How to Handle Responding to Reviews Like a Pro – Even if They Gave Your Firm One Star

You sit down at your desk, sip your coffee and open your email, then it hits you – Google just sent you a notification.  You have a new review for your law firm and it’s not good…someone just left a one-star review with a vague, scathing comment:

“Unprofessional. Would never recommend.”

No details. Nothing to go on, just those 4 damning words.  

So, what’s your first instinct? 

It could be to fire back a rebuttal and explain in painstaking detail exactly how this person is 100% wrong.

Maybe you think that you should just ignore it, hope it goes away and eventually get buried under better reviews.

However, neither of those responses will help your firm’s reputation, nor will they help you get new clients.

The truth is in today’s digital world, your online reputation is just as important as a referral from a trusted friend or family member.  

Getting 5-star reviews is great and should be what you strive for every time!  

However, it’s often how you respond to the bad ones that really determines a prospect’s view of you and if they contact your firm…or call a competitor.  

Think of your online reputation like a courtroom. Every review is a statement on the record.  Your response is your chance to present your best case to the jury.  Remember, the jury is not just the reviewer, but every potential client looking you up online.

In this article, we’ll break down how to handle online reviews like a pro—even the brutal ones—so that you can build trust, attract new clients, and strengthen your law firm’s credibility.

Why Reviews Matter to Law Firms More Than You Think

Let’s try a thought experiment…

Imagine you’re a prospect searching Google for a law firm to handle an important case. You look at Google Maps and find two options that specialize in your case type:

  • Firm A: 4.8 stars with 75 reviews, with many people mentioning the firm’s  responsiveness, expertise, and positive case outcomes.
  • Firm B: 3.9 stars with 12 reviews, including a few complaints about slow communication and poor follow-up.

Which one would YOU trust with your case?

Most people would choose Firm A without hesitation.

Online Reviews Are The New Word-of-Mouth

In the 80s, 90s and 00s, law firms would rely on word-of-mouth referrals from past clients or local business connections. Today, however, Google search has replaced most of this.

Consider the following:
98% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision. (Forbes)
50% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family. (SearchEngineJournal)
A one-star increase in a business’s Yelp rating leads to a 5–9% increase in revenue. (Harvard Business School)

In other words, your reviews aren’t just feedback—they’re money-makers!  You can’t afford to ignore them.

Silent Dealbreakers: The Reviews You Never Knew Cost You Clients

Have you ever thought about the people that searched for a lawyer in your area and did NOT contact you?

Most attorneys focus only on their direct interactions with potential clients—consultations, referrals, networking. But many potential clients decide against calling your firm long before they ever reach out.

Here’s why:

🚩They see too many negative reviews. (Even if they’re unfair, they still create doubt.)
🚩They see too few reviews. (A firm with just 5-10 reviews doesn’t feel established or trustworthy.)
🚩They see unanswered complaints. (Silence from the firm often speaks louder than the bad review itself.)

If your firm is already starting this process with a bunch of positive reviews, that’s awesome.  However, without a sound strategy for responding to any reviews that you have received, you’re missing a massive opportunity to control the narrative about your firm.

Think of reviews like a closing argument in a trial. It’s not just about what’s being said—it’s about how you respond that convinces the jury.

In the next section, we’ll dive into how to professionally handle positive reviews—because yes, even the good ones need a strategic response.

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

A question that clients ask us a lot is “Should I respond to the 5-star reviews that my firm gets?”

YES!

Obviously, happy clients are the goal.  A happy client’s review can speak for itself, but your response can:

  • add credibility to the review by reinforcing that this was a real client
  • strengthen your brand because you are going to thank them for their review and the time it took to leave it, which shows others that you are grateful
  • encourage more feedback

Think of it like a courtroom victory – you’re not just going to shake your client’s hand and call it a day.  You’d reinforce the win by celebrating their success and ensuring they feel valued. The same principle applies to review responses.

Acknowledge Good Feedback to Reinforce Your Brand

The number one mistake firms make with reviews?

When they receive a glowing testimonial, they respond with a generic “Thank you for your review.”

