Build a GoHighLevel CRM Snapshot

Configure a branded GHL sub-account and package it as a reusable Snapshot template.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every time a marketing agency signs a new client, someone rebuilds the same CRM workspace from scratch. Business profiles, intake fields, lead tags all have to be recreated from memory.

In this project, you will build a fully configured GoHighLevel sub-account for a fictional med spa client. Then you will capture the entire configuration as a reusable Snapshot template that spins up identical client workspaces in minutes.

What You'll Build

You will package a fully branded med spa workspace into a reusable Snapshot template, ready to deploy identical client sub-accounts with a single click.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A branded sub-account where merge tags like {{location.name}} automatically pull the correct business name, phone, and email into every template.
  • Custom Values that auto-populate static business info like booking URLs and hours across templates, alongside Custom Fields that capture unique intake data for each individual contact.
  • A reusable Snapshot template that packages your tag taxonomy, custom fields, and branding into a deployable configuration for new clients.
  • Secret Mission: Deploy your Snapshot to a second sub-account and verify every asset transferred correctly.

Do I need a credit card for this project?

Yes. GoHighLevel requires a credit card to start the 14-day free trial.

You will not be charged during the trial. Your card is automatically billed at your selected plan rate (starting at $97/month) after 14 days unless you cancel.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's lock in what you're about to build and why it matters.

Set Up GoHighLevel and Create Your Sub-Account

Every GoHighLevel build starts with a sub-account. A sub-account is a self-contained workspace where all of a client's configuration lives.

Without one, there is nowhere for business profile data, custom values, or custom fields to go. In this step, you will sign up for GoHighLevel and create a blank sub-account for a fictional med spa client.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Sign up for GoHighLevel or log in to an existing account.
  • Create a sub-account named Glow Med Spa with the client's business details.
Sign up or log in to GoHighLevel

GoHighLevel offers a 14-day free trial on all plans. Do you already have an account?

✔️ I already have a GoHighLevel account

  • Go to app.gohighlevel.com and log in with your credentials.
  • Confirm you are in Agency View. This is the top-level dashboard where Sub-Accounts appears in the left menu.

You are all set. Skip ahead to the next substep to create the sub-account.

ⓧ I need to create a new account

  • Go to gohighlevel.com/pricing.
  • Click Start Your Trial on any plan.
  • Complete Step 1: Tell Us About Your Business. Fill in your name and basic business info.
  • Complete Step 2: Trial Details. Enter your credit card and create the account.

Credit card required

A credit card is required to start the trial, but you will not be charged during the 14-day period. GoHighLevel auto-charges at your selected plan rate (starting at $97/month) once the trial ends unless you cancel.

You can cancel anytime in your account settings. The Before You Go section at the end of this project walks you through cancellation.

Once your account is created, you land on the Agency Dashboard. Confirm you see Sub-Accounts in the left menu.

What is Agency View?

Agency View is the top-level dashboard in GoHighLevel where you manage all of your client sub-accounts. Think of it as the headquarters. Each sub-account you create from here is a separate client workspace with its own settings, contacts, and automations.

Create the Glow Med Spa sub-account

Now that you are in Agency View, you can create the workspace where all of Glow Med Spa's configuration will live.

  • Click Sub-Accounts in the left menu.
  • Click the button to create a new sub-account.
  • When asked what type of account you are setting up, choose This is my client's account.

Why choose client's account?

GoHighLevel gives you two options: This is my client's account and This is my own account. Since you are building a workspace for a client (Glow Med Spa), the client option is the right fit. This keeps your agency account separate from the client workspace.

  • Enter Glow Med Spa in the Business Name field.
  • Enter 123 Wellness Ave, Austin, TX 78701 in the Address field.
  • Enter (512) 555-0199 in the Phone field.
  • Enter hello@glowmedspa.com in the Email field.
  • Complete the form and click Save.

Before you check the Sub-Accounts list, what do you expect to see there now?

  • Return to the Sub-Accounts list in the Agency Dashboard.

You should see Glow Med Spa listed as a sub-account. This is the blank workspace where you will build out the entire client configuration over the next steps.

Don't see Glow Med Spa in the list?

Make sure you clicked Save after filling in the business details. If the form is still open, complete it and save before checking the list.

Confirm you are viewing the Agency Dashboard, not the inside of a sub-account. Click the agency name or logo in the top-left corner to return to Agency View.

Try refreshing the page. The new sub-account may take a moment to appear.

Still stuck? Help me troubleshoot why my Glow Med Spa sub-account is not showing up in the Agency Dashboard.

Your workspace is ready. Next up, you will brand the Business Profile so every email, calendar link, and workflow in this sub-account pulls the right business details automatically.

