What This Guide Covers:
- Video Tutorial: Contact Management and Organization in GoHighLevel CRM
- How GoHighLevel contact management works
- A full breakdown of the contact record and where critical data lives
- How to use tags, automations, and pipelines without creating clutter
- Bulk actions that save time without relying on workflows
- Smart lists and filters for segmentation and reporting
- Best practices for cleaning up custom fields and contact views
- Video Tutorial: GoHighLevel’s Contact Screen Just Changed (Here’s What You Need to Know)
A CRM is only as powerful as your ability to use it. If you’re struggling to find key contact info in GHL, manage tags, or keep your HighLevel database clean, this tutorial is for you. In this 16-minute video, Kathrine Farris, owner of Marketecs, walks you through the contact management and navigation features inside HighLevel (Marketecs Engine) so you can streamline your workflow, stay organized, and make the most of your CRM.
Video Time Stamps
00:00 Why CRM Navigation Matters
00:52 Contact Data & Features Overview
02:14 Custom Fields & Contact Records
03:07 Tags, Automations & Opportunity Stages
04:47 Client Portal & Opt-Out Settings
06:16 Communications Feed & Activity Tracking
07:18 Bulk Actions & Automation Shortcuts
09:37 Smart Lists & Filtering
13:17 Cleaning Up Custom Fields
15:48 Streamlining Contact Records
16:24 Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Links
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Why Contact Navigation Matters More Than Features
A CRM can be loaded with functionality and still fail if users cannot quickly find, update, or trust their data. We see this regularly when clients reach out asking how to locate a phone number, identify which automation a lead is in, or understand why someone stopped receiving messages.
GoHighLevel is one of the most capable CRM platforms available for service businesses, agencies, and consultants. Marketecs Engine builds on that foundation with structured templates and hands-on support. The value comes from knowing where information lives and how to manage it intentionally.
According to Salesforce research, sales teams waste up to 17 percent of their time searching for information instead of engaging with prospects. CRM usability directly impacts revenue velocity and client experience.
Getting Oriented in the Contacts Dashboard
When you log in, start in the Contacts section. This screen gives you a high-level view of every contact along with key fields such as name, email, phone number, and tags.
You can customize which columns appear so the list reflects how your business actually operates. Many users add business name, lead source, or pipeline stage to avoid opening individual records unnecessarily.
Tooltips across the top menu explain each option clearly. If you are ever unsure what a button does, hover before clicking. This alone prevents a large percentage of accidental changes.
Inside a Contact Record, Section by Section
Clicking into a contact opens a single record that contains nearly everything you need to know about that person or company.
Core Contact Information
At the top, you will find basic contact details such as name, email, phone number, and address. These sections are collapsible, allowing you to control how much information is visible at once.
Custom Fields and Form Data
Custom fields populate based on the forms and funnels connected to your account. This is where many CRMs become cluttered over time.
Each new form does not need new fields. Reusing existing fields keeps records readable and reporting accurate. Accounts that create new custom fields for every form often end up with long, disorganized contact views.
HubSpot reports that companies with well-structured CRM data are 3 times more likely to report high user adoption across their teams.
Tags, Automations, and Opportunity Stages
On the left panel, you can view and manually update:
- Tags applied to the contact
- Automations the contact is currently in or has completed
- Opportunity pipeline and stage
This allows for quick corrections without editing workflows. For example, if a contact should be in a different sales stage or needs to be added to a follow-up automation immediately, you can do that here.
As CRM consultant Jon Miller notes, tags should describe facts, not actions. When tags are used consistently, segmentation becomes reliable instead of confusing.
Client Access and Communication Preferences
From the same panel, you can grant access to courses, communities, or client portals. You also have direct control over do-not-disturb and opt-out settings.
This is especially important for SMS compliance. Contacts who opt out can be reactivated when appropriate, something many platforms make unnecessarily difficult.
Communication and Activity Tracking
The center of the contact record functions as a live communication feed. Every email, message, form submission, page visit, and system update appears here.
You can send one-off emails or SMS messages directly from this screen, attach files, request payments, and keep your entire team aligned. All communication is logged automatically, eliminating the need to cross-check inboxes.
Gartner data shows that centralized communication tracking can improve customer retention rates by up to 27 percent due to faster and more consistent follow-up.
Tasks, Notes, Documents, and Transactions
On the right side of the contact record, you will find:
- Activity history and page tracking
- Tasks and internal notes
- Appointments and manually scheduled meetings
- Documents such as contracts and invoices
- Transactions, subscriptions, and associations
This makes each contact record a complete operational snapshot rather than just a lead profile.
Using Bulk Actions in High Level
Not every update needs a workflow. Bulk actions allow you to make controlled changes across multiple contacts quickly.
You can:
- Update pipelines and opportunity stages
- Add or remove tags
- Enroll contacts into automations with batching options
- Send bulk emails, SMS, or review requests
- Verify emails, update company names, and merge duplicates
Each bulk action is logged so you can review what was changed and when. This audit trail is critical for maintaining data integrity.
Operations expert David Jenyns emphasizes that bulk changes should always be named clearly so teams can trace outcomes later. GoHighLevel enforces this by design.
Smart Lists and Advanced Filtering
Smart lists are dynamic contact segments built using filters. You can create lists based on:
- Tags
- Location or contact details
- Workflow status
- Custom field responses
- Activity behavior
These lists update automatically and can be saved for reuse. By default, smart lists are private, but they can be shared with your team as needed.
Smart lists are ideal for campaign targeting, compliance checks, and internal reporting. Many MarketecsEngine users maintain smart lists for active offers, regional compliance rules, or client onboarding stages.
Cleaning Up Custom Fields and Folders
As accounts mature, cleanup becomes essential. Inside the settings area, you can manage custom fields and folders that control how contact records are organized.
Best practices include:
- Removing empty folders
- Consolidating similar fields into shared sections
- Renaming folders for clarity
- Moving rarely used fields out of primary views
A streamlined contact record reduces errors and improves team efficiency. According to Forrester, clean CRM data can improve marketing performance metrics by over 20 percent.
Final Recommendations for Long-Term CRM Success
Contact management is not about using every feature available. It is about building a system your team can trust and use consistently.
If you are using MarketecsEngine or GoHighLevel directly, focus on:
- Intentional custom field creation
- Consistent tag naming conventions
- Limited manual overrides paired with clear documentation
- Regular audits of smart lists and folders
If you want help implementing these practices or would like a guided walkthrough of Marketecs Engine, schedule a consultation. We are happy to support businesses that want their CRM to work as an operational system, not just a database.
Important Update: GoHighLevel has rolled out a brand-new Contact Screen Layout, and in this video, Kathrine walks you through everything that’s changed, what’s new, what’s improved, and what to watch for. This quick tutorial will help you understand where to find key tools, tags, and filters, and how the new collapsible contact details make organization faster and more intuitive.
Video Time Stamps
00:00 – Intro: What’s New in the Contact Screen
00:53 – Navigating the Updated Layout
01:24 – Smart Lists, Filters & Quick Actions
03:23 – How to Manage Contacts Effectively
05:00 – Exploring the New Contact Details View
06:45 – Using Collapsible Panels & Do Not Disturb Settings
07:15 – Keyboard Shortcuts & Final Thoughts