While this is a polite response, it’s not really doing you any favors.  In fact, it’s like an attorney that says “Objection,” but doesn’t say why.  

Simply put, it’s a missed opportunity.

So, what should you do instead?

Personalize the response and show that you really appreciate the time and effort that they put in.  Not only will this be appreciated by the reviewer, but it shows potential clients reading your response that your firm really cares.

Here’s an example of a personalized response:

“[Client Name], we are so glad to hear that you had a positive experience working with our firm and that we achieved the outcome that you were hoping for.  Our team works hard to provide you with great legal representation and your review means a lot to us!  If you ever need legal assistance in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out!”

Why this works:

  • It’s personal (uses the client’s name).
  • It reinforces your firm’s values (hard work, dedication).
  • It encourages future engagement (keeps the door open for referrals).
  • If a client highlights a specific attorney or team member, mention them in your response! It adds a human touch and shows appreciation for your team.

Leverage Positive Reviews: Don’t Let Them Go to Waste

A great review is more than just a confidence boost—it’s a marketing tool. Most law firms make the mistake of letting good reviews sit idly on Google. 

Instead, put them to work.  We’ll discuss how to do this later in this article.

Encourage Clients to Leave More Detailed Reviews

When someone leaves you a generic 5-star review and says “Great law firm!”, it’s nice.  However, potential clients won’t really learn anything from it. So, it doesn’t help them decide to hire you.

You should encourage your firm’s clients to leave reviews that highlight more specific aspects of their experience.

Here is an example of a review that would be great:

 “The team at [Firm Name] was incredibly responsive and kept me updated throughout my case. I never had to chase them down for answers, and they made the process stress-free. Highly recommended!”

So, how do you get more reviews like this?

  • After a successful case resolution, ask clients directly for a review.
  • Guide them by saying, “It would mean a lot if you could mention what stood out about our service—whether it was communication, expertise, or something else.”
  • Automate review requests using tools like GoHighLevel (which can send a polite follow-up text or email with some suggestions on what to say).

Make Responding to ALL Reviews a Weekly Habit

When you respond to your reviews, it’s not just about being polite and grateful to your current clients.  It’s a strategic way to:

  • build trust
  • attract the high-value cases/clients
  • position your firm as a top choice

To achieve this goal, you should assign a specific person on your team to be your “Review Captain”.  The “Review Captain” will monitor and respond to all online reviews on a weekly basis.

🔜 Next Up: How to handle negative reviews with professionalism—turning 1-star complaints into marketing gold.

How to Handle Negative Reviews Without Hurting Your Firm

It’s happened to all attorneys.

You pour your heart and soul into a case, navigate the complexities of the legal system, and do everything possible to help your client. Then, out of nowhere, a 1-star review appears on Google.

“Terrible experience. Would not recommend.”

No details. No explanation. 

Why would someone leave such a damaging public statement for all of your potential clients to see?

Your gut reaction? 

Anger? You want to defend yourself, set the record straight, or even call out the reviewer. 

Frustration? You feel helpless, watching your firm’s reputation take a hit from someone who may not even be telling the full story.

Nervous? What are you going to say when someone asks about this terrible review?

However, how you respond to that review matters FAR MORE than the review itself. 

In fact, a well-crafted response can turn a negative review into a marketing win. The steps to do that are as follows:

Step 1: Take a 24-Hour Pause Before Reacting

Any time someone says something negative about you, it can trigger a lot of emotions.  If you respond in the heat of the moment, that response may end up doing more hard than good.

Think of it like a tough cross-examination in court. When you react emotionally, you lose control of the story’s narrative. The same principle applies to review responses:

  • stay professional, 
  • stay composed, 
  • and always think strategically.

A Hypothetical Cautionary Tale

A small law firm owner responds angrily to a 1-star review, accusing the client of lying and publicly discussing details of the case. The result?

  • The negative review went viral on social media.
  • The firm’s unprofessional response became the real issue—not the original complaint.
  • The fallout led to lost potential clients, damage to their reputation, and a potential malpractice claim.

