How to Control Course Access with GoHighLevel Communities Private Channels

If you are coming from tools like ClickUp and moving your education programs into GoHighLevel, private channels in Communities offer a powerful way to gate and organize course access. This guide walks you through exactly how to set up private channels, connect them to courses, and manage member permissions step by step.

The goal is to help you use GoHighLevel Communities as a structured learning hub where each course is unlocked by specific channel memberships, making your programs easier to manage and sell.

What Are Private Channels in GoHighLevel Communities?

Inside the Communities feature of GoHighLevel, you can create channels that act like rooms or spaces for specific topics or groups. Channels can be:

• Public – visible and accessible to everyone in the community.
• Private – visible or hidden, and restricted to approved members only.

When used with courses, private channels let you control who can see your training content based on the channels they belong to.

How Private Channel-Based Course Access Works in GoHighLevel

In GoHighLevel Communities, each course can be associated with one or more private channels. A member’s access to the course is automatically controlled by their membership in those channels.

The basic logic is simple:

• If a user is added to the required private channel(s), they gain access to the associated course.
• If a user is removed from those channels, access to the course is revoked.

This allows you to sell courses, bundle programs, or manage tiered memberships entirely through channel subscriptions.

Prerequisites for Using GoHighLevel Communities Private Channels

Before setting up course access rules, make sure the following are ready in your GoHighLevel account:

• A community already created.
• At least one course built in the Courses or Communities area.
• Permission to create and manage channels in that community.

Once these are in place, you can connect courses to channels and start automating access.

Step-by-Step: Create a Private Channel in GoHighLevel

Follow these steps to create a private channel you can later use for course access:

1. Open the community: From your GoHighLevel dashboard, navigate to the specific community where your course lives.
2. Go to the channels area: Locate the section where channels are listed for that community.
3. Create a new channel: Click the option to add a new channel.
4. Name the channel: Give it a clear title related to the course, such as “Course A Members” or “Premium Coaching”.
5. Set channel type to private: Choose the setting that makes this a private channel instead of a public one.
6. Adjust visibility: Depending on your strategy, set the channel to be visible to non-members (they can see it but not enter) or completely hidden.
7. Save the channel: Confirm and save your new private channel.

This private channel is what you will connect to a specific course for controlled access.

Linking Courses to Private Channels in GoHighLevel

Once your private channel exists, you link it to your course so that access becomes channel-based.

Configure Course Access Rules in GoHighLevel

1. Open the course: In GoHighLevel, go to the Courses or Communities section and select the course you want to protect.
2. Find access settings: Locate the course settings or access control tab for that course.
3. Select channel-based access: Choose the option that allows you to restrict course access using community channels.
4. Attach the private channel: From the list of channels, select the private channel you created to associate it with this course.
5. Confirm and save: Save your settings so that the course now uses channel-based access.

From this point on, anyone who joins the linked private channel will automatically be granted access to the corresponding course.

Using Multiple Private Channels for a Single Course

GoHighLevel Communities can also support scenarios where more than one channel grants access to the same course. For example:

• Channel 1: Standard Members.
• Channel 2: VIP Members.

You can configure your course access rules so that membership in either channel unlocks the course. This helps when you have multiple plans or bundles that should all include the same content.

Managing Member Access Through GoHighLevel Private Channels

Once your course is tied to private channels, you manage user access by adding or removing them from those channels.

Add Members to Private Channels

To grant course access via GoHighLevel Communities:

1. Open the community: Go to the community where the private channel lives.
2. Select the channel: Click on the private channel associated with your course.
3. Add members: Use the add or invite member option to include specific users.
4. Confirm access: Once added, those users will automatically gain access to the linked course.

Remove Members from Private Channels

To revoke course access:

1. Open the community: Navigate to the relevant community in GoHighLevel.
2. Select the private channel: Choose the channel connected to the course.
3. Remove the member: Use the manage or remove member option to take them out of the channel.
4. Result: When removed from the channel, their access to the associated course is automatically revoked.

This simple add/remove flow allows you to manage course access without editing the course settings every time.

Best Practices for Structuring Courses with GoHighLevel Communities

To get the most out of channel-based access in your GoHighLevel setup, consider these best practices:

• Use descriptive names: Name channels so admins and members instantly understand what course or level they relate to.
• Map one course per core channel: For clarity, align each standalone course with a primary private channel.
• Bundle with additional channels: For programs that include several courses, create a “bundle” or “program” channel that grants access to multiple courses.
• Document your structure: Keep a simple internal doc or use a project management tool to map which channels connect to which courses.

Organizing your GoHighLevel Communities this way makes scaling your education products and memberships much easier.

Where to Learn More About GoHighLevel Communities

You can find the original documentation for private channel-based course access directly on the official help portal at this GoHighLevel Communities guide. It provides the platform’s reference details for how the feature behaves.

If you need strategic help designing funnels, memberships, or automation around your GoHighLevel setup, you can also explore consulting resources like Consultevo for implementation and optimization support.

Summary: Using GoHighLevel Private Channels for Course Control

By connecting courses to private channels, GoHighLevel Communities allows you to:

• Gate course access based on channel membership.
• Automatically grant or revoke access by adding or removing members from channels.
• Support multiple access paths to the same course using different channels.
• Keep your learning programs structured, scalable, and easy to manage.

Set up your private channels, link them to your courses, and manage access directly through your community, turning GoHighLevel into a flexible, channel-driven learning environment.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your GHL , work with ConsultEvo — trusted GoHighLevel Partners.

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