Brand the Business Profile

Your Glow Med Spa sub-account is live in the Agency Dashboard. Right now it is a blank shell with just a name and address from the creation form.

The Business Profile is the single source of truth for brand assets across GoHighLevel. Every email, calendar link, and workflow that uses merge tags pulls its data from here. If the profile is incomplete, personalization breaks everywhere.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Switch into the Glow Med Spa sub-account and open the Business Profile settings.
  • Fill in the business identity fields with the client's branding details.
  • Save the profile and confirm all values are retained.
Switch into your sub-account and open Business Profile
  • In your Agency Dashboard, click Sub-Accounts in the left menu.
  • Click on the Glow Med Spa sub-account to switch into it.
  • In the left sidebar, click Settings.
  • Click Business Profile, then select General Information.

What is the Business Profile?

The Business Profile stores all core brand details for a sub-account: name, phone, email, logo, and address. These fields act as the single source of truth for brand assets and company identifiers used across HighLevel.

Every template that references a merge tag like {{location.name}} or {{location.phone}} pulls its value directly from this page.

Fill in the business identity fields

You should see a list of fields on the General Information page. Some may already be pre-populated from the sub-account creation form.

  • In the Friendly Business Name field, enter Glow Med Spa.
  • In the Business Email field, enter hello@glowmedspa.com.
  • In the Business Phone field, enter (512) 555-0199.
  • In the Business Website field, enter www.glowmedspa.com.
  • For Business Niche, click the dropdown and select the closest match, such as Health/Medical or Beauty/Cosmetics.
  • For Business Logo, upload any placeholder image. A solid-color square works fine for practice.
  • In the Business Physical Address field, enter 123 Wellness Ave, Austin, TX 78701.

What are merge tags?

Merge tags are dynamic placeholders that pull live data from your Business Profile into emails, funnels, and workflows. For example, {{location.name}} resolves to "Glow Med Spa" and {{location.phone}} resolves to "(512) 555-0199" everywhere they appear.

When the client updates their phone number, you change it once in the Business Profile. Every template using {{location.phone}} updates automatically.

Save and verify the profile

Before you save, what do you expect to see when you refresh the page after clicking the save button? Will the fields stay filled in, or could anything revert?

  • Scroll down and click Update Information at the bottom of the page.
  • Refresh the page in your browser.

All seven fields should retain their values. The Friendly Business Name shows Glow Med Spa, the Business Email shows hello@glowmedspa.com, and the logo is visible at the top.

These values now power every {{location.*}} merge tag in the sub-account. Any email, funnel, or workflow that references {{location.email}} or {{location.website}} will pull the data you just saved.

Fields reverted to blank after saving?

  • Make sure you clicked Update Information before refreshing. Refreshing without saving discards all unsaved edits.
  • If the logo did not upload, check that your image file is a standard format like PNG or JPG. Try a smaller file if the upload fails silently.
  • If the address field did not save, try entering the city, state, and zip code in a single line rather than using separate lines.

My Business Profile fields are not saving after I click Update Information. What should I check?

Your sub-account now has a real identity. Next up, you will create Custom Values to store business-wide info that auto-populates across every email, funnel, and workflow.

Create Custom Values for Business-Wide Info

Your Business Profile is set up and ready to go. Every merge tag like {{location.name}} now pulls the Glow Med Spa details you configured.

But some business info goes beyond the standard profile fields. Custom Values let you store reusable placeholders for things like booking URLs, consultation fees, and business hours that auto-populate across emails, funnels, and workflows.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Explore the default Custom Values already in your sub-account.
  • Create three custom values for Glow Med Spa's booking URL, consultation fee, and business hours.
  • Test whether Custom Values can handle per-contact data.
Navigate to Custom Values settings
  • In the Glow Med Spa sub-account, click Settings in the left-hand navigation menu.
  • Click Custom Values from the list of settings options.

You will see a list of default values that already exist. These are system-provided and cover common account-level merge tags like contact names and location details.

What are Custom Values?

Custom Values are reusable placeholders for static information like company details, links, and pricing. You create a value once and insert its merge tag anywhere in the platform.

When you update a Custom Value in settings, every template and workflow that uses it updates automatically. Instead of hunting through dozens of emails to change a phone number, you change it in one place.

Create three custom values for Glow Med Spa

Before you create Custom Values, you need a folder to organize them. Folders keep your values grouped by client or purpose.

  • Click the Folders tab at the top of the Custom Values page.
  • Click Add New Custom Value Folder.
  • Enter Glow Med Spa as the folder name.
  • Save the folder.