What is the lesson to learn from our hypothetical small firm owner? 

Don’t respond to a negative review immediately.  Instead, take a deep breath, step away for a day, and come back with a clear, strategic mindset.

Step 2: Address the Concern Professionally

A bad review doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it’s an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism, empathy, and a commitment to client satisfaction.

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for – the magic formula for a great response to a bad review:

Acknowledge the reviewer – Recognize the reviewer’s frustration.
Empathize with them – Show that you care about client satisfaction.
Offer Resolution (If Possible) – Provide a way to address their concerns.
Take It Offline – Move the conversation away from public view.

Example Response:

“We appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear you were unsatisfied. Client satisfaction is our priority, and we’d love the opportunity to address your concerns. Please contact us at [email] or [phone] so we can discuss this further.”

Why does this work?

Well, it does a few things:

  • Diffuses the tension: acknowledging their frustration can show you care
  • Showcases professionalism: no arguing and no defensive statements
  • Takes it offline: stops a public conversation and makes it private
  • Reassures potential clients: it shows that you care and take concerns seriously

Step 3: When NOT to Respond Publicly

There are reviews that should not have a public response.  This is because it is likely to make the situation worse.  Here are the red flags that you should look for in a review that should NOT be responded to:

  • 🚩The review has defamatory statements
  • 🚩The review has false accusations
  • 🚩The reviewer was not your client
  • 🚩The review contains confidential information that you cannot ethically acknowledge

If any red flags appear, you’ll want to either:

As an example:

A law firm client of ours once received a false review from someone who was never a client. Instead of engaging in a public argument, they flagged the review, provided Google with documentation, and had it successfully removed.

Look at Negative Reviews as an Opportunity, Not a Problem

Remember, one bad review will not ruin you or your firm.  However, how you handle it can actually help you get MORE clients!

A single bad review won’t ruin your firm. But how you handle it can either build trust or drive clients away.  So always stay professional, show empathy and move the conversation offline.

Review all of your firm’s recent reviews and create a strategy for responding!

🔜 Next Up: How to turn your reviews into a powerful marketing tool that attracts high-value clients.

How to Turn Your Reviews Into Marketing Gold

Stop looking at your reviews as client feedback; instead, use them as a tool to help grow your business.

Your reviews are marketing gold. 

When using your reviews strategically, you can:

  • Enhance your reputation
  • Help you attract high-value clients
  • Improve your website’s Google ranking
  • Build your credibility with potential clients (before they even call you)

It’s similar to word of mouth marketing, but on a larger scale – they are available 24/7 and can influence everyone that is researching your firm.

So, let’s talk about how to use your reviews to help you get more clients!

Get an SEO Boost: How Reviews Help You Rank Higher on Google

The major search engines, like Google and Bing, love to see fresh (new) content.  

Did you know that reviews and review responses count as new content?

This means that Google will prioritize the law firms that respond to their reviews.  This engagement, along with the actual reviews themselves, will improve your local search ranking

Reviews Help Highlight Success Stories: Show, Don’t Just Tell

Have you ever noticed that most law firm websites say they offer “experienced, dedicated and results-driven” services?

However, your savvy prospects will know that this text is just marketing copy.  

How do we convince them easily?

Two words – client testimonials.

Client testimonials allow you to “toot your own horn” without you having to say anything.

So, where exactly do you showcase your best reviews?

  • Website: Put the reviews on your homepage, services page, about us page and be sure to have a “Client Testimonials” page on your website, as well
  • LinkedIn: Share screenshots of each review you receive and pin your favorite to the top
  • Social Media: Use quotes from the review and turn them into engaging graphics – Want a free set of Canva templates for this task and directions on how to use them in 5 minutes?  Check out our free templates here!
  • Email Footers: Add a great review to your email signature
  • Newsletters: Highlight a review in a section of your newsletter

Video Testimonials: The Most Powerful Social Proof

As we have said over and over – written reviews are great!

However, there is a trump card – the video review!

Why?

People trust other people, they want to see faces and form an emotional connection.  It’s very authentic.  This is why video outperforms text every time.  

