative access to your WordPress site
• The Downline Builder Plugin installed and activated
• API permissions enabled in your GoHighLevel account

Step 1: Generate a GoHighLevel API Key

1. Log into your GoHighLevel account

• Go to app.gohighlevel.com and sign in to your dashboard

2. Navigate to API Settings

• Click on Settings in the left sidebar
• Select Integrations from the settings menu
• Click on API Keys or Custom Values (depending on your GoHighLevel version)

3. Create a new API key

• Click the Create API Key or Add Key button
• Give your API key a descriptive name (e.g., “Downline Builder Integration”)
• Set appropriate permissions:
• Contacts: Read and Write permissions
• Custom Fields: Read and Write permissions
• Tags: Read and Write permissions
• Copy the generated API key and save it securely
• Important: Store this key safely as it may not be shown again

Step 2: Find Your GoHighLevel Location ID

1. Access Location Settings

• From your GoHighLevel dashboard, ensure you’re in the correct location/sub-account
• Click on Settings in the left sidebar
• Select Business Profile or Company Info

2. Locate the Location ID

• Look for “Location ID” or “Sub-Account ID” in the settings
• This is typically a long alphanumeric string
• Copy this ID for use in the WordPress configuration
• Note: Each GoHighLevel location has a unique ID

Step 3: Configure the Integration in WordPress

Admin Configuration

1. Access the Autoresponder Settings

• In your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Downline Builder → Settings → Autoresponders

2. Enable GoHighLevel Integration

• In the “Select Email Services” section, check the box next to GoHighLevel
• The GoHighLevel configuration section will appear below

3. Enter Your GoHighLevel Credentials

• API Key: Paste the API key you generated in Step 1
• Location ID: Enter the Location ID you found in Step 2
• Lead Tag: Enter the tag to automatically assign to new leads (default: “dbp_lead”)
• User Tag: Enter the tag to automatically assign to new members (default: “dbp_user”)

4. Configure User Permissions (Optional)

• Allow users to connect their own GoHighLevel accounts: Check this if you want individual users to be able to use their own GoHighLevel API keys
• This enables user-specific integrations for more advanced setups

5. Test the Connection

• After entering your API key and Location ID, the system will display a connection status
• ✓ Connected indicates successful API connection
• ✗ Error message indicates configuration issues that need to be resolved

6. Save Your Settings

• Click the “Save Settings” button at the bottom of the page

User-Specific Configuration (Advanced)

If you’ve enabled user-specific GoHighLevel connections, individual users can configure their own API keys:

1. User Setup Requirements

• Each user needs their own GoHighLevel account and API key
• Users need their own GoHighLevel location ID
• Users can configure their settings through the user autoresponder settings (if available)

2. Benefits of User-Specific Setup

• Leads and members are added to each user’s individual GoHighLevel account
• Better segmentation and personalized CRM management
• Individual users maintain control over their contacts and pipelines
• Custom tagging strategies per user

Step 4: Understanding the Integration Features

Automatic Field Mapping

The integration automatically maps and creates these fields in GoHighLevel:

1. Name Fields

• First Name: Automatically extracted from the full name
• Last Name: Extracted if provided in the full name
• Full Name: Complete name for display purposes

2. Contact Information

• Email: Primary contact identifier
• Source: Automatically set to “downline-builder-plugin”

3. Custom Fields

• referid: Stores the username of the referring member
• Used for tracking referral relationships
• Essential for referral-based marketing campaigns

Tag Management

The system automatically manages tags in your GoHighLevel account:

1. Lead Tag (configurable, default: “dbp_lead”)

• Applied to all new leads captured through lead forms
• Helps segment leads from members for targeted campaigns
• Can be customized per user in advanced setups

2. User Tag (configurable, default: “dbp_user”)

• Applied to all new members who register through the system
• Distinguishes paying members from leads
• Enables member-specific automation workflows

3. Custom User Tags (user-specific configuration)

• Each user can define their own lead and member tags
• Overrides admin default settings for that user’s contacts
• Enables personalized CRM organization

How the Integration Works

For New Leads:

1. Lead submits information through a lead capture form
2. Contact is created in GoHighLevel with email, first name, and last name
3. Referrer information is stored in the referid custom field
4. Lead tag is automatically applied for segmentation
5. Contact source is set to “downline-builder-plugin”
6. Contact is ready for GoHighLevel automation workflows

For New Members:

1. Member registers through the affiliate program
2. Contact is created in GoHighLevel with complete information
3. Referrer information is stored in the referid custom field
4. Member tag is automatically applied for segmentation
5. Contact enters member-specific automation sequences
6. Ready for advanced CRM and pipeline management

User-Specific Processing (if enabled):

1. System checks if the referring user has their own API key configured
2. If yes, contact is added to the user’s individual GoHighLevel account
3. If no, contact is added using the admin’s API key and location
4. Custom tags and fields can be configured per user
5. Enables multi-level CRM organization for complex affiliate structures

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions:

Issue: API Connection Fails

• Solution: Verify your API key is correct and hasn’t expired
• Check: Ensure your GoHighLevel account is active and in good standing
• Verify: API key has necessary permissions for contacts, custom fields, and tags
• Location: Confirm the Location ID is correct for the target sub-account

Issue: Contacts Not Being Added

• Solution: Check that the integration is enabled in the settings
• Verify: Your forms are properly configured to trigger the integration
• Test: Try with a test email to verify the connection
• Permissions: Ensure API key has write permissions for contacts

Issue: Tags Not Being Applied

• Solution: Verify tag names don’t contain special characters
• Check: Ensure the API key has permission to create and manage tags
• Review: GoHighLevel activity log for tag creation events
• Permissions: Confirm tag management permissions in API key settings

Issue: Missing Custom Field Data

• Solution: Check that custom fields are enabled in your GoHighLevel account
• Verify: The referid field is properly mapped
• Create: Manually create the custom field in GoHighLevel if needed
• Permissions: Ensure API key has custom field management permissions

Issue: User-Specific Integration Not Working

• Solution: Verify user has configured their own API key and Location ID correctly
• Check: Admin setting “Allow users to connect their own GoHighLevel accounts” is enabled
• Fallback: System will use admin API key if user configuration is invalid
• Debug: Check error logs for specific user configuration issues

The GoHighLevel integration provides a powerful CRM solution for automatically managing your contacts through your affiliate program. With proper configuration, you’ll have seamless flow of leads and members into your GoHighLevel account, complete with referral tracking, automatic segmentation, and ready-to-use automation triggers.

The advanced user-specific features make this integration particularly powerful for multi-level marketing scenarios where individual users need to manage their own CRM pipelines and automation workflows. The robust custom field support and tagging system enable sophisticated marketing automation strategies.

Remember to regularly monitor your integration performance, maintain your tag and field organization, and leverage GoHighLevel’s powerful automation features to maximize your affiliate program’s effectiveness.