GoHighLevel Find Contact Action Guide

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How to Use the GoHighLevel Find Contact Workflow Action

The GoHighLevel Find Contact workflow action helps you reliably locate existing records, similar to how ClickUp automations reference tasks. By correctly configuring this action, you can search for a contact by a specific field and prevent duplicate records in your automation.

This step-by-step guide explains how to set up, customize, and troubleshoot the Find Contact action in GoHighLevel so your workflows stay clean and accurate.

What the GoHighLevel Find Contact Action Does

The Find Contact action in GoHighLevel searches your contacts database during a workflow run and attempts to match an existing contact using a field you choose. If a match is found, that contact is loaded into the workflow for use in later actions.

Key capabilities include:

  • Searching by a specific contact field, such as email or phone
  • Matching against the value of a workflow custom field
  • Loading the found contact as the active record in the workflow
  • Reducing duplicate contacts created by other triggers and actions

The official GoHighLevel documentation for this action is available at this external help article.

Preparing Your GoHighLevel Workflow

Before adding the Find Contact step, make sure your workflow is set up to pass the right data into the search field.

  1. Confirm your trigger: Start with a trigger like form submission, survey submission, or pipeline stage change.

  2. Identify your matching field: Decide which contact field should be used for matching, such as:

    • Email
    • Phone
    • Custom field (for IDs, membership numbers, etc.)

  3. Create or confirm a workflow custom field: Ensure the value you want to search by is stored in a workflow custom field that will be available when the Find Contact step runs.

Having this structure in place ensures that GoHighLevel can successfully evaluate the matching criteria.

Adding the Find Contact Action in GoHighLevel

Follow these steps to add the Find Contact action to your automation:

  1. Open your Automation or Workflow section inside GoHighLevel.

  2. Select the workflow where you want to search for a contact.

  3. Click Add Action at the point in the workflow where the search should occur.

  4. From the action list, choose Find Contact.

The action will now appear in your workflow canvas, ready for configuration.

Configuring the GoHighLevel Find Contact Action

Once the action is added, configure the fields that control how the search works.

Step 1: Choose the Field to Find Contact By

In the Find Contact action settings:

  • Find Contact By: Select the contact field GoHighLevel should use to search. Common options include:
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Custom contact fields

This setting tells GoHighLevel which column in your contact record to compare against.

Step 2: Select the Workflow Custom Field for the Value

Next, you must provide the value that will be searched:

  • Workflow Custom Field: Choose the workflow-level custom field that holds the value you want to match.

For example, if your trigger captures an email address and stores it in a workflow custom field called Submitted Email, select that field here.

When the workflow runs, GoHighLevel will search contacts where:

Selected Contact Field = Workflow Custom Field Value

Step 3: Save the Action

After selecting both options:

  1. Review the configuration for accuracy.

  2. Click Save Action.

  3. Publish or update the workflow so the changes go live.

How the GoHighLevel Find Contact Action Behaves at Runtime

When the workflow runs and reaches the Find Contact step, GoHighLevel will:

  1. Read the value from the selected workflow custom field.

  2. Search the contacts database by the chosen contact field.

  3. If a match is found, load that contact as the active contact for the rest of the workflow.

  4. If no match is found, the workflow continues, but no existing contact is attached from this action.

Subsequent actions that depend on a contact (for example, updating fields or sending SMS) will use the contact found by this action if one exists.

Best Practices for Using GoHighLevel Find Contact

To get the most accurate results from the Find Contact action, keep these guidelines in mind:

Use Unique Identifiers When Possible

  • Prefer fields that are unique per person, such as:

    • Email address
    • Phone number
    • Unique ID stored in a custom field

  • Avoid generic values like first name or city, which can return multiple possible matches and reduce accuracy.

Keep Workflow Custom Fields Clean

  • Ensure the workflow custom field you use:

    • Always has a value at this point in the workflow
    • Matches the format used in the contact record (for example, phone number formatting)
    • Is populated before the Find Contact action runs

Test the Workflow with Sample Contacts

  • Create test contacts in GoHighLevel that match the values you plan to search by.

  • Run the workflow manually or via a test trigger.

  • Confirm that the workflow successfully finds and attaches the right contact.

Troubleshooting the GoHighLevel Find Contact Action

If the Find Contact action does not appear to work as expected, check the following:

  • Empty workflow custom field: Confirm that the workflow custom field actually contains a value when the action runs.
  • Formatting mismatch: Check that phone numbers or IDs match the format stored in the contact record.
  • Incorrect field selection: Verify you chose the right contact field and the correct workflow custom field.
  • Order of actions: Make sure the action that sets the workflow custom field runs before Find Contact.

If you need broader automation or CRM strategy help beyond this specific GoHighLevel configuration, you can review additional resources and consulting options at Consultevo’s official site.

When to Use GoHighLevel Find Contact in Your Automations

The Find Contact action is useful in many scenarios where multiple systems or forms feed into the same database.

  • Form or survey submissions: Match incoming leads to existing contacts by email or phone.
  • Webhooks and third-party tools: When external apps send identifiers into a workflow, use those IDs or emails to find the correct contact.
  • Membership or customer portals: Match login or account IDs against a custom contact field.
  • Data clean-up flows: Use Find Contact before updating fields to ensure you are editing the correct record.

Summary: Streamlining Contact Management in GoHighLevel

The Find Contact workflow action in GoHighLevel is designed to accurately locate existing records, prevent duplicates, and ensure that follow-up actions reference the correct person. By selecting the right contact field, mapping it to a reliable workflow custom field, and testing thoroughly, you can build smarter automations that stay aligned with your CRM data.

Use this action wherever your processes require matching incoming information to existing contacts so your GoHighLevel automations stay organized, reliable, and efficient.

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