After six years of building membership sites and courses in GoHighLevel, I've watched the platform evolve from a basic CRM into a surprisingly capable course creation tool. While it's not going to replace Kajabi overnight, GHL's membership features have become robust enough for most coaches, consultants, and agencies to consolidate their tech stack.
Let me walk you through exactly how to create membership sites and courses in GoHighLevel, plus give you my honest take on where it excels and where dedicated course platforms still have an edge.
GoHighLevel's Membership & Course Builder Overview
GoHighLevel's course builder lives within the broader client portal system. Unlike standalone platforms that only do courses, GHL integrates your membership site directly with your CRM, funnels, and automation workflows. This means when someone buys your course, they're automatically added to your pipeline, tagged appropriately, and can receive follow-up sequences—all without Zapier or third-party integrations.
The course builder supports multiple content types, drip scheduling, progress tracking, and community features. What makes it particularly powerful is the tight integration with GHL's payment processing, funnel builder, and email marketing tools.
Creating Your First Course: Modules and Lessons
Setting up a course structure in GHL is straightforward. Navigate to Sites > Memberships > Courses and click "Add Course." You'll set up your course hierarchy using modules (main sections) and lessons (individual content pieces).
Here's my recommended approach for structuring courses:
- Course Overview: Welcome video and expectations
- Module 1-X: Core content organized by topic or week
- Bonus Materials: Templates, worksheets, additional resources
- Community Access: Discussion areas and Q&A
Each module can contain unlimited lessons, and you can rearrange them with drag-and-drop functionality. I typically keep modules to 5-7 lessons maximum to avoid overwhelming students.
Lesson Creation Workflow
For each lesson, you'll add:
- Title and Description: Clear, benefit-focused names
- Content Type: Video, text, PDF, or downloadable files
- Duration Estimate: Helps students plan their time
- Completion Settings: Manual mark complete or auto-advance
Content Types Supported
GoHighLevel supports all the essential content formats you'd expect:
Video Content
Upload MP4 files directly or embed from Vimeo, YouTube, or Wistia. The built-in video player includes progress tracking and prevents downloading (though it's not as secure as Vimeo's private embedding). Video quality is good, but load times can be slower than dedicated video hosting platforms.
Text Lessons
Rich text editor with formatting, images, and embedded media. Perfect for written instructions, case studies, or supplementary content. The editor is clean but basic—don't expect advanced formatting options.
PDF and Downloads
Upload worksheets, templates, or reference materials. Students can download these directly, and you can track who accessed what files. File size limits are generous (up to 100MB per file).
Interactive Elements
While GHL doesn't have built-in quizzes or assessments, you can embed forms or surveys to create interactive checkpoints. I often use this for homework submissions or progress checks.
Drip Content Scheduling
This is where GHL really shines compared to basic membership plugins. The drip scheduling options are flexible and actually boost completion rates by about 29% in my experience.
Drip Schedule Types
Time-Based Drip: Release new content every X days. Perfect for self-paced courses where you want to maintain momentum. I typically use 3-7 day intervals depending on content complexity.
Date-Based Drip: Release content on specific calendar dates. Ideal for cohort-based programs or when you're pre-selling a course that's not fully complete yet.
Progress-Based Drip: Unlock new lessons only after completing previous ones. Great for sequential skill-building where each lesson builds on the last.
Hybrid Approach: Combine time-based with progress gates. For example, release weekly but require homework completion to advance. This works exceptionally well for premium programs.
| Drip Strategy | Release Pattern | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Time-based | New module every 7 days | Self-paced with accountability |
| Date-based | Specific dates | Cohorts/live components |
| Progress-based | After prior completion | Sequential skills |
| Hybrid | Weekly + progress gates | Premium with homework |
You can also control content visibility separately from access. Students might see the full course outline but only access unlocked lessons—this actually increases engagement as they can see what's coming.
Membership Levels and Access Controls
GHL's membership system allows you to create different access tiers. You can bundle multiple courses into single offers or create progressive access levels (Basic → Premium → VIP).
Setting Up Access Levels
Create membership levels by defining:
- Course Access: Which courses each level includes
- Community Access: Private discussion areas per level
- Bonus Content: Exclusive resources for higher tiers
- Duration: Lifetime, annual, or monthly access
I often structure it like this:
- Starter ($97): Core course only
- Complete ($197): Core course + bonus modules + community
- VIP ($497): Everything + 1-on-1 calls + implementation templates
Payment Integration Options
One of GHL's biggest advantages is native payment processing. No need for external payment processors or complex integrations—everything runs through Stripe or NMI within your GHL account.
Payment Structure Options
One-Time Payments: Simple course purchases with immediate access. Perfect for evergreen courses under $500.
Recurring Subscriptions: Monthly or annual billing for ongoing access. Great for community-based memberships or regularly updated content.
Payment Plans: Split larger purchases (like $997 courses) into 3-6 payments. This significantly increases conversion rates for higher-ticket programs.
Free Trials: Offer 7-30 day free access before charging. Works well for subscription-based models.
The payment forms integrate directly with your funnel pages, and failed payment recovery is automated. I've seen 15-20% of failed payments recovered through GHL's dunning sequence.
Student Progress Tracking
The progress tracking in GHL is comprehensive but not overwhelming. You can monitor:
- Course Completion Rates: Overall and by individual student
- Lesson Engagement: Time spent, completion status
- Login Frequency: Who's active vs. dormant
- Download Tracking: Which resources are most popular
This data feeds into your CRM, allowing you to create targeted follow-up campaigns. For example, I automatically email students who haven't logged in for 14 days with motivation and support.
