AI Lead Qualification Pipeline for GoHighLevel

Name: AI Lead Qualification Pipeline for GoHighLevel
Author: CortexFlow

October 19, 2026 · Intermediate · Automation

↓ Download workflow JSON

Import in n8n: Workflows → ⋯ → Import from file, then add your credentials. Free download with a free account.

How it works

A complete lead-intake → AI-qualification → GoHighLevel-sync pipeline for agencies, insurance brokers, and any service business that loses money on slow follow-up:

STEP 1 — Lead intake & config — a visitor fills the n8n form (name, email, phone, service interest, message). CONFIG — Pipeline Settings holds every user-editable value (GHL API key, Location ID, Pipeline + Stage IDs, score threshold, booking link — all PASTE_YOUR_* placeholders). Prepare Lead Record generates a LEAD-YYYYMMDD-XXXX reference, Search Existing Leads reads the Lead Log, Detect Duplicate compares emails, and IF — Duplicate Email? splits the flow.
STEP 2 — Dedupe + AI qualification — duplicates are logged with status DISCARDED and skipped entirely. Fresh leads are appended with status LEAD_RECEIVED, then AI Agent — Qualify Lead (gpt-4o-mini with a Structured Output Parser) scores intent 0–100 and returns a verdict (qualified / nurture / junk), budget range, timeline, and a one-line summary. Update Lead Log — Status DEDUP_CHECKED records the score and verdict.
STEP 3 — Verdict routing + GoHighLevel sync — if IF — Verdict Qualified? is true, the lead goes to GoHighLevel via the v2 REST API: GHL — Create Contact (POST /contacts/ with a Bearer token built from the config node), GHL — Create Opportunity (POST /opportunities/ with your pipeline + stage IDs, status open), then GHL — Add Score Note (the AI’s score, verdict and summary on the contact record). The Lead Log flips to QUALIFIED with the GHL contact id stored, and Telegram — Qualified Alert fires with your booking link and a direct GHL contact link.
STEP 4 — Nurture / junk + final summary — IF — Verdict Nurture? routes lukewarm leads to Append Nurture List (the Nurture List tab with follow_up_status set to PENDING) and the Lead Log flips to NURTURED. Junk verdicts flip the Lead Log to DISCARDED and are never synced to GHL. All branches merge, Build Summary Message compiles the run, and Telegram — Send Summary reports name, verdict, score, and status.

Status flow in Sheets: LEAD_RECEIVED → DEDUP_CHECKED → QUALIFIED / NURTURED / DISCARDED

Hard rules (from real buyer demand): no credentials are hardcoded — every secret lives in the CONFIG nodes behind PASTE_YOUR_* placeholders and empty credential selects. The AI never invents a lead: junk verdicts and duplicates are logged, never pushed to your CRM.

Set up steps

You’ll need:

n8n (self-hosted or cloud) — n8n.io
A GoHighLevel account — gohighlevel.com → Sub-account Settings → Integrations → create an API key (needs contacts and opportunities scope)
An OpenAI API key — platform.openai.com → API keys
Google Sheets OAuth2 credentials — sheets.google.com for the spreadsheet; connect in n8n under Credentials → Google Sheets OAuth2
A Telegram bot — message @BotFather (telegram.org) → /newbot → copy the token; get your chat ID from @userinfobot

Steps:

Import the workflow — in n8n, Workflows → Import from File → select ghl-ai-lead-qualification-pipeline.json.
Create the spreadsheet — make one Google Sheet with these 2 tabs and exact headers:
- Lead Log: lead_ref | name | email | phone | service_interest | received_at | stage | status | intent_score | verdict | summary | ghl_contact_id | notes
- Nurture List: lead_ref | name | email | phone | service_interest | intent_score | summary | follow_up_status | status
CONFIG — Pipeline Settings — open the Set node and fill in:
- spreadsheet_id — paste your spreadsheet ID (from the sheet URL)
- ghl_api_key — your GoHighLevel API key
- ghl_location_id — your sub-account Location ID (Sub-account Settings → Company)
- ghl_pipeline_id + ghl_stage_id — Opportunities → Pipelines → open your pipeline and copy both IDs
- score_threshold — 70 is a good start (only scores ≥ threshold get synced as qualified)
- booking_link — your calendar/booking URL sent with the qualified alert
- business_name, owner_name — used in the AI’s system prompt and messages
- Then select your Google Sheets credential in all six Google Sheets nodes (Search Existing Leads, Log Duplicate — Status DISCARDED, Log Lead — Status LEAD_RECEIVED, Update Lead Log — Status DEDUP_CHECKED, Append Nurture List, Update Lead Log — Status NURTURED, Update Lead Log — Status DISCARDED (Junk), Update Lead Log — Status QUALIFIED)
AI qualification — select your OpenAI credential in OpenAI Chat Model — Qualifier (model is gpt-4o-mini by default; you can swap it for an Anthropic/Claude chat model if you prefer Claude-style reasoning — just reconnect the ai_languageModel input on AI Agent — Qualify Lead).
CONFIG — Notifications — paste your Telegram chat ID, select your Telegram credential in Telegram — Qualified Alert and Telegram — Send Summary, then activate the workflow and open the form URL from Lead Intake — Form Trigger to test with a sample lead.

