Starting a HighLevel agency without guessing your way through setup
The first weeks in HighLevel are mostly decisions: which plan, which subaccount structure, what to build before your first client sees anything. Nexus Hub exists so you can make those decisions with people who have already made them.
What this usually looks like
- You are not sure which plan, structure or subaccount setup you actually need
- Domain, email and A2P registration keep stalling your launch
- You have a trial ticking and no clear order of work
- You are copying tutorials without knowing which apply to your agency
Bring these to the community or a live call
How should I structure subaccounts for my first few clients?
Start with one subaccount per client and keep your own agency account separate from client work. Build the pattern you want to repeat in a single account first, then save it as a snapshot instead of hand-building each new client.
What do I need in place before onboarding a paying client?
At minimum: a verified sending domain, email and SMS sending set up, A2P registration submitted, a calendar that books correctly, and one lead-to-appointment workflow you have tested end to end with your own phone and inbox.
Which snapshot should I start from, and what should I strip out?
Start from the simplest snapshot that matches the service you actually sell, then strip anything you cannot explain or support: unused pipelines, demo funnels, placeholder custom values and workflows you have not tested. A smaller build you understand beats a large one you inherited.
What is the shortest path to a working lead-to-appointment system?
One form or funnel, one pipeline, one calendar, and one follow-up workflow that responds immediately and reminds before the appointment. Get that live and measured before you add nurture sequences, AI replies or reporting layers.
Resources that apply here
SOP Prompts for HighLevel Agencies
Prompt pack for documenting repeatable agency processes and creating practical SOPs for delivery, onboarding, support, and internal operations.
Open in the libraryThe Agency VA Playbook
Prompt pack for identifying delegable work, defining virtual-assistant responsibilities, improving onboarding, and managing remote support effectively.
Open in the libraryWhite-label the LeadConnector API docs — walkthrough deck + build guide
A two-part set in one download. Start with the walkthrough deck for the shape of the build — how one Cloudflare Worker reverse-proxies the LeadConnector API documentation onto your own subdomain and re-skins it in flight — then work through the build guide: fill in four values, deploy the Worker, point DNS, inject your branding and keep the theme stable when the vendor ships changes.
Open in the libraryKey Metrics Manager
Notion template designed to help businesses track and manage key performance indicators across sales, marketing, finance, and operations.
Open in the libraryProject Progress Dashboard
Notion template designed to help businesses track projects, organize tasks, and monitor progress for timely and efficient completion.
Open in the libraryMarketing & Strategy Hub
Notion template designed to help businesses create social media strategies, conduct SWOT analyses, and track competitor insights.
Open in the libraryArticles on this problem
Managing unsubscribe links and opt-out rules in LC email
Learn how to configure default and manual opt-out tags in LC Email to ensure strict legal compliance and maintain high deliverability standards across agency client sub-accounts.
TutorialsConsolidating email marketing performance reporting across sub-accounts
A central email statistics dashboard eliminates manual data collection across workflows, bulk actions, and broadcast campaigns for faster, clearer reporting.
TutorialsBuilding and deploying lead generation funnels in HighLevel fast
A practical guide to configuring templates, embedding forms, and connecting custom domains for rapid funnel deployment in HighLevel platforms.
TutorialsStructuring Custom Opportunity Pipelines in HighLevel for Clear Tracking
Designing clear opportunity pipelines gives your account team visibility into deal progression, prevents lost leads, and keeps reporting metrics accurate.
Platform changes that affect this
Turn Your Custom Fields Into Real Metrics in Sub-account dashboards and custom reports
You can now use numeric and monetary custom fields as live metrics across sub-account dashboards, custom reports, and metric modules. Custom data like property values, treatment costs, or unique deal sizes can be automatically aggregated using sum, minimum, maximum, or average functions. This eliminates the need to export data to spreadsheets for manual calculations, allowing you to build tailored reports directly inside the platform. Newly created custom fields appear as selectable metrics instantly without requiring extra setup.
Introducing New Templates
HighLevel has expanded its library with fresh pre-built assets across websites, funnels, emails, social media, ad campaigns, workflows, and snapshots. These additions target specific niches like automotive, health and wellness, finance, real estate, and creative services. Agency owners can use these customizable tools to quickly set up marketing assets and automations for clients, saving significant setup time.
🚀 Calendar AI — AI-powered Calendar setup
A new AI-guided setup tool now simplifies calendar creation for agency clients and team members. Users can describe their scheduling needs in plain text, and the AI will build the appropriate calendar, configure availability, assign team members, and set meeting locations. The setup flow also includes a live preview and a test booking feature to ensure everything works instantly. This update significantly speeds up client onboarding and reduces support questions around initial calendar configuration.
The Billing Screen Now Recognizes a Card You've Already Added
When a sub-account is placed on hold for SaaS billing or rebilling, the billing screen now displays any credit card already on file. Clients can immediately process the pending payment using their saved card instead of re-entering payment details. Once the transaction succeeds, the sub-account automatically unlocks, removing unnecessary friction and speeding up account recovery.
Tools members use for this
HighLevel
Core platform
The all-in-one CRM, funnel and automation platform that everything else in this directory plugs into.
The Snapshot Marketplace
Client onboarding
A large library of industry snapshots with funnels, websites and follow-up automations you can load into client sub-accounts.
Josh's Onboarding Videos
Client onboarding
Unbranded HighLevel onboarding and training videos you can drop into client portals.
Leadsie
Client onboarding
Collects client access to Meta, Google and other ad accounts through a single link.
How the live calls help with this
Bring your account to a live call and walk through setup on screen. New members most often use the Monday and Wednesday sessions to get their structure, domain and first workflow reviewed before they launch.
5 calls every week · Mon 11 AM CT & 4 PM CT · Wed 11 AM CT · Fri 11 AM CT & 4 PM CT
Get implementation help inside Nexus Hub
One membership, $49/month. Live calls, the full resource library and a community of HighLevel agency owners working on the same problems.
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How this was researched, tested, and corrected: Nexus Hub editorial standards. Spotted an error? Report it and we will check it.