Your new folder should appear in the Folders list. Now you are ready to create your first Custom Value.

  • Click the blue + Add Custom Value button.
  • In the Name field, enter Booking Page URL.
  • In the Value field, enter https://glowmedspa.com/book.
  • In the Folder field, select Glow Med Spa.
  • Click Save.

Your new "Booking Page URL" value should now appear in the Glow Med Spa folder.

  • Click + Add Custom Value again.
  • In the Name field, enter Consultation Fee.
  • In the Value field, enter $50.
  • Select the Glow Med Spa folder.
  • Click Save.

"Consultation Fee" should now appear alongside "Booking Page URL" in the folder. One more to go.

  • Click + Add Custom Value one more time.
  • In the Name field, enter Business Hours.
  • In the Value field, enter Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM.
  • Select the Glow Med Spa folder.
  • Click Save.

Before you verify your work, how many custom values do you expect to see in the Glow Med Spa folder?

You should see all three custom values listed inside the Glow Med Spa folder: Booking Page URL, Consultation Fee, and Business Hours, each with the value you entered.

Why organize Custom Values in folders?

As you onboard more clients, your Custom Values list grows quickly. Folders let you group values by client so you can find and update them without scrolling through a long flat list.

Don't see all three values in the folder?

Make sure you selected the Glow Med Spa folder for each value. Values saved without a folder appear at the top level of the list instead.

If a value ended up in the wrong place, click the three-dot menu on the value and select Edit Custom Value to move it to the correct folder.

Help me figure out why my Custom Values aren't in the right folder.

Discover what Custom Values can't do

Imagine a new lead fills out a form on the Glow Med Spa website. You want to know which service they are interested in (Botox, Facials, or Laser Hair Removal) and how they found you (Instagram, Referral, or Google).

Do you think you could use a Custom Value to store each lead's preferred service? Take a look at the Custom Values you just created and think about it.

  • Look at your three Custom Values in the Glow Med Spa folder.
  • Notice that each value has a single, fixed text entry that applies to the entire sub-account.
  • Try to find any option that would let you set a different value for each contact.

There is no such option. Every Custom Value resolves to the same text for every contact in the sub-account. Booking Page URL is always https://glowmedspa.com/book regardless of who the contact is. A booking URL does not change per person, but a preferred service does.

Why can't Custom Values store per-contact data?

Custom Values work like global constants. They hold one piece of info that stays the same for every contact: your business hours, a booking link, a consultation fee.

Per-contact data like "Preferred Service" or "Referral Source" needs a different value for each person. One lead might want Botox while another wants Facials. That requires a mechanism that attaches data to individual contact records, not to the account as a whole.

You have pinpointed exactly where Custom Values fall short. In the next step, you will build Custom Fields that store unique data on each contact record and design a tag taxonomy for lead segmentation.

Build Custom Fields and a Tag Taxonomy

In the last step, you created three Custom Values for business-wide info like your booking URL and consultation fee. You also hit a wall: Custom Values are static, so they hold the same value for every contact.

Custom Fields solve this by storing unique data on each contact record. In this step, you will also design a tag taxonomy that segments your contacts for automations and reporting.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create two custom fields for per-contact intake data.
  • Build a tag taxonomy for lead segmentation.
  • Apply tags and custom field values to a test contact.
Create custom fields for contact intake data

When a new lead fills out a form, you want to know which service they are interested in and how they found you. Custom Fields let you attach this kind of unique, per-contact data to each record.

Before you can create fields, you need a folder to organize them. GoHighLevel manages folders from a dedicated tab.

  • In the Glow Med Spa sub-account, navigate to Settings > Custom Fields.
  • Use the object selector at the top of the page to choose Contact.
  • Open the Folders tab.
  • Click Create Folder.
  • Enter Intake Info as the folder name and save it.

Your new folder is ready. Now create the first custom field inside it.

  • Switch back to the Fields tab.
  • Click Create field in the top right of the page.
  • Select Dropdown as the field type.
  • Enter Preferred Service as the field name.
  • Add the following dropdown options one at a time: Botox, Facials, Laser Hair Removal, Chemical Peels, IV Therapy.
  • Select the Intake Info folder you just created.
  • Review the Live preview panel to confirm the field looks correct, then click Create custom field.

You should see Preferred Service listed under the Intake Info folder on your Custom Fields page.

Now create the second field using the same process.

  • Click Create field again.
  • Select Dropdown as the field type.
  • Enter Referral Source as the field name.
  • Add these dropdown options one at a time: Website, Instagram, Referral, Walk-In, Google.
  • Select the Intake Info folder.
  • Click Create custom field.

