Switch from Campaign Monitor to GoHighLevel without losing lists, segments, journeys, or deliverability

Move from Campaign Monitor to GoHighLevel in one week. Keep segmentation, keep suppression, rebuild journeys cleanly, protect inbox placement.

Who this helps

Newsletters, nonprofits, SMBs using Campaign Monitor lists, segments, custom fields, Journeys, signup forms, landing pages, and basic ecommerce, now needing CRM, Workflows, funnels, calendars, pipelines, and ad conversions in one place.

What you keep

• Subscribers, custom fields, and segment logic mirrored as tags and Smart Lists
• Global Suppression List, unsubscribed, and bounces imported as Email DND
• Email content rebuilt in GoHighLevel templates and Workflow emails
• Shopify or WooCommerce events synced into Workflows via native connections or Stripe Payments

What you rebuild

• Journeys, autoresponders, and transactional follow ups, recreated as Workflows with triggers, waits, conditions, goals
• Segments reproduced as Smart Lists using tags, fields, activity dates, and purchase signals
• Forms and landing pages rebuilt in Forms, Surveys, Funnels, Sites
• Preference Center implemented via a simple Profile Update form that toggles fields and Email DND

The 7 day, zero downtime plan

Day 0, domain setup

• Create a sending subdomain, for example mail.yourbrand.com
• Add SPF, DKIM, DMARC in DNS, verify inside GoHighLevel
• Connect Stripe and your store if you sell

Day 1, export and mapping

• From Campaign Monitor, export contacts with list membership, custom fields, segments, last open, last click
• Export Unsubscribed, Bounces, and the Global Suppression List
• Plan mapping, lists map to tags, segments map to Smart Lists, fields one to one
• Create any missing custom fields in GoHighLevel, for example last_engaged_at, member_status, ltv

Day 2, import with suppression

• Import active contacts, map email, name, phone, fields, tags
• Import Unsubscribed, Bounces, and Suppression as Email DND, spot check records
• Build Smart Lists that mirror your key segments, VIPs, donors or members, 90 day engaged, lapsed

Day 3, forms, pages, attribution

• Rebuild Campaign Monitor forms as GoHighLevel Forms, add hidden fields, utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, gclid, wbraid, fbclid
• Recreate top landing pages in Funnels or Sites and match URLs if possible
• If you need a buffer for a day, embed the old form, then swap to GoHighLevel

Day 4, journeys to Workflows

• Rebuild the core set, Welcome, Lead magnet, Nurture, Promo, Event reminders, Post purchase, Reactivation
• Use triggers, form submitted, tag added, appointment status changed, payment received, email opened or clicked
• Replace Journey goals with “Event happened” checks and Go To steps
• Add a preference flow that toggles Email DND or updates frequency fields

Day 5, templates and warmup

• Recreate headers, footers, legal links, unsubscribe and preferences
• Warm by cohorts, recent clickers, then recent openers, then 90 day engaged, hold cold segments for re permission
• Seed tests to Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, check inbox placement

Day 6, cutover

• Swap all site forms and pages to GoHighLevel versions
• Pause Campaign Monitor Journeys and scheduled sends, keep the account for reporting for 2 to 4 weeks
• Turn on Google Ads offline conversions and Meta Conversions API from Workflows

Day 7, monitor and tighten

• Watch opens, clicks, replies, unsubscribes, complaints, bounce codes, attributed conversions
• Consolidate duplicate fields and tags, standardize naming, lock Smart Lists and core Workflows
• Document DNS, list health, mapping, and send thresholds

Mapping guide, Campaign Monitor to GoHighLevel

One list strategy, single audience. Use Smart Lists for targeting. Avoid duplicate audiences.

Preference center in GoHighLevel

• Build a Profile Update form with checkboxes for topics or frequency
• On submit, update fields, add or remove tags, set Email DND for full opt out
• Send a confirmation email on changes for audit and trust

Deliverability checklist

• SPF, DKIM, DMARC pass, From domain matches the authenticated domain
• Warm cohorts gradually, complaint rate under 0.1 percent, hard bounces under 2 percent
• Scope Email Events to each send inside Workflows
• Validate suppression import with test contacts before any broad send

Common pitfalls and fixes

• Segment counts differ, align rolling windows, time zones, and last_engaged_at logic
• Branches on opens or clicks do not fire, scope Email Events to the same message or campaign and extend waits
• Preference sync misses a list, stop using lists as silos, tag for interest, Smart Lists for targeting
• Cold segments hurt inboxing, hold 180 day inactive and run a re permission Workflow first

FAQ

Can I keep my lists and segments
Yes. Convert lists to tags and rebuild segments as Smart Lists using tags, fields, and date filters.

Do unsubscribes and suppression stay blocked
Yes. Import Unsubscribed, Bounces, and the Global Suppression List as Email DND and test samples.

Can I replicate Journeys
Yes. Rebuild them as Workflows with equivalent triggers, waits, and goal checks.

How do I replace the Preference Center
Use a GoHighLevel form to update fields and tags. Set Email DND for full opt out.

Do I need to re confirm my list
No, if you import status and suppression correctly. Only new opt ins use your double opt in flow.