Workflows & Automation
How to Build a Birthday Campaign Workflow in GoHighLevel
By Marnix Geerkens. Published 2023-09-22. Updated 2026-06-02.
GoHighLevel includes a Birthday Reminder workflow trigger that checks your contact database at 8am every day and fires for anyone whose birthday matches that date. You can add a day offset to send a message before the actual birthday, attach a personalized email using custom values for the contact's name and your business details, and keep the whole campaign running without any manual involvement.
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Summary. A birthday campaign in GoHighLevel uses the Birthday Reminder trigger to automatically fire an email or SMS a set number of days before a contact's birthday. Custom value fields pull in the recipient's first name and your business name so every message feels personal. Once published, the workflow runs daily on its own and covers your entire contact database.
Steps
Create a new workflow from scratch
Go to Automation, then Workflows, and click Create Workflow. Choose Start from Scratch and give the workflow a clear name so you can find it easily later.
Add the Birthday Reminder trigger
Click Add New Workflow Trigger and select Birthday Reminder. The trigger checks every contact in your database at 8am daily and fires for anyone whose birthday matches today's date.
Set the day offset
Add a filter to send the message a specific number of days before the birthday rather than on the day itself. Two to three days in advance gives the contact time to act on any offer.
Add a Send Email action
Click the plus icon and add a Send Email action. In the From Name and From Email fields, use custom values to pull in your business name and email address from your account settings.
Write the subject and body using custom values
In the subject line, insert the contact's first name custom value so the email feels addressed to them. Write a short, friendly birthday message in the body and include any promotional offer. Use custom values for the sign-off name to keep it consistent with your brand.
Publish and test
Click Publish, then run a test to confirm the email sends correctly and the custom values populate as expected. Check both the subject line and the body in the test email.
Tips
- Pair the birthday email with a specific offer tied to your service, such as a discount on the next booking. A concrete reason to act converts better than a generic birthday message.
- If your contact records do not have birthday dates filled in, add a birthday field to your intake forms or use an update campaign to collect missing dates.
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Frequently asked questions
When exactly does the Birthday Reminder trigger fire?
It runs at 8am daily and checks every contact in the sub-account database.
Can the workflow send a message before the actual birthday?
Yes. Add a day-offset filter to the trigger to fire it one, two, or more days early.
Does this work if I have thousands of contacts?
Yes. The trigger checks the entire contact list automatically each day regardless of size.