Both Preferred Service and Referral Source should now appear under the Intake Info folder on your Custom Fields page.

Custom Values vs Custom Fields

Custom Values store static, business-wide info that stays the same for every contact. Your booking URL is https://glowmedspa.com/book no matter who the lead is.

Custom Fields store unique data per contact record. One lead's preferred service might be Botox while another prefers Facials. The field is the same, but the value changes per person.

Don't see your fields in the Intake Info folder?

Make sure the object selector at the top of the Custom Fields page is set to Contact. Fields created under a different object will not appear here.

If the fields appear but are not inside a folder, click on each field to edit it and assign the Intake Info folder.

Help me find my custom fields in GoHighLevel.

Create a test contact for your tag taxonomy

Tags let you categorize contacts by status, interest, or source so you can filter lists and trigger automations. Before you can apply tags, you need a contact to work with.

  • Navigate to Contacts > Smart Lists in the left menu.
  • Click + Add Contact.
  • Enter Test Lead as the contact name.
  • Enter test@example.com as the email.
  • Save the contact.

Your new Test Lead contact should appear in your contacts list.

Contact not appearing?

Check that you are still inside the Glow Med Spa sub-account, not in Agency View. Contacts are stored per sub-account.

Help me troubleshoot adding a contact in GoHighLevel.

Apply tags and custom field values to the test contact

GoHighLevel does not have a separate tag management page for contacts. Instead, you create tags inline by typing a new tag name directly in the contact record. If the tag does not exist yet, GoHighLevel creates it for you.

  • Open the Test Lead contact record.
  • Find the Tags dropdown on the contact record.
  • Type New Lead in the dropdown and select it to create your first tag.
  • Add two more lead status tags the same way: Consultation Booked and Active Client.
  • Add three service interest tags: Interest - Botox, Interest - Facials, Interest - Laser.
  • Add three source tags: Source - Website, Source - Instagram, Source - Referral.
  • Click Apply to save all your tags.

Why prefix your tags?

Prefixing tags with a category like Interest - or Source - keeps them organized as your tag list grows. Without prefixes, a sub-account with dozens of tags becomes impossible to navigate.

You should see all nine tags listed on the Test Lead contact record. Now set the custom field values on the same contact.

  • On the Test Lead contact record, find the Preferred Service field and set it to Botox.
  • Find the Referral Source field and set it to Instagram.

Before you review the contact, think about what you expect to see. How many tags should be on this contact, and what two custom field values should appear?

Scroll through the Test Lead contact record. You should see all nine tags listed and the Preferred Service field showing Botox and the Referral Source field showing Instagram.

Custom Values, Custom Fields, and Tags: when to use each

Custom Values hold static business-wide info that never changes per contact (your booking URL, consultation fee, business hours). Use them in email templates and funnels with merge tags.

Custom Fields hold unique data per contact record (preferred service, referral source). Use them to collect and display individual details.

Tags are labels you apply to contacts for segmentation and automation triggers. Use them to group contacts by status, interest, or source.

Tags or custom field values not showing?

If your tags are missing, make sure you clicked Apply after adding them. Tags are not saved until you click Apply.

If the custom field dropdowns do not appear on the contact record, refresh the page. The fields you created in the previous substep sometimes take a moment to appear.

Help me troubleshoot tags and custom fields on my GoHighLevel contact.

Your sub-account now has a complete data foundation: custom values for business-wide info, custom fields for per-contact data, and a tag taxonomy for segmentation. Next up, you will capture everything as a reusable Snapshot template.

Capture the Snapshot

Your Glow Med Spa sub-account now has a complete data foundation. Custom Values handle business-wide info, Custom Fields capture per-contact data, and tags segment leads by status, interest, and source.

All of that work lives inside a single sub-account. If you onboard a second med spa client next week, you would have to rebuild everything from scratch. In this step, you will capture the entire configuration as a reusable Snapshot template, the same deliverable agencies charge clients for.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Switch to Agency View and navigate to Account Snapshots.
  • Create a Snapshot from the Glow Med Spa sub-account with all assets selected.
  • Confirm the Snapshot is processed and ready to deploy.
Create the Snapshot from Agency View

A Snapshot captures your sub-account's configuration as a reusable template. Instead of rebuilding custom fields, custom values, and settings for every new client, you create one Snapshot and deploy it to any new sub-account in clicks.

  • Switch back to Agency View (the top-level dashboard you used to create the sub-account).
  • Click Account Snapshots in the left menu.
  • Click the blue + Create New Snapshot button in the top right.
  • Enter Med Spa Starter - v1 as the Snapshot name.
  • Select Glow Med Spa as the source sub-account.
  • On the asset selection screen, click Select All to include everything (Custom Fields, Custom Values, and all other available assets).
  • Click Create.