Now, you may be wondering…How do I get clients to record a great video testimonial?

It is actually pretty easy.  Here’s the best way:

Some people may not want to be on video.  

That’s fine, ask to record their voice.  Then, use that sound bite and overlay it on a graphic.

Want to know how to do this quickly?

Check out our video on how to put this together in under 10 minutes here. 

How To Automate the Review Process: Get More Reviews Without Extra Work

The problem that most attorneys have with reviews is that they just don’t ask.

Let’s take care of that and make it so you never have to remember to ask with AUTOMATION!

Automation makes this easy.  After you close a case, you can send an automatic review request via text message and email.  The request should have a link that they can click on and it takes them directly to be able to leave a review.  Make it as easy as possible for them.

Here are some tools that you can use for automating review requests:

GoHighLevel – Sends automated review requests via text or email.
Podium – Helps streamline client communication and review gathering.
Birdeye – Manages reviews across multiple platforms.

Make Sure That Reviews Work for Your Firm

Remember, you need to use your reviews as a marketing asset:

  • They will boost your SEO and make your firm easy to find
  • They showcase your firm’s strengths to potential clients
  • They provide credibility and build trust instantly
  • They can be automated, so you get more reviews

🔜 Next Up: Conclusion—Bringing it all together and giving your firm a clear action plan for managing and leveraging online reviews.

Your Law Firm’s Online Reputation is in Your Hands

If you get only one thing from this article, it should be this: Online reviews are not just feedback—they are a direct reflection of your firm’s reputation and your ability to attract high-value clients.

  • Positive reviews reinforce credibility, build trust, and serve as social proof for prospective clients.
  • Negative reviews, when handled strategically, can actually enhance your reputation by showing transparency, responsiveness, and a commitment to client satisfaction.
  • Consistently managing reviews gives your firm a competitive edge—boosting your Google ranking, increasing inbound inquiries, and strengthening your brand.

Take Action Now & Own Your Firm’s Reputation

Now that you understand the power of reviews, here’s a checklist to get started:

  • Monitor Your Reviews: Be sure that you are alerted when there is a new review so you can stay on top of feedback
  • Respond Strategically: Follow our formulas to reply with thoughtful responses that showcase your professionalism
  • Set Up Automation: Use a tool like GoHighLevel to collect and manage your reviews on autopilot

Need Help? Let’s Talk.

Reputation management doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 

If you want to automate your firm’s review strategy and ensure every review—good or bad—works in your favor, let’s discuss a plan that fits your needs.  Complete the form below to set up a 15-minute meeting with us.

How to Set Up a Review System like Birdeye or ReviewLead using GoHighLevel Automation: Step-by-Step Guide

Collecting customer feedback is essential for any business that wants to grow and build credibility. Reviews not only help potential customers make informed decisions but also improve your business’s reputation. But manually managing reviews can be time-consuming. That’s where automating the review process comes in. In this blog, we’ll walk you through setting up an automated review system in GoHighLevel to streamline feedback collection, manage negative experiences, and boost your positive reviews.

Let’s dive into the step-by-step process of setting up this system to automatically gather and manage reviews for your business.

Creating a Custom Review Link

The first step to automating your review process is creating a custom review link that you can share with your customers. This link will direct them to your review page.

  1. Log into your GoHighLevel account.
  2. Navigate to Settings and click on Domains.
  3. Add a subdomain specifically for reviews. We recommend using something like reviews.yourdomain.com.
  4. Verify the DNS settings with your provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) by adding the required CNAME record. Once verified, your domain is ready for use.

Designing a Thumbs-Up/Thumbs-Down Review Page

Next, you’ll need to create a simple review page where users can indicate if they had a good or bad experience. This will allow you to filter feedback based on customer satisfaction.

  1. Go to Sites > Websites and create a new page.
  2. Design the page with two simple buttons: Thumbs-Up for positive feedback and Thumbs-Down for negative feedback.
  3. Add a thank-you message above the buttons, expressing appreciation for their time.

