Website Builder Setup

Build and publish your first multi-page website with navigation, global sections, and custom domain configuration. This guide walks through template selection, page structure, section management, mobile optimization, and publishing workflows.

Prerequisites

Before building your website, ensure you have:

Admin access to your GoHighLevel sub-account
A custom domain ready to connect (required for public websites)
Your website structure planned: page names, navigation, and content hierarchy
Brand assets ready: logo, images, color palette, and fonts
Content prepared: homepage copy, about page, services, contact information

Create Your First Website

Start with a template to establish structure and design quickly.

Navigate to Sites > Websites in your sub-account.

Click New Website in the upper-right corner.

Choose your creation method. Select From Templates to start with a professionally designed multi-page site. Select From Blank to build from scratch. Select AI to generate a website based on your industry and preferences.

If you chose templates, browse the template library using filters for industry, business type, or layout style.

Click on any template to preview it. Review the homepage, navigation structure, and included pages.

When you find the right template, click Continue.

Enter your website name. Use a descriptive internal name like “Main Company Website” or “Agency Site 2026.”

Click Create. The template imports with all pages, sections, and placeholder content.

Add and Configure Pages

Set up your website structure with essential pages and clean URL paths.

From Sites > Websites, click on your website name to open the site details view.

Click Add New Page.

Name your first page (for example, “Home”, “About”, “Services”, “Contact”). Keep names simple and descriptive.

Click Create New Page.

Choose to start from blank or use a page template. If your website template included pages, they are already created.

Click Edit on the Home page to open the visual editor.

Set the page path by clicking the three dots on the page card and selecting Settings. Enter the URL path (for example, ”/” for home, “/about” for the about page, “/services” for services).

Verify the first page you created is set as the home page. This page loads when visitors navigate to your root domain.

Repeat the page creation process for all essential pages: About, Services, Contact, and any additional pages your site requires.

Create consistent site-wide navigation and footer sections to appear on every page.

Open your Home page in the editor.

Add a new full-width section at the very top of the page by clicking the + icon above all existing content.

Inside the section, add a 1 column row.

Open the Elements panel on the left and drag the Navigation Menu element into the row.

Click the navigation menu to open its settings in the right panel.

Configure each menu link. Set the Link Text (for example, “Home”, “About”, “Services”, “Contact”) and the Link URL (use relative paths like ”/”, “/about”, “/services”, “/contact”).

Upload your logo to the logo slot in the navigation settings.

Customize navigation colors, fonts, and layout options in the styling panel on the right.

Click Save to apply changes.

Hover over the navigation section, click the Save icon, name it “Global Navigation”, check the Global Section box, and click Save.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and add a new full-width section below all content.

Open Elements > Prebuilt Elements > Footer and drag a footer layout into the bottom section.

Edit footer content: update links, add contact information, social media icons, copyright text, privacy policy link, and terms of service link.

Save the footer as a global section by hovering, clicking the save icon, naming it “Global Footer”, checking Global Section, and clicking Save.

Navigate to each additional page (About, Services, Contact). Open the editor, click + Add Element > Global Section, and select both “Global Navigation” and “Global Footer” to add them to each page.

Editing the global section on any page automatically updates it across all pages that use it.

Customize Page Content

Replace placeholder content with your brand messaging, images, and calls to action.

Open any page in the editor.

Click directly on any text element (heading, sub-heading, paragraph) to edit it inline. Write clear, benefit-driven copy that speaks to your target audience.

Replace images by clicking the image element, then selecting Upload Image or choosing from the media library. Compress images before uploading to keep page load times fast.

Add new elements by opening the Elements panel on the left. Drag elements like Button, Video, Form, Calendar, Testimonial, or FAQ Accordion into columns on your page.

Configure button actions by clicking a button, scrolling to Button Actions in the right panel, and setting the destination. Use “Navigate to URL” for internal or external links, “Scroll to Section” for same-page navigation, or “Open Popup” for modal windows.

Add forms for lead capture by dragging the Form element onto the page. Select an existing form or create a new one. Configure fields, required settings, and submit actions just like in funnels.

Embed booking calendars by dragging the Calendar element onto the page and selecting which calendar to display.

Add order forms to sell products by dragging the Order Form element and connecting it to a product created in Payments > Products.