What does a Snapshot capture?

Snapshots capture configuration assets like Workflows, Funnels, Calendars, Forms, Emails, Triggers, Custom Fields, Custom Values, Membership content, Services, Webinars, AI Studio projects, and more.

Snapshots do not include live data. Contacts, Appointments, Conversations, Reputation data, Stripe connections, and integrations are all excluded. Your "Test Lead" contact will not carry over when you deploy the Snapshot to a new sub-account.

Assets not loading on the selection screen?

If any assets fail to load during creation, use the Retry option to re-fetch them without restarting the process.

Help me troubleshoot asset loading issues when creating a Snapshot in GoHighLevel.

Confirm the Snapshot processed successfully

Before you check the list, what do you expect to see in your Account Snapshots page?

  • Wait for the Snapshot to finish processing. This usually takes a few moments.
  • Confirm that Med Spa Starter - v1 appears in your Account Snapshots list.
  • Click on the Snapshot to review what was captured.

You should see Med Spa Starter - v1 listed on the Account Snapshots page. This is your reusable template, ready to deploy to any new sub-account.

Snapshots are point-in-time

If you update the Glow Med Spa sub-account after creating this Snapshot, those changes are not automatically reflected in the template. You would need to use the Refresh option on the Snapshot to capture any new changes.

Why is this the deliverable agencies sell?

Agencies that manage multiple clients in the same niche (med spas, dentists, real estate) build one polished sub-account configuration and capture it as a Snapshot. Every new client gets the same proven foundation deployed in minutes instead of hours of manual setup.

Job posts for GoHighLevel specialists frequently list Snapshot creation as a required skill. The template you just built is the exact format agencies use to onboard clients at scale.

Secret mission

Deploy and Verify Your Snapshot

Your Snapshot is sitting in the Agency Dashboard. But how do you know it actually works? Deploy it to a brand-new sub-account and run the same QA checklist agencies use before handing off to a client.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

GoHighLevel does not have a permanent free tier. Your 14-day trial will convert to a paid subscription at your selected plan rate (starting at $97/month) unless you cancel before it ends.

Cost warning

Your credit card will be automatically charged at your selected plan rate when the 14-day trial ends. If you do not plan to continue using GoHighLevel, cancel the subscription in your account settings before the trial expires to avoid charges.

Resources you used:

  • GoHighLevel agency account (14-day free trial).
  • Glow Med Spa sub-account (with Business Profile, Custom Values, Custom Fields, tags, and a test contact).
  • Glow Med Spa - Client 2 sub-account (if you completed the Secret Mission).
  • Med Spa Starter - v1 Snapshot in Account Snapshots.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are actively onboarding clients and plan to continue with a paid GoHighLevel plan after the trial ends.

  • Your sub-accounts, Snapshot, and all configurations will remain accessible.
  • Your 14-day trial will convert to a paid subscription at your selected plan rate (starting at $97/month) when the trial ends.
  • This is the right choice if you want to keep building on your med spa workspace or use your Snapshot to onboard more clients.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Cancel your trial to avoid charges while keeping access to your sub-accounts and Snapshots until the trial period expires.

  • Go to your GoHighLevel account settings and cancel the subscription before the 14-day mark.
  • Your sub-accounts and Snapshots will remain accessible until the trial expires.
  • No charges will apply as long as you cancel before the trial ends.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and cancel your trial to start fresh with no ongoing charges.

  • Switch to Agency View if you are not already there.
  • Click Sub-Accounts in the left menu.
  • Find Glow Med Spa, click Manage Client, and delete the sub-account.
  • If you completed the Secret Mission, repeat for Glow Med Spa - Client 2.
  • Navigate to Account Snapshots in the left menu and delete the Med Spa Starter - v1 Snapshot.
  • Go to your account settings and cancel the subscription to avoid any charges after the trial ends.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

Nice work! You just architected a client-ready GoHighLevel sub-account from scratch and packaged it as a reusable Snapshot template. That is the exact deliverable agencies charge clients for and list in job posts.

You've learned how to:

  • Build a branded sub-account with a complete Business Profile that powers merge tags like {{location.name}} across emails, funnels, and workflows.
  • Create Custom Values for static business-wide info and Custom Fields for per-contact intake data, understanding exactly when to use each one.
  • Design a tag taxonomy for lead segmentation and capture the entire configuration as a reusable Snapshot template ready to deploy to new clients in clicks.
  • Secret Mission: Deployed your Snapshot to a second sub-account and verified asset parity, completing the full agency delivery cycle.

Ready to quiz yourself?