Example text: “Thank you for choosing us! Your feedback helps others find trusted businesses like ours.”

Redirecting Positive Reviews to Google

If a customer clicks on the thumbs-up button, you’ll want to direct them to leave a review on your Google Business profile.

  1. Go to your Google Business Profile and copy the direct link for leaving a review.
  2. In GoHighLevel, select the thumbs-up button, set the action to open a URL, and paste the Google review link.
  3. Save your changes.

Now, anytime a customer has a positive experience, they’ll be directed to leave a review on Google!

Creating a Bad Experience Feedback Page and Staying Google Compliant

One of the most important steps in building an automated review system is handling negative feedback effectively. For this, GoHighLevel allows you to create a separate page for customers to share their bad experiences, ensuring you receive private feedback and maintain Google compliance.

Step 1: Create a "Tell Us About Your Bad Experience" Page

After setting up your main review request page, it’s time to add a dedicated page for customers who didn’t have a positive experience. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Navigate back to Websites in GoHighLevel, and select the Request Review site.
  2. Create a new page named “Tell Us About Your Bad Experience.” You can create the URL path as something like /sorry/tell-us-more to keep it simple.
  3. For the design, start with a blank, full-width layout. Add a single-column section where you’ll include your logo and a headline, such as:
    • “Please tell us about your experience with our company.”

Step 2: Add a Feedback Form

ext, you’ll need to collect detailed feedback about their bad experience. Here’s how to add a form:

  1. Add a form element to the page that asks for basic information, such as First Name, Last Name, Phone, Email, and a multiline text box for them to describe their experience.
  2. Customize the form’s submit action by selecting Form Builder, then under Options, set up a message that thanks the customer for completing the form. Example message:
    • “Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. A member of our team will be in touch shortly.”

This ensures the customer feels heard and reassures them that their concerns are being addressed.

Step 3: Linking the Bad Experience Option

After creating the feedback page, link it to the “I had a bad experience” button on your main review page. Follow these steps:

  1. Copy the URL of your bad experience page.
  2. Edit your main review request page, go to the “I had a bad experience” image, and set the action to go to website URL.
  3. Paste the URL of the bad experience page and save your changes. Now, when a customer clicks on “I had a bad experience,” they’ll be directed to your feedback form.

Step 4: Staying Google Compliant

Google requires that all customers, including those with bad experiences, be given the option to leave a public review. To comply with this:

  1. On the bad experience page, add a text link at the bottom that says:
    • “No, thank you. I would like to leave a review.”
  2. Link this text to your Google review page. Be sure to open the link in a new window, so customers don’t lose their place on your feedback form.

Step 5: Publish and Test

Once you’ve set up everything, preview your pages to ensure they function correctly. Customers should be able to navigate smoothly between the review request page and the bad experience page. For the final step, publish your changes and test the system.

With this setup, you’ve created an effective way to privately manage negative feedback while still complying with Google’s requirements for review collection.

By ensuring that negative feedback is handled internally while still allowing customers to publicly review your business, you can address concerns privately and maintain your reputation. This is a critical component of building trust with your customers and ensuring you’re continuously improving.

Creating Review Request Automations

Now that your review pages and forms are set up, it’s time to implement automations that will simplify the process of collecting reviews. Automations help you send reminders and requests without manual effort, ensuring that you stay engaged with your customers and gather more reviews.

1. Creating the Review Request Emails and SMS

To keep your review requests polite but effective, we recommend sending three emails and one SMS over the course of a few days. Here’s a breakdown of what each email and text message should include:

  • Email 1 (Day 1):
    Subject: Thank you for placing your trust in us
    Body:
    • Thank the customer for their business and offer to answer any questions they may have.
    • Ask them to take a moment to leave a review and provide a direct link to the review page.
    • Example: “Would you take a moment to review us at the link below? Your review will help others find the best service for their needs.”
  • Email 2 (Day 3):
    Subject: Just a reminder and a thank you
    Body:
    • Remind the customer about your review request and thank them again for their trust.
    • Reiterate how their review will help others in the market find your services.
    • Include the review link again.
  • Email 3 (Day 6):
    Subject: One last reminder
    Body:
    • Let the customer know that this is the final reminder and that you won’t send any more review requests.
    • Provide the review link and mention how their feedback helps others.
  • SMS (Day 1):
    Message:
    • Keep it short and simple: “Hi, [Company Name] here. Just wondering if you could take a moment to leave us a review. [Insert Link]”

Each email and SMS should include a review link to make it easy for customers to click through and leave their feedback.

