GoHighLevel Workflow DND Guide

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GoHighLevel Workflow DND Trigger Guide

In this guide, you will learn step-by-step how to use the contact Do Not Disturb (DND) workflow trigger in GoHighLevel. If you are migrating automations from ClickUp task lists or any other system, understanding this specific trigger will help you keep your communication flows accurate and compliant whenever a contact’s DND status changes.

The contact DND trigger allows workflows to start or move when a contact turns DND on or off for one or more communication channels, such as SMS, email, or all channels at once. This article explains what the trigger does, how to configure it, and how it behaves when DND status is updated inside the platform.

What the GoHighLevel Contact DND Trigger Does

The contact DND trigger in GoHighLevel is designed to fire whenever a contact’s DND status is changed. This lets you automatically react to that change by starting or stopping automations, updating contact records, or notifying your team.

In the workflow builder, this option appears under the triggers list as:

  • Contact DND

Once added to a workflow, the trigger listens for DND changes that match the conditions you configure, such as:

  • DND turned on or off
  • Specific channels (e.g., SMS, Email, Call, WhatsApp)
  • All channels together

How GoHighLevel Handles DND Types

GoHighLevel supports multiple DND types, and each change can activate the workflow trigger. When you update a contact’s DND settings, different internal DND flags can be enabled or disabled. The main DND types include:

  • All communication channels
  • SMS only
  • Email only
  • Call only
  • WhatsApp only (if available in your account)

Each of these DND types can be used as a filter in the contact DND workflow trigger so that your automation only fires for the exact channel you care about.

Configuring the GoHighLevel Contact DND Trigger

Use this workflow trigger when you want to respond automatically whenever a contact turns DND on or off. Follow these steps to set it up inside GoHighLevel:

Step 1: Add the GoHighLevel contact DND trigger

  1. Open your GoHighLevel sub-account and go to Automation > Workflows.
  2. Create a new workflow or open an existing one.
  3. Click Add New Trigger.
  4. From the trigger list, select Contact DND.

Step 2: Choose the DND action (on or off)

After adding the trigger, you will see configuration options. The key setting is whether the workflow should fire when DND is turned on or off:

  • Event: Choose something like DND Turned On or DND Turned Off (label may vary slightly depending on the interface version).

This tells GoHighLevel if the workflow should respond when a contact is opting out (enabling DND) or opting back in (disabling DND).

Step 3: Select the DND type in GoHighLevel

Next, you can refine the trigger by choosing the exact DND type that should activate the workflow. In the DND Type or similar field, you may see options such as:

  • All
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Call
  • WhatsApp (if available)

Choose one of the following strategies:

  • All: Use this when any DND change across all channels should trigger the workflow.
  • Channel-specific: Use this when you only want the workflow to run if DND changes for a single channel like SMS or Email.

Step 4: Save and build workflow actions

Once the contact DND trigger is configured, build the downstream actions that should happen after it fires. Typical actions in GoHighLevel include:

  • Adding or removing tags
  • Updating custom fields
  • Sending internal notifications to team members
  • Stopping other workflows or campaigns
  • Adding the contact to a different workflow

Click Save to finalize your trigger settings, then publish the workflow so that DND events begin to trigger it.

Example Use Cases for GoHighLevel Contact DND

Here are practical examples of how you might use the contact DND trigger in GoHighLevel to keep your automations organized and compliant:

Use case 1: Stop promotional SMS when DND is enabled

  • Trigger: Contact DND, Event = DND On, Type = SMS
  • Actions:
  1. Remove the contact from all SMS promo workflows.
  2. Add a tag like sms_dnd_on.
  3. Send an internal notification to your compliance or marketing team.

Use case 2: Restart email campaigns when DND is disabled

  • Trigger: Contact DND, Event = DND Off, Type = Email
  • Actions:
  1. Remove any email_dnd_on tags.
  2. Add contact back into a nurture or newsletter workflow.
  3. Update a custom field such as Last Opt-In Date.

Use case 3: Global opt-out tracking in GoHighLevel

  • Trigger: Contact DND, Event = DND On, Type = All
  • Actions:
  1. Stop all running workflows for that contact.
  2. Tag the contact as global_dnd.
  3. Log the date of the DND change in a custom field.

How GoHighLevel Detects DND Changes

The contact DND trigger activates whenever the DND status is changed through standard methods inside GoHighLevel, such as:

  • Editing the contact profile and toggling DND
  • Automatic DND changes from unsubscribe actions
  • Channel-specific opt-out events (for example, SMS STOP messages)

As soon as a qualifying DND change is saved, GoHighLevel checks your workflows for any contact DND triggers whose conditions are met, and then it enrolls the contact into those workflows.

Best Practices for Using GoHighLevel Contact DND

When working with this trigger, follow these best practices to keep your automations reliable:

  • Use clear tags: Apply descriptive tags when DND changes so your team understands the contact’s current status.
  • Avoid message sends after DND On: Make sure downstream actions never send messages if a contact just enabled DND for that channel.
  • Test workflows: Manually toggle DND for a test contact and confirm that the appropriate workflow runs.
  • Document your logic: Keep internal documentation so your team knows how DND-based workflows function in GoHighLevel.

Where to Learn More About GoHighLevel DND

You can review the original product documentation and additional examples on the official help portal. For the specific reference used in this article, see the source page here: GoHighLevel contact DND workflow trigger.

If you need broader strategy help implementing automations, CRM setups, or contact policies, you can also explore consulting resources such as Consultevo for advanced implementation support.

By correctly configuring the contact DND workflow trigger in GoHighLevel, you ensure that your automations respect contact preferences, reduce compliance risk, and keep your messaging aligned with each contact’s opt-in status across every communication channel.

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