Customize it

Stricter scoring — raise score_threshold to 80 and only high-intent leads reach GoHighLevel; everything else lands in the nurture list or junk.
Speed-to-lead SMS — insert an HTTP Request to GHL’s /conversations/messages endpoint right after GHL — Create Contact to fire an instant SMS (“Hi {name}, we got your request…”) inside the same thread.
Missed-call textback — point GHL’s inbound call webhook at the form trigger’s idea: replace the Form Trigger with a Webhook Trigger and let missed calls enter the same qualification pipeline.
Calendar booking — after GHL — Create Opportunity, add a GHL /calendars/events/appointments HTTP call so qualified leads are booked automatically instead of just receiving the link.
Auto-follow-up drip — the Nurture List’s follow_up_status column (PENDING → CONTACTED) is your flag: add a scheduled n8n workflow that reads PENDING rows and sends a 3-day email/SMS sequence.
Richer contact fields — extend the Structured Output Parser schema (e.g. service_budget_band, location) and map the new fields into the contact-creation JSON body.
Round-robin assignment — set the assignedTo field in the opportunity body per lead (cycle through salespeople in Prepare Lead Record) so new leads land directly on the right owner.

Workflow nodes

This workflow is built from 27 nodes. Here's what each one does:

#	Node	Type	What it does
1	`Lead Intake — Form Trigger`	n8n Form Trigger	Starts the workflow from an n8n form submission.
2	`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	Set	Holds editable configuration values — fill in your own settings here before activating.
3	`CONFIG — Notifications`	Set	Holds editable configuration values — fill in your own settings here before activating.
4	`Prepare Lead Record`	Code	Runs custom JavaScript to transform, filter, or compute data between steps.
5	`Search Existing Leads`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
6	`Detect Duplicate`	Code	Runs custom JavaScript to transform, filter, or compute data between steps.
7	`IF — Duplicate Email?`	IF	Splits the flow into branches based on a condition.
8	`Log Duplicate — Status DISCARDED`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
9	`Log Lead — Status LEAD_RECEIVED`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
10	`AI Agent — Qualify Lead`	AI Agent	The AI brain — reasons over the task and calls tools to get it done.
11	`OpenAI Chat Model — Qualifier`	OpenAI Chat Model	The language model powering the AI agent.
12	`Structured Output Parser — Qualification`	Structured Output Parser	Forces the AI to return clean, structured JSON instead of free text.
13	`Update Lead Log — Status DEDUP_CHECKED`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
14	`IF — Verdict Qualified?`	IF	Splits the flow into branches based on a condition.
15	`GHL — Create Contact`	HTTP Request	Calls an external API or webhook endpoint.
16	`GHL — Create Opportunity`	HTTP Request	Calls an external API or webhook endpoint.
17	`GHL — Add Score Note`	HTTP Request	Calls an external API or webhook endpoint.
18	`Update Lead Log — Status QUALIFIED`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
19	`Build Qualified Alert`	Code	Runs custom JavaScript to transform, filter, or compute data between steps.
20	`Telegram — Qualified Alert`	Telegram	Sends you a Telegram message or alert.
21	`IF — Verdict Nurture?`	IF	Splits the flow into branches based on a condition.
22	`Append Nurture List`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
23	`Update Lead Log — Status NURTURED`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
24	`Update Lead Log — Status DISCARDED (Junk)`	Google Sheets	Reads from or writes to a Google Sheet — this workflow's log and state store.
25	`Merge — Combine Verdict Branches`	Merge	Combines the outputs of two or more branches back into one flow.
26	`Build Summary Message`	Code	Runs custom JavaScript to transform, filter, or compute data between steps.
27	`Telegram — Send Summary`	Telegram	Sends you a Telegram message or alert.

Setup instructions

1. Add your credentials

In n8n go to Credentials → New, create each credential below, then open the named node and select it:

Node	Credential to add
`Search Existing Leads`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Log Duplicate — Status DISCARDED`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Log Lead — Status LEAD_RECEIVED`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`OpenAI Chat Model — Qualifier`	OpenAI API
`Update Lead Log — Status DEDUP_CHECKED`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Update Lead Log — Status QUALIFIED`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Telegram — Qualified Alert`	Telegram Bot API
`Append Nurture List`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Update Lead Log — Status NURTURED`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Update Lead Log — Status DISCARDED (Junk)`	Google Sheets OAuth2
`Telegram — Send Summary`	Telegram Bot API

2. Fill in your config values

Open the config node listed below and replace each placeholder with your own value before activating the workflow:

Node	Field	What to paste
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`spreadsheet_id`	`PASTE_YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID` Your spreadsheet id
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`ghl_api_key`	`PASTE_YOUR_GHL_API_KEY` Your ghl api key
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`ghl_location_id`	`PASTE_YOUR_GHL_LOCATION_ID` Your ghl location id
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`ghl_pipeline_id`	`PASTE_YOUR_GHL_PIPELINE_ID` Your ghl pipeline id
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`ghl_stage_id`	`PASTE_YOUR_GHL_STAGE_ID` Your ghl stage id
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`booking_link`	`PASTE_YOUR_BOOKING_LINK` Your booking link
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`business_name`	`PASTE_YOUR_BUSINESS_NAME` Your business name
`CONFIG — Pipeline Settings`	`owner_name`	`PASTE_YOUR_NAME` Your name
`CONFIG — Notifications`	`telegram_chat_id`	`PASTE_YOUR_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID` Your telegram chat id

How this workflow starts

Form Trigger: Form "New Lead — Get a Callback" — share the generated form URL to collect submissions.

↓ Download ghl-ai-lead-qualification-pipeline.json

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