Integrating GoHighLevel with External Tools via API & Webhooks

GoHighLevel (often GHL) is an all-in-one marketing and CRM platform used by tens of thousands of agencies and hundreds of thousands of businesses. It centralizes contacts, funnels, calendars, campaigns, and more. By integrating GHL with other apps, small businesses, coaches, and course creators can automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual data entry, and streamline their sales and marketing workflows. In short, smart integration turns GoHighLevel into a hub that automatically syncs data across your ecosystem – saving time and boosting efficiency.

GHL provides robust API and webhook support to make this automation possible. The GoHighLevel REST API lets you programmatically create, update, delete, or fetch nearly every CRM object (contacts, opportunities, appointments, etc.) Likewise, webhooks are “automatic notifications” that GHL can send or receive in real time when events occur. For example, a GHL workflow can catch incoming webhooks (using an Inbound Webhook trigger) or send outbound webhooks (using a Custom Webhook action). Together, these tools let you connect GHL to Zapier, Make (Integromat), Stripe, Shopify, Calendly, Google Sheets, and virtually any other service. The official GHL developer documentation is available on their Stoplight site; see GoHighLevel API docs (Stoplight) for details.

Setting Up an Incoming Webhook Trigger in GHL

To have GHL receive data from an external tool, use a Workflow Trigger – Inbound Webhook. This creates a unique URL that external systems can call. To configure this in HighLevel:

• Open or create a workflow in GHL, then select the Inbound Webhook trigger type.
• GHL will generate a unique Webhook URL. Copy this URL – it’s the endpoint external apps will POST to
• In your external service (e.g. Zapier, Make, or a custom script), set up a trigger that sends data to this URL. Configure it to POST JSON data (you can also use GET, PUT, etc., but POST is common)
• Test the integration by sending a sample payload. GHL will catch this request.
• Finally, map the incoming data fields in the GHL workflow to update contacts, add tags, or drive other actions as needed.

This process means that whenever the external app fires the webhook, your GHL workflow will trigger automatically with the provided data. For example, you might have Stripe send a payment notification to this URL; upon receiving it, GHL could update a contact’s status to “Paid” and send a thank-you email.

Sending Webhook Data from External Tools

Many popular automation platforms make it easy to send webhook data to GHL. For instance, Zapier and Make (Integromat) let you set up a trigger in the external app and then POST to the GHL webhook URL. Here’s how it typically works:

• In Zapier, create a new Zap with your desired trigger (e.g. “New Sale in Shopify” or “New Event in Calendly”). For the action, choose Webhooks by Zapier → POST. Paste the GHL Webhook URL into the action. Then map fields (name, email, purchase info, etc.) to send in the JSON payload. Zapier will then send that data whenever the trigger fires.
• In Make, build a new Scenario. Add a Webhooks → Custom Webhook module and click Add. Name it (e.g. “GHL Hook”) and copy the provided URL. Back in GHL, add a Webhook action pointing to this URL. When the GHL workflow runs, it will send data to Make, which can then pass it on to other apps.

Alternatively, you can send webhooks from your own code. For example, in Python you might do:

import requests

# Sample: Send a POST to your GHL Inbound Webhook URL
webhook_url = 'https://hooks.leadconnectorhq.com/v1/hooker/XXXXX?company_id=YYYY'
payload = {
    "firstName": "Alice",
    "lastName": "Smith",
    "email": "alice.smith@example.com",
    "item": "Online Course",
    "status": "purchased"
}
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}
response = requests.post(webhook_url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.status_code, response.text)

In JavaScript (using fetch or axios), you would similarly POST a JSON body to the webhook URL. The key is that whatever data your external app captures (e.g. Shopify order details, Stripe payment info, Calendly booking data) should be formatted as JSON and sent to the GHL URL. Once GHL receives it, the workflow can use variables to place that data into contact records or trigger further actions.

Using the GHL API for CRM Automation

Besides webhooks, GHL offers a comprehensive REST API to directly read and write data. The API uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and JSON payloads. To get started, first generate an API key in your GHL account (Settings → Company → API Key). Then authenticate your requests with a header like Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY.