2. Automating Review Requests

Now that your messaging is ready, it’s time to build the automations in GoHighLevel:

  • Step 1: Create a Workflow
    Go to Automation > Create Workflow, and start from scratch. Name this workflow something like “Review Request Automation.”
  • Step 2: Trigger the Workflow
    You can trigger the workflow by adding a tag to the customer’s profile after they’ve completed a service with you. For example, you can create a tag called “Request Review.” When the tag is added, the workflow starts.
  • Step 3: Send the SMS
    Once the workflow starts, send the first SMS message, asking the customer to leave a review.
  • Step 4: Wait for 15 Minutes
    Add a 15-minute wait to see if the customer responds by clicking the review link. If they do, the automation ends. If not, proceed to the next step.
  • Step 5: Send Email 1
    If the customer hasn’t clicked the link in the SMS, send the first email request with the review link.
  • Step 6: Wait for 3 Days
    Wait for three days to see if the customer clicks the review link in the email.
  • Step 7: Send Email 2
    If they haven’t left a review yet, send the second email reminding them to review your business.
  • Step 8: Wait for 3 More Days
    Wait another three days to give the customer time to click the review link.
  • Step 9: Send Email 3
    Send the final reminder, letting the customer know it’s their last chance to leave a review.

3. Creating Trigger Links

To stop sending review requests once a customer has completed a review, you need to create trigger links:

  • Step 1: Go to Marketing > Trigger Links, and add a link to your review page.
  • Step 2: Name the link something like “Request Reviews” and save it.
  • Step 3: Use this trigger link in your emails and SMS messages. When the customer clicks on it, the automation will stop sending further review requests.

4. Internal Notifications for Bad Experiences

Finally, set up a separate workflow for handling bad experiences:

  • Step 1: Create a new workflow called “Bad Experience Submitted.”
  • Step 2: Set the trigger as the submission of the bad experience form.
  • Step 3: Assign an internal notification to alert your team when someone submits the form. The notification can include the customer’s name, email, phone number, and their feedback so your team can follow up quickly.

Launch Your Review Request System

Once you have your workflows, trigger links, and messaging set up, your automated review request system is ready to go. Now, you can start tagging customers and collecting reviews effortlessly, all while handling negative feedback with care.

With everything in place, your business will enjoy more customer reviews and valuable feedback, which can help boost your online presence and improve customer satisfaction!

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Create/Add a Contact Form in GoHighLevel And How To Add Email Automations (Part 1)

When someone submits a form on your site, do you want your website to work for you by contacting that person via automations? 

If so you are in the right place. In this article, we’re going to cover:

  • how to create a contact form in GoHighLevel
  • how to add that form to your website
  • how to add a set of email automations that contacts that prospect for you with helpful info about your company. 

And don’t worry if your website is not in GoHighLevel …

We will cover how to add a contact form to a GoHighLevel site and to a non-GoHighLevel site.

Creating forms and setting up email automations in GoHighLevel can significantly enhance your marketing efforts. This guide will walk you through the entire process, making it easy for you to embed forms on your website and automate your email responses.

Let’s get started! 

Step 1 – Creating A Form In GoHighLevel

The most common form on a website is one where a prospect actually fills out their contact info, and then you get in touch with them. So, that’s the example we’re going to use and create today. 

To get started, you’ll need to create a form.

So, log in to GoHighLevel and click on “Sites” in the left main menu.

Then, in the top menu, click on Forms > Builder.

Click on “Create New Form.”

You can see GoHighLevel gives us a starting point with this generic form.

First things first, let’s name the form. You can see it’s currently named “Form 0” at the very top. 

