Tags & Segments Setup

Tags and segments are digital labels and filters that organize your contacts for automation, campaigns, and reporting. Tags work like sticky notes you apply to contacts. Segments are dynamic filters that automatically group contacts based on conditions you define. Set up both correctly and you’ll unlock precise targeting, automated workflows, and scalable database management.

This setup walks you through creating your first tags, applying them in bulk, building reusable segments, and connecting tags to automation triggers. By the end, you’ll have a working tagging system ready to power your campaigns and workflows.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Access to the Contacts section in your GoHighLevel account
• At least 5-10 contacts in your database for testing
• A basic understanding of your contact organization goals (lead stages, sources, or behavior flags)
• Access to the Automation section if you plan to trigger workflows with tags

If you’re brand new to GoHighLevel, import a small test list or create a few sample contacts before proceeding.

Create Your First Tags

Start by creating tags from the Contact Manager. This is where you’ll build your tag library and apply tags to individual contacts.

Navigate to Contacts in the left-hand menu. Click any contact to open their detail view. This panel shows all contact information, including the Tags field near the top.

Locate the Tags field and click the dropdown. You’ll see a list of existing tags (if any) or an empty list. Type a new tag name directly into the field. Press Enter to create and apply the tag.

Create 3-5 foundational tags that represent your most common contact categories. Examples include Lead, Customer, Hot Lead, Compliant, or a lead source like Facebook Ad. These tags will form the backbone of your contact organization.

Tags are case-sensitive. “VIP” and “vip” are treated as separate tags. Decide on a naming convention now (like Title Case) and stick to it across your team.

Apply Tags in Bulk

Once you’ve created a few tags, apply them to multiple contacts at once using bulk actions. This is faster than tagging contacts one by one.

Navigate to Contacts and use the checkboxes on the left to select multiple contacts. You can select as many as needed for a single bulk action.

Click the Add Tag icon from the action bar at the top of the screen. A popup window appears with fields for your bulk action settings.

Enter an action name in the Action Name field. This helps you track the operation later in the Bulk Actions log. Use descriptive names like “Tag January Leads” or “Mark Webinar Attendees.”

Click the Tags dropdown and select existing tags or type a new tag name to create one. You can apply multiple tags simultaneously by selecting more than one from the list.

Click Add Tags to start the operation. A confirmation message appears. Click Check Progress to monitor the status in the Bulk Actions tab. You’ll see success confirmations, contact identifiers, and timestamps for each tagged contact.

Bulk tagging appends tags to existing tags. It does not overwrite them. Contacts will keep all previously applied tags plus the new ones you just added.

Connect Tags to Workflows

Tags become powerful when they trigger automation. Set up a workflow that launches when a specific tag is applied to a contact.

Navigate to Automation in the left-hand menu. Click Create Workflow to start building a new automation sequence.

In the Triggers panel, select Contact Tag as your trigger type. This tells the workflow to fire when a tag is added or removed.

Configure the trigger settings. Choose whether the workflow should fire when the tag is added or removed. Then select the specific tag from the dropdown. If you want to create a new tag for this workflow, type the name directly into the field.

Build your workflow by adding actions like sending an email, creating a task, or updating the contact’s opportunity stage. Keep it simple for your first test. A single email action is enough to verify the trigger works.

Save and activate the workflow. Now, whenever you apply the selected tag to a contact (manually or via bulk action), the workflow will fire automatically.

Test the workflow by applying the tag to a sample contact. Wait a few moments, then check the contact’s activity log to confirm the workflow triggered and the action executed.

Build Your First Segment

Segments are dynamic contact filters used primarily in email campaigns. They automatically update as contact data changes, ensuring your campaigns always target the right audience.

Navigate to Marketing > Emails > Campaigns. Create a new campaign or open an existing draft. You’ll need to reach the Send or Schedule page to access segment builder.

Click Send Or Schedule from the top right in the Email Builder. Scroll to the Recipient (To) section and click Build Segments.

The segment builder opens with a list of available filters. Click the first dropdown to select a filter type. Start with Tags as your filter. This lets you target contacts with specific tags.

Select a tag from the second dropdown. For example, choose “Lead” to target all contacts tagged as leads. You’ll see a contact count update in real time.

Add additional filters if needed. Click Add Filter to include AND conditions (contacts must meet all criteria). Click Add OR Filter to include alternative criteria (contacts meet any one condition).

Once your logic is complete, click Save and give the segment a descriptive name like “Hot Leads Last 7 Days” or “Customers - Engaged.” This saves the segment to your library for reuse across future campaigns.

Click Review and Send to finalize the campaign setup. The segment evaluates contacts at send time, not when you schedule the campaign. This ensures your list is always fresh.

Set Up Tag-Based Workflow Actions

Beyond triggering workflows, tags can be applied automatically by workflows based on contact behavior. Set this up to mark contacts who complete specific actions.

Open an existing workflow or create a new one from Automation. Navigate to the point in the workflow where you want to apply a tag (for example, after a contact submits a form or clicks a link).

Click the + button to add a new action. From the Actions panel, scroll to the Contact section and select Add Contact Tag.

Enter a clear name in the Action Name field so you can identify this step later. Use names like “Tag as Webinar Attendee” or “Mark as Hot Lead.”

Click the Tags dropdown and select an existing tag or create a new one by typing the name directly. You can apply multiple tags in a single action if needed.

Save the action and activate the workflow. Now, whenever a contact reaches this step in the automation, they’ll receive the tag automatically.

Use the Remove Contact Tag action to clear temporary flags or update contact status as they progress through your funnel. This action works the same way but removes tags instead of adding them.

Test Your Setup

Before relying on tags and segments in production campaigns, test your configuration with sample contacts.

Create a test contact or use an existing one from your database. Manually apply one of your newly created tags to the contact. Check the contact’s activity log to confirm any tag-triggered workflows fired correctly.

Open the workflow’s execution log from Automation > Workflows to verify the contact entered and progressed through the automation. Check for errors or delays in the activity timeline.

Test your segment by opening the segment builder in a draft campaign. Select your saved segment and review the contact count. Click through to preview the contacts included. Verify they meet the filter criteria you defined.

Run a small test send to your own email address or a small test list (5-10 contacts). Confirm the segment targeted the correct audience and the campaign delivered successfully.

If anything doesn’t work as expected, revisit the tag application process, workflow trigger settings, or segment filter logic. Check for case-sensitivity issues in tag names or missing filter conditions.

Next Steps

You’ve set up the foundation of your contact organization system. Tags are created, workflows are triggered, and segments are filtering dynamically. Here’s what to tackle next:

Expand Your Tag Library: Create tags for lead sources, lifecycle stages, product interests, and engagement levels. Document your tagging strategy in a shared team document so everyone follows the same conventions.

Build Advanced Segments: Combine multiple filter types (tags, email activity, custom fields, opportunity stages) to create hyper-targeted campaign audiences. Save these segments for reuse across campaigns.

Set Up Conditional Workflow Logic: Use If/Else actions in workflows to route contacts down different paths based on whether they have specific tags. This enables sophisticated automation sequences that adapt to contact attributes.

Clean Up Your Tag Library: Periodically audit your tags and delete ones that are no longer relevant. Remove duplicates caused by inconsistent naming. Keep your tag list lean and manageable.

Monitor Bulk Action Logs: Check the Bulk Actions tab regularly to confirm tag operations completed successfully. Review contact counts and timestamps to catch errors early.

For more advanced strategies, read the full Tags & Segments Guide. For related workflows, explore the Workflow Builder and If/Else Branching guides. To store unique contact data, set up Custom Fields.