Click Save frequently as you work.

Optimize for Mobile

Ensure your site looks great and functions correctly on phones and tablets.

In the editor, click the Mobile Mode icon in the top toolbar to switch to mobile preview.

Review each section of your page. Look for text that overflows, images that are too wide, or buttons that are too small to tap easily.

Adjust font sizes, padding, and spacing using the right panel. Many settings have responsive toggles that let you set different values for desktop and mobile.

For sections that need completely different layouts on mobile, duplicate the section. Set one copy to Desktop Only and the other to Mobile Only using the Visibility toggle in the Advanced tab of each section.

Create a mobile-specific navigation menu if needed. Duplicate your navigation section, set the original to desktop-only and the duplicate to mobile-only, then customize the mobile version with a hamburger menu or vertical layout.

Switch back to desktop mode and confirm your changes did not affect the desktop layout.

Test on actual devices by saving, publishing, and visiting the live URL on your phone and tablet. Simulators do not always show real-world issues.

Configure SEO Settings

Set up page-level SEO to improve search engine visibility.

In the page editor, click the SEO icon in the top navigation bar.

Enter the Page Title (appears in browser tabs and search results). Keep it under 60 characters and include your primary keyword.

Write a compelling Meta Description (150 to 160 characters). This snippet appears below your title in search results.

Upload a Favicon to display in browser tabs. Use a 32x32 or 64x64 pixel PNG or ICO file.

Add an Open Graph Image and description for social media sharing. This controls how your page looks when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Click Save to apply SEO settings.

Repeat for all pages on your site. Each page should have unique, descriptive SEO metadata.

Connect a Custom Domain

Point your domain to your website so visitors can access it at your branded URL.

Navigate to Sites > Websites > Site Details and click the Settings tab.

Under Domain, click Connect Domain.

Enter your domain name (for example, “yourbusiness.com” or “www.yourbusiness.com”). Click Continue.

Follow the DNS configuration instructions provided. You will add either an A record or a CNAME record at your domain registrar.

Add the record as instructed. If using an A record, point it to the IP address provided. If using a CNAME, point it to the hostname provided.

Save the DNS record at your registrar.

Return to the platform and click Verify Records. If DNS has propagated, verification succeeds immediately. If not, wait 10 to 30 minutes and try again.

Once verified, return to Sites > Websites > Settings, select your domain from the dropdown, and click Save.

Your website is now accessible at your custom domain. SSL certificates provision automatically within a few minutes.

Publish Your Website

Make your site live and accessible to the public.

Open each page in the editor and review for completeness. Verify content, images, links, forms, and mobile responsiveness.

Click through all navigation links to confirm they route to the correct pages.

Test all forms by submitting test data and verifying contacts appear in your CRM.

In the page editor, click Save to save the current draft.

Click Publish to push the saved version live. Saving and publishing are separate actions, allowing you to work on drafts without affecting the live site.

Repeat for all pages you want to make public.

Visit your live website URL in a private browser window to confirm it loads correctly.

Test Your Setup

Verify all website components function as expected.

Visit your website URL in a private or incognito browser window.

Navigate through every page using the navigation menu. Confirm all links work and pages load correctly.

Test all forms by filling them out with test data and submitting. Verify contacts appear in Contacts with correct field mappings.

Click all buttons to confirm they navigate, scroll, or trigger the expected actions.

Test embedded calendars by attempting to book an appointment. Confirm the booking creates an appointment record in your calendar.

Test order forms if your site includes e-commerce. Complete a test purchase using Stripe test mode and verify the transaction logs correctly.

Open the website on your phone and tablet. Test navigation, forms, and buttons on small screens. Verify text is readable and images load properly.

Use browser developer tools or Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check for mobile usability issues.

Check tracking codes by verifying Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or other scripts fire correctly. Use browser extensions or the network tab in developer tools to confirm.

Next Steps

Now that your website is live, explore advanced features and integrations:

Blog to add a content marketing hub to your website
Membership Areas to create gated course or premium content sections
Chat Widget to add live chat for visitor engagement
Forms and Surveys to capture leads with advanced conditional logic
Workflow Builder to automate follow-up based on form submissions and site interactions

For a complete overview of Website Builder features, customization options, and best practices, read the Website Builder Guide.

Website Builder