Migrating from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel
The Complete Guide for SaaS Agencies, Coaches and Consultants
TL;DR
GoHighLevel offers more than email automation—it delivers a full-stack SaaS CRM with native pipelines, white-labeling, AI workflows, client billing, and automated onboarding. Migrating from ActiveCampaign doesn’t require you to start over. You just need to re-map contacts, workflows, emails, forms, and integrations into the GoHighLevel ecosystem. This guide gives you the complete process, tools, and strategy.
Why Agencies Are Leaving ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is powerful, but it’s narrow. It’s built around email-centric automations and assumes you’ll stack tools around it—landing page software, CRMs, scheduling tools, pipeline managers, billing apps.
That’s fine when you’re doing your own marketing.
Not when you’re trying to resell marketing systems or scale client acquisition.
What GoHighLevel fixes instantly:
- White-label SaaS Mode – Build your own branded version
- CRM + Pipeline built-in – Visual deal tracking + tagging
- Client portals – Forms, appointments, calendars all inside
- Multi-channel automation – Email, SMS, voicemail, Facebook, IG, DMs
- Snapshots – Clone full accounts (funnels, emails, workflows)
- Client billing – Stripe native billing + invoice automation
- AI Agent automation – Built-in OpenAI + Workflow triggers
What to Migrate
| Component | From ActiveCampaign | To GoHighLevel |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Lists, segments, tags | Smart lists, contact tags, filters |
| Email Templates | HTML / drag-drop | Recreate or import HTML |
| Workflows | Visual automation | Workflow builder with multichannel triggers |
| Tags/Custom Fields | Dynamic | Tag-based triggers + custom fields |
| Lead Scoring | Built-in scoring | Manual scoring via workflows |
| Forms | Embedded AC forms | GHL native forms or embed into funnels |
| Landing Pages | AC or external builders | GHL page + funnel builder |
| Calendars | 3rd party (Calendly etc) | Native GHL calendar with automation support |
| Automations | Email/SMS based | Multi-action with conditional logic |
| Payments | External (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) | Native Stripe integration |
| Reporting | Standard | Funnel, attribution, and pipeline analytics |
Step-by-Step Migration Process
1. Export From ActiveCampaign
- Go to Contacts → Export CSV
- Export tags, custom fields, engagement data
- Save email templates as HTML
- Document workflows in a diagram or use screenshot mapping
2. Build Core in GoHighLevel
- Set up custom fields, tags, pipelines
- Recreate your lists using smart list filters
- Build your lead stages and appointment calendars
3. Import Contacts
- Use GHL’s CSV import tool
- Assign tags and pipeline stage
- Optionally bulk assign owners or triggers
4. Rebuild Automations
- Translate ActiveCampaign automation steps into GHL workflows
- GHL supports multi-step flows across:
- SMS
- Voicemail
- Task creation
- AI content generation
- API/webhooks
- Internal notifications
- Use If/Else logic, delays, conditions for smarter branching
5. Rebuild Email Templates
- Use GHL’s email builder
- For advanced layouts: import raw HTML or recreate designs
- Reconnect to workflows or broadcasts
6. Swap Forms and Pages
- Rebuild your opt-in forms with GHL
- Replace existing AC forms on your site
- Recreate key landing pages using GHL funnel builder
- Embed calendar links and integrate lead flows
7. QA Everything
- Send test emails
- Test automations per tag
- Validate contact behavior (e.g. triggers on click or form submit)
- Confirm your SMTP, domains, and reputation are verified
Zoltan Juhasz
Optional: Use Snapshots
Snapshots let you package your entire GHL setup into a single file—forms, emails, funnels, automation, calendars, tags, everything. If you work with multiple clients or brands, this saves you hours on every new deployment.
Sample Timeline
| Task | Time Estimate |
|---|---|
| Export + Map Data | 1 hour |
| Core Setup in GHL | 2–3 hours |
| Workflow Rebuild | 4–5 hours (depends) |
| Email + Landing Page Recreation | 2–3 hours |
| QA + Launch | 1 hour |
| TOTAL MIGRATION TIME | ~1 day max |
GHL Wins: Features You Gain After Migration
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | GoHighLevel |
|---|---|---|
| White-labeling | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| SaaS Reseller Support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Unlimited Sub-Accounts | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Pro Plan) |
| AI Workflow Steps | ❌ Limited | ✅ Yes (native GPT-4) |
| Funnel Builder | ❌ Limited | ✅ Yes |
| Calendar Automation | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Stripe Billing Integration | ❌ External | ✅ Native |
| Mobile App Builder | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (white-label) |
| Support Workflows | ❌ No | ✅ With Extendly |
Final Word: Grow Without Limitations
ActiveCampaign served you well. But if you're building a real client-facing SaaS offer, or need to reduce your dependency on integrations and duct-taped tools, GoHighLevel gives you the entire operating system for the next stage.
Ready to Switch?
👉 Join the GHL Bootcamp + Get a 30-Day Free Trial
Learn how to launch your migration, automate onboarding, and scale with prebuilt snapshots.