For this example, this form is going to be on my contact page of a sample law firm site. So, I’m going to call the form “Contact Form – Website.”

Now, you may choose to use the default fields that GoHighLevel gives you or you can personalize them.

In this case, we are going to personalize them. You have a better chance of someone filling out a shorter form.  So, we are going to delete the “First Name” and “Last Name” fields by hovering over them and clicking the “x.”

Then, we will add the “Full Name” field instead.  

To do this, click on the “Add Form Element” button.  It is the plus sign at the top left of the screen.

Then, select “Full Name” and drag it on to the form at the top.

Now, your prospect has to enter their full name, their email, and their phone number. 

The Asterisk next to the field name means that it is a required field. So if you want people to enter the field, be sure that you have “Required” checked on the right.

In this example, we are not going to require texts. We just are going to have them enter their phone number, so we can get in touch with them as a prospect. Therefore, we will get rid of the SMS permissions field as well by clicking on the “x” again for this field.

Custom Fields in GoHighLevel

In our example, we want to allow people to write a message when they submit the contact form. Because we are using a sample law firm website, we are going to ask for some information about their case.  

To do this, we need to create a Custom Field in GoHighLevel.

This will require you to save the form and click on the “Back” button in the upper left-hand corner so you can see the main left-hand menu again.

Then, click on “Settings”, which is the last choice of the main menu on the left.

Then, once you are in the “Settings” menu, click on “Custom Fields.”

Click on “Add Field” in the upper right-hand corner.

As you can see, you can create almost any type of field, such as dates, times, text etc.

In this example, we are going to choose “Multi-Line.”

You will name your custom field, which is the “Label” of the field on the form.  You can also select a default value if you would like for the “Placeholder” field.

In the “Group” field, you will select where you want your custom field to show in the Contact’s profile. I almost always select “Additional Info” so my fields are separated from the default GoHighLevel fields.

Finally, if you expand the “Additional preferences” section, you can see what GoHighLevel is going to name the field within its unique keys. You can add a description of the field here, as well.

For this example, we named the field “Tell Us About Your Case” and selected “Additional Info” for the Group.

Click Save and your custom GoHighLevel field is live!

Click on “Go Back” to return to the “Form Builder” section and click on your form to open it again.

Now when you look at the available Form Elements, click on the “Custom Fields” tab to see your new field available to add.

Drag that element onto the form.

So now we have the full name, the email, the phone number, and tell us about your case. 

Do you want to add additional text to the GoHighLevel form? 

Maybe add a heading at the top?

Go back to the form elements and scroll to the bottom.  This is where the static elements are, like text and images.

For this example, let’s add a title to the form.

Grab the “Text” element and drag it to the top of the form.

You can add the title text in the settings on the right.

You can also change the font, font weight, color etc. using these settings as well.

At the bottom of the form, you can see that they by default provide you with a placeholder to put links to your “Privacy Policy” and your “Terms of Service.” You can delete the whole element if you would like to be clicking on that “x” to the right when you hover over the element.

However, because it is a form where people are entering data, for legal reasons, it is a GREAT idea to leave that text there and link to the policies that your website has.

To create that link, make sure that you have the text element selected on the form and highlight the “Privacy Policy” text.  

Once it’s highlighted, click on the 3 vertical dots symbol to get more options for the menu and select the symbol for the hyperlink.

This will trigger a pop-up where you will add the link to your website’s privacy policy and click on “Confirm.”

Once you click “Confirm,” you have an active URL.

Repeat this process and add the link to the terms of service. Be sure to click “Save” so all of your hard work is saved!

Now that the form is basically completed, let’s talk about the button, that bright shiny button that you want people to click!

So, you need to click on the button to bring up all of the settings on the right.

First, instead of the word “Button,” change the text to be something that will encourage users to submit their data.

In this example, we are just going to put “Submit Your information.”

In addition, there is an option to add “Sub Text,” which can explain the button’s use a bit more. It’s fairly popular to add a small message about not selling the data that is being submitted, so that is what we will change that text to.

