Migration Playbook

How to Move from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel

By Marnix Geerkens. Updated 2026-05-28.

In short

You can migrate from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel in one to two days. Export your contacts with tags and custom fields, rebuild your automations as GoHighLevel workflows, import your contacts, and test before cancelling. GoHighLevel replaces ActiveCampaign email marketing and CRM at $97 per month and adds SMS, funnels, and a calendar in the same platform.

Time

8 to 16 hours

Difficulty

Beginner

Plan needed

GoHighLevel Starter ($97/mo) or higher

Before you start

A GoHighLevel account (start the 30-day free trial to run both platforms in parallel)
ActiveCampaign admin access
Contacts exported as a CSV with all tags, custom fields, and list membership
Documentation of all active automations, their triggers, and the email sequences inside them

Step-by-step migration

Step 1: Export contacts from ActiveCampaign

In ActiveCampaign, go to Contacts and click Export. Choose to export all contacts and include all fields (email, first name, last name, phone, tags, custom fields, and list membership). Download the CSV. Open it in a spreadsheet and check the data is complete before doing anything else.

Step 2: Document your automations

Open each ActiveCampaign automation and write down its trigger, each step in order, and any conditions or branching logic. Copy all email subject lines and body copy into a separate document. Note the wait times between each step.

Step 3: Set up custom fields and tags in GoHighLevel

In GoHighLevel, go to Settings and then Custom Fields. Create fields that match your ActiveCampaign custom fields. Create tags in Contacts that match your ActiveCampaign tags and list names. You can also create smart lists in GoHighLevel that filter contacts by tag.

Step 4: Import contacts into GoHighLevel

Go to Contacts in GoHighLevel and click Import. Upload the ActiveCampaign CSV. Map each column to the matching GoHighLevel field. Tags can be mapped directly from the Tags column. GoHighLevel deduplicates by email address.

Step 5: Verify your email sending domain

In GoHighLevel, go to Settings and Email Services. Add your sending domain and complete the DNS verification (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). This is required before sending any emails. Skipping this step causes emails to land in spam.

Step 6: Rebuild automations as GoHighLevel workflows

In GoHighLevel, go to Automation and create a workflow for each ActiveCampaign automation. Match the trigger type (form submission, tag added, date-based, etc.). Add email actions using the copy you documented. Add wait steps with the same delays. For automations with branching (if/else), use GoHighLevel workflow conditions.

Step 7: Migrate your email broadcast campaigns

Broadcast emails in ActiveCampaign become bulk email campaigns in GoHighLevel. Under Email Marketing, create a new campaign, paste your email content, select the correct contact segment (using tags or smart lists), and set the send schedule.

Step 8: Rebuild forms and landing pages

If you used ActiveCampaign forms embedded on your site, replace them with GoHighLevel forms. Under Sites, build the form and copy the embed code to your website. New submissions will trigger your GoHighLevel workflows directly.

Step 9: Update CRM and deal pipelines

If you used ActiveCampaign CRM deals, recreate the pipeline stages in GoHighLevel under Opportunities. GoHighLevel uses a Kanban board view with drag-and-drop cards, similar to ActiveCampaign deals.

Step 10: Test everything before cancelling ActiveCampaign

Submit a test lead through each form. Confirm the contact appears in GoHighLevel with the correct tag, the first automation email arrives, and the workflow progresses on schedule. Send a test campaign to yourself. Only cancel ActiveCampaign once all tests pass.

How to check the migration worked

Submit a test form and verify the contact appears in GoHighLevel with the correct tags and custom field values.
Check that the first automation email arrives within 5 minutes and subsequent emails follow the correct delay.
Verify the total contact count in GoHighLevel matches the number in your ActiveCampaign export.
Send a test campaign to a seed address and confirm it lands in the inbox, not spam.
Check that deal/pipeline cards are appearing for the correct contacts.

Troubleshooting

Tags are missing on imported contacts

Open your CSV and check the Tags column. ActiveCampaign exports tags in a single cell separated by commas or semicolons. GoHighLevel reads comma-separated tags. If the export uses semicolons, do a find-and-replace in your spreadsheet before re-importing.

Automation emails are not sending

Check the workflow execution log in GoHighLevel. Look for the email step and see if it shows "skipped" or "failed". Common causes are an unverified sending domain, an invalid "from" email, or contacts who have unsubscribed. Verify your sending domain in Settings first.

My workflow branching logic is not working correctly

GoHighLevel workflow conditions use "if" branches. Open the workflow and click the condition step. Check that the condition field, operator, and value match what you intended. Test with a contact that meets the condition and one that does not.

Contacts show as unsubscribed after import

During the import step, GoHighLevel asks you to confirm opt-in status. If you did not check the consent box, contacts may be imported as unsubscribed. Re-import with the consent box checked, or manually update a batch of contacts in GoHighLevel.

Frequently asked questions

Can GoHighLevel replace ActiveCampaign?

Yes, for most use cases. GoHighLevel covers email marketing, automations, CRM, pipelines, forms, and SMS. It is missing some of ActiveCampaign machine learning send-time optimization, but for workflow-based email marketing it does the same job.

How do I export contacts from ActiveCampaign?

In ActiveCampaign, go to Contacts, click the gear icon, and choose Export. Select all contacts and include all fields. The export downloads as a CSV file.

Will my automation history carry over?

No. The automation run history stays in ActiveCampaign. You bring over contacts, tags, and email content. Active automations in ActiveCampaign that are mid-sequence will need to be re-enrolled in GoHighLevel manually.

Is GoHighLevel cheaper than ActiveCampaign?

GoHighLevel Starter is $97 per month flat. ActiveCampaign pricing grows with your contact count and can become significantly more expensive as your list grows. GoHighLevel charges for email and SMS usage separately, but the base price is flat.

Does GoHighLevel have conditional splits like ActiveCampaign?

Yes. GoHighLevel workflows support if/else branching based on contact properties, tags, custom field values, and event history. The interface is different from ActiveCampaign, but the logic is the same.