Once authenticated, you can call endpoints such as POST /contacts/ to create a new contact, PUT /contacts/{id} to update, or GET /contacts/ to list contacts. For example, to create a contact in Python:

import requests

api_key = 'YOUR_API_KEY'
headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {api_key}',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
new_contact = {
    "firstName": "Jane",
    "lastName": "Doe",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "phone": "5551234567"
}
resp = requests.post('https://api.gohighlevel.com/v1/contacts/', json=new_contact, headers=headers)
print(resp.status_code, resp.json())

Or in JavaScript (using fetch):

const apiKey = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
const contact = { firstName: 'John', lastName: 'Doe', email: '[email protected]' };

fetch('https://api.gohighlevel.com/v1/contacts/', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(contact)
})
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

You can also use the API to fetch data (e.g. GET /contacts/?email=john@example.com) or to manage opportunities, calendars, and moreg. Check the official docs for each endpoint. For instance, the Contacts section of the API docs lists endpoints like /contacts, /contacts/{id}, /contacts/upsert, etc. (see the API docs at highlevel.stoplight.io for full details.

Using the API, you could write scripts or apps that sync GHL with other systems: for example, pulling your latest Google Sheet sign-ups and adding them as contacts, or updating a contact’s tag when a course is completed. If you reach limits of Zapier/Make, the raw API offers “full control” over your automations.

Integration Use Cases: Shopify, Calendly, Google Sheets, Stripe, and More

• Shopify: HighLevel has a native Shopify integration. You create a Shopify custom app with the right scopes (read_orders, read_customers), then connect it in GHL. This lets you automatically sync customers and orders into GHL contacts and transactions. In short, integrating Shopify “lets you automate marketing, sync customer data, and drive more sales” by sending purchase info into GHL workflows.
• Calendly: By connecting your Calendly account, GHL will import scheduled events as appointments and create contacts for new invitees. The Calendly integration “automatically import[s] events from your Calendly calendars,” letting GHL trigger workflows (follow-up emails, calendar notes, etc.) based on live bookings.
• Google Sheets: GHL even offers a Google Sheets Premium Action. You can add a Workflow Action to create, lookup, update, or delete rows in a Google Sheet. This means you can seamlessly sync GHL data with your spreadsheets (e.g. logging new leads in a sheet). As the docs say, the Google Sheets action supports “creating, looking up, updating, and deleting rows in a connected Google Sheet” directly from GHL workflows.
• Stripe (Payments): If you use GHL’s built-in Stripe integration, payments and subscriptions flow into HighLevel smoothly. You can also use Stripe’s webhooks to notify GHL of transactions. For example, send Stripe’s “payment succeeded” webhooks into an Inbound Webhook in GHL to update contact or lead status. Stripe integration “makes accepting credit card payments… straightforward and secure” and ties it into GHL’s CRM.
• Zapier/Make: Besides specific apps, tools like Zapier, Make, or Pabbly are often used to bridge GHL with any other app. They provide pre-built triggers (e.g. “New form submission in Typeform”) and actions (e.g. “Create a Google Contacts record”) to round out GHL’s capabilities. Many GHL users find it powerful to combine these tools with GHL’s webhook actions – essentially building complex automations without heavy coding.

These are just a few examples. Because GHL’s API and webhooks are quite flexible, you can integrate with any platform that has a webhook or an API. For instance, you could use GHL webhooks to post new contacts to a Google Sheet, or fetch data from a membership site. The key is to think about data flow: what data you need in GHL (or out of GHL) and set up a trigger or request accordingly.

Getting Started & Further Resources

Ready to dive in? First, check out the official HighLevel API documentation on their developer site (highlevel.stoplight.io). The Webhook Integration Guide on the GHL docs portal is also useful for examples of webhook payloads and event types. For step-by-step help, GHL’s knowledge base has articles like “Workflow Trigger – Inbound Webhook” (configuration steps) and “How to Use Webhooks in HighLevel (Zapier)”. Additionally, community blogs and tutorials (like NetPartners’ guides on GHL API and Zapier/Make integrations) can provide practical code snippets and screenshots.

Next steps: Plan a simple test. For example, create a GHL workflow with an Inbound Webhook trigger, then use Zapier’s Webhooks by Zapier or a simple curl/requests call to POST test data into it. Or generate an API key and try calling GET /contacts/ via Postman. Hands-on experimentation will clarify the process.

If you’d prefer expert help, consider scheduling a consultation or automation service. Our team specializes in connecting GHL to the tools you use most. Book a consultation or subscribe to automation services today to start optimizing your workflows and freeing up your time.