Once you have your  text finalized, you will want to change the color of the button and the text so that it goes along with your branding.

Scroll down through the settings and you’ll find the ability to change the background, the text color and the sub text color.

In this example, we are going to change the button to be blue and all of the text to be white.

We now have a great looking button that will go within our website. Click Save to finish that part.

Once you have the form fields set up and the button the way you want it, it’s time to complete the general form information to finish the form up.

To get to this section called “Styles and Options,” click on the “Styles and Options” icon, which looks like 2 toggles in the upper-right corner of the screen.

If you scroll through everything that is available to you under “Styles,” there are a lot of changes you can make.

You can toggle agency branding on and off, you add a background image, you can add a header image, you can add custom CSS, etc. Basically, you can change the look of the form to be anything that you want it to be.

These settings are a bit more complicated and will be gone over more thoroughly in an upcoming video.  In this example, we are going to leave those alone and go to the “Options” tab.

Whenever a form is submitted, there are two main options (for this example) that can happen. The form can show a message that the form was submitted successfully, or the form can take you to a different URL.

So if you click on “Open URL,” you can actually put a whole new different page on here. A lot of people will choose this option if they are tracking conversions using Google Ads or Facebook Ads.  

Since this is a simple example, we are just going to have a success message.

The default success message that the form gives you is “Thank you for taking the time to complete this form.”

This message is fine, but I normally like to add a small bit at the end to customize it to my business tone…so, I added, “We will be in touch as soon as possible.” 

I like to give people a timeline for their submissions. If you want to add a line like this, add a timeline that you are comfortable with.  Most service-based businesses will include a message about being in touch within the next 5-15 minutes.

One more thing that is unique to GoHighLevel – “Sticky Contact.”

If you scroll the whole way to the bottom of the “Options” section, you’ll see a toggle for “Sticky Contact” turned off by default. If you turn this on, it will auto-complete the forms for the prospect if they have ever submitted anything else on your website before.

While this speeds up the process a little bit, we generally recommend keeping this turned off for a one-step form to our clients. If there are two steps, two sets of forms to complete, then we recommend turning this on.

For this example, we are leaving it turned off.

Don’t forget to click “Save” when you have completed all of the final steps for the form!

To summarize the entire form, a prospect will fill in their name, email, phone number and hopefully a little bit of information about their case. They will press the submit button and they will see a message thanking them and letting them know that someone will be in touch soon.

Let’s move on to part two, which is adding this form to the website. 

Step 2 - How to Add A GoHighLevel Form To A Website

Adding our new form to a GoHighLevel website is fairly straightforward.

In this example, I will be adding the form to the “Contact” page of a sample law firm website.

Go to your GoHighLevel website page that you want to add the form to and click on “Edit.”

Once we are inside the contact page, you will want to decide where you want to add the form.

Click on “Add Element” where you want the form to be located.

Then, select the “Form” element.

Once you click on the “Form” element, this will bring up a pop-up that has all of your available forms for the website.

Select the form that you just created in Part 1 of this article.

Once the form is selected, the screen will refresh and you should see the form that you created within the webpage.

Click “Save” and your form is ready to go for your website.

So, that is a very quick and easy way to add a form to your website using GoHighLevel. 

What do you do if you have a website that is NOT in GoHighLevel?

This is fairly easy as well.

Go back to the form that you created in Part 1 and click on the “Integrate button.”

The “Integrate” button gives you a bunch of options for different things that you can do with the form.

In most cases, people want to embed the form on their website. This means that they are going to choose the “Inline” option, which is the default.

Then, click on the “Copy Embed Code” button.

This button gives you all of the code needed to place your form on any website, no matter what that website is coded in. So, you can use WordPress, Wix, SquareSpace, Drupal etc.

Then, open the website editor where you want the form to be and add an HTML element to it. Once you can add code to the HTML editor, paste the embed code to your editor.

The code will look something like this:

Save the code and you should have a form that looks exactly like the one that you created in GoHighLevel embedded on your website.

Check out Part 2 of this article, which will create the automation set that alerts you to the submission and sends the prospect a set of emails!