How to Migrate from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel (Step by Step Guide)

Switching from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel

Switching from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel might seem scary. But if you have a plan, you'll find yourself with a more all-in-one and adaptable marketing and CRM setup. We've put together a simple guide to help you move everything over to GHL—without any major headaches or lost information.

If you're planning to migrate from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel, here’s a simple breakdown of the steps you should follow.

Step 1: Audit & Plan

Before you change anything in ActiveCampaign, jot down everything you've got—contacts, tags, any special fields you made, deals, pipelines, automations, workflows, landing pages, forms, and email templates. Write down the what and how of each item. Some guides call this an Initial Assessment and Backup.

Think about these questions:

• Which automations are still active and crucial?
• What tags/fields do we rely on to segment leads?
• What pipelines or stages do we have (if we’re using deals)?
• Which landing pages/forms funnel traffic currently?
• Are there custom fields, lists, or segmentation logic I’ll need to replicate?

This sets you up to migrate with intent rather than just data-dumping.

Step 2: Set Up GoHighLevel Account + Structure

Once you’re comfortable with what you’ve got, log in to GoHighLevel and familiarise yourself with its structure.

Some things to do:

• Create any custom fields in GoHighLevel to match the ones you use in ActiveCampaign.
• If you're moving deals or opportunities, plan out your pipeline first.
• Set up user permissions and roles so your team knows their responsibilities.
• If you're using forms or landing pages, decide whether to recreate them in GoHighLevel or migrate them.

Step 3: Export from ActiveCampaign & Clean the Data

First, export your contacts from ActiveCampaign. Save them as a CSV file.

When exporting:

• Save as UTF-8 to avoid weird characters.
• Make sure your dates follow a consistent format like 2024-01-01.
• Clean your data—remove blanks, fix bad emails, trim extra spaces.
• Tag contacts as imported from ActiveCampaign for verification later.

Step 4: Import Contacts into GoHighLevel

With your cleaned CSV ready, import it into GoHighLevel.

Key things to watch for:

• Map each CSV column to the correct GoHighLevel field.
• Convert ActiveCampaign lists into tags during import.
• Assign correct email statuses (subscribed, unsubscribed, bounced).

After import, check a few contacts to ensure everything is correct.

Step 5: Migrate Email Templates and Automations

Contacts are just the base—now comes templates and workflows.

Email templates: GoHighLevel lets you import templates using the shared link from ActiveCampaign.

Automations: You can’t directly move ActiveCampaign automations. They must be rebuilt in GoHighLevel. Note each automation’s:

• triggers
• conditions
• actions (emails, field updates, tags, deal movement)

Recreate landing pages or forms using the GoHighLevel builder if needed.

Step 6: Test Everything

Before going live, run full tests:

• Send test emails.
• Walk through automation steps manually.
• Submit forms and verify correct tags and fields.
• Check pipelines, deals, and reporting.
• Test integrations such as Zapier and APIs.

Step 7: Go Live & Monitor

Once confident, begin routing new leads through GoHighLevel and phase out ActiveCampaign.

Monitor for issues like:

• Email deliverability drops.
• Missing tags or fields.
• Workflows not firing correctly.
• Team members unfamiliar with the new system.

Step 8: Train & Optimize

Even after migration, you’re not done.

• Train your team on the GoHighLevel interface and workflows.
• Review analytics and optimise performance.
• Use new features like call tracking, SMS, and advanced funnels.
• Archive your old ActiveCampaign account after backing up data.
• Document your workflow logic for future reference.

Conclusion

Switching from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel is a smart move. It’s more than just moving contacts—you’re upgrading to an all-in-one tool for marketing, sales, customer communication, and automation.

Here’s a quick summary:

1. Audit your existing setup.
2. Build your GoHighLevel structure.
3. Export and clean your data.
4. Import your contacts correctly.
5. Rebuild your templates and workflows.
6. Test everything thoroughly.
7. Go live and monitor.
8. Train your team and optimise.

If you set it up well, the new system will be easier to use, more efficient, and far less complicated than juggling multiple tools.