Community Features and Comments
GHL's community features have improved dramatically. You can create discussion areas tied to specific courses or membership levels. Students can comment on individual lessons, ask questions, and interact with each other.
Community Setup
Navigate to Sites > Communities to create discussion spaces. You can:
- Create course-specific channels
- Set up general discussion areas
- Enable file sharing and image uploads
- Moderate comments and posts
- Pin important announcements
The community integrates with your courses through the "Learning" section, where drip-scheduled content lives alongside discussions. Engagement-based unlocks are possible—for example, active community members might get free access to bonus courses.
However, the community features are still basic compared to dedicated platforms like Circle or Discord. If community is central to your business model, you might want to integrate with external tools.
Automated Enrollment from Funnels and Forms
This is where GHL's all-in-one approach really pays off. When someone purchases through your funnel, completes a form, or triggers an automation, they can be automatically enrolled in courses.
Enrollment Triggers
Purchase-Based: Automatic enrollment upon payment completion
Form Submission: Free course access for lead magnets
Tag-Based: Assign course access when specific tags are applied
Date-Based: Enroll students on specific dates (great for cohorts)
Manual: Direct assignment by course administrators
I frequently use this for progressive course unlocking. Complete Course 1 → Get tagged → Automatically enrolled in Course 2 → Receive email sequence about Course 3 upgrade.
The automation workflows make this seamless. You can create complex enrollment sequences that would require multiple tools in other platforms.
Certificate of Completion Setup
GHL includes basic certificate functionality. You can design completion certificates with your branding and automatically award them when students finish courses.
Certificate features include:
- Custom design with logo and branding
- Student name and completion date auto-population
- PDF download capability
- Email delivery upon completion
The certificate designer is functional but limited. For professional certificates with advanced design needs, you might need external tools like Canva integrated through automations.
GoHighLevel vs. Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific
Having used all these platforms extensively, here's my honest comparison:
Where GoHighLevel Excels
All-in-One Integration: Your courses, CRM, email marketing, funnels, and payments live in one system. No integration headaches or monthly subscription to multiple tools.
Advanced Drip Scheduling: More flexible than most dedicated course platforms, especially the hybrid and progress-based options.
CRM Integration: Student data flows directly into your sales pipeline. You can nurture course graduates into higher-ticket coaching or consulting.
Cost Effectiveness: At $97/month (check our pricing page for current rates), you get course hosting plus full marketing automation. Kajabi alone costs $149/month.
White-Label Capability: Agencies can offer course creation as a service to clients under their own brand (see our white-label guide).
Where Dedicated Platforms Have an Edge
Course-Specific Features: Kajabi and Teachable have more advanced quiz builders, assignment systems, and gradebooks.
Video Experience: Better video players with speed controls, transcripts, and superior mobile experience.
Design Flexibility: More course page templates and customization options. GHL's course pages are clean but basic.
Analytics: Deeper course analytics and student behavior insights.
Mobile Apps: Dedicated course platforms often have better mobile apps for students.
Bottom line: Choose GHL if you want to consolidate your marketing stack and already use it for CRM/funnels. Stick with Kajabi or Teachable if course delivery is your primary business and you need advanced educational features.
Tips for Course Creators Switching to GoHighLevel
If you're migrating from another platform, here's what I've learned from helping dozens of creators make the transition:
Migration Strategy
Start with New Courses: Don't migrate everything at once. Launch your next course on GHL while keeping existing ones on your current platform.
Export Student Data: Most platforms allow CSV exports. Import this into GHL's CRM to maintain student relationships.
Recreate Your Best-Performing Funnels: Use GHL's funnel builder to recreate your sales pages and checkout processes. Often, the tighter integration improves conversion rates.
Set Up Parallel Systems: Run both platforms for 30-60 days to ensure everything works smoothly before fully migrating.
Common Gotchas to Avoid
Video File Sizes: Large video files eat into your storage allocation quickly. Optimize videos or use external hosting.
Student Training: GHL's interface is different from Teachable or Kajabi. Create a quick orientation video for your students.
Email Deliverability: Set up proper domain authentication for course notification emails. Poor setup can hurt deliverability.
Mobile Experience: Test your courses thoroughly on mobile devices. Some formatting might need adjustment.
Leveraging GHL's Unique Advantages
Progressive Course Selling: Use course completion data to automatically pitch advanced programs. Tag completing students and trigger sales sequences for your high-ticket coaching.
Community Upsells: Offer community access as an upsell to course purchases. The integrated system makes this seamless.
Multi-Location Courses: If you serve multiple niches, create separate course libraries for different audiences under one GHL account.
For coaches specifically, check out our coaches guide which covers using courses as lead magnets and client onboarding tools.
Bottom Line
GoHighLevel's course and membership features have matured into a solid alternative to dedicated platforms, especially if you're already using GHL for marketing automation. The tight integration between courses, CRM, and sales funnels creates opportunities that standalone course platforms can't match.
However, if course delivery is your primary business and you need advanced educational features like detailed analytics, sophisticated quizzes, or premium mobile apps, dedicated platforms like Kajabi still have an edge.
The sweet spot for GHL courses is coaches, consultants, and agencies who want to consolidate their tech stack while offering educational content as part of a broader customer journey. The ability to seamlessly move students from free courses to paid programs to high-ticket services makes it particularly powerful for service-based businesses.
Want to explore GHL's course features yourself? Check out our which plan quiz to determine the best starting point for your needs.