Birthday Email Automation in GHL

Send birthday discount emails without doing the work by hand. This quick GHL guide shows how to automate birthday offers and bring customers back more often.

Inside this video:

• Create a birthday workflow from scratch.
• Add the Birthday Reminder trigger in GHL.
• Send birthday discount emails automatically.
• Add tags and test the workflow before going live.

Birthday discounts work because they feel personal. Most people ignore regular marketing emails, but birthday emails feel more relevant. When you send an offer close to someone’s birthday, they are more likely to notice it and take action.

Timing also plays a big role in Birthday Email Automation. Sending the discount a few days before the birthday usually works better than sending it on the actual day. It gives customers time to book a service, visit your business, or use the coupon before it expires.

This type of workflow also helps you stay connected with customers without adding more work to your day. Once the automation is active, GHL handles the timing, sends the email, and applies tags automatically. You create more chances for repeat sales while keeping customer communication consistent throughout the year.

• Birthday emails often get better open rates than normal promotions.
• Customers are more likely to respond to offers tied to personal dates.
• Birthday Email Automation helps bring past customers back.
• Sending the email early gives customers more time to use the offer.
• Automated workflows reduce manual follow-up work.
• GHL handles the sending and timing once the workflow is published.
• Birthday campaigns help local businesses stay top of mind.
• Small birthday offers can lead to repeat bookings and purchases.

Building a Birthday Email Automation workflow in GHL is a simple process inside the Automations area. You will create a workflow from scratch, add the Birthday Reminder trigger, create the birthday discount email, apply a contact tag, and configure the workflow settings for proper delivery timing.

This setup helps you send birthday offers automatically without manually tracking customer birthdays. In the steps below, you will build the complete workflow, test the automation, and prepare it for live customer use inside GoHighLevel.

• Access the Workflow Builder from the Automation Section.
• Set the Birthday Reminder Trigger After Renaming Your Workflow.
• Add a Filter in the Birthday Reminder Trigger.
• Set the Number of Days Before Saving the Trigger.
• Add the If / Else Action Element.
• Set the First Branch to Check if the Contact Has an Email Before Saving the Action Element.
• Add a Send Email Action Element Under the Check if Contact Has an Email Branch.
• Set the Sender’s Name, Email, and Subject Line.
• Add the Email Body and Birthday Coupon Code Before Saving the Action Element.
• Add a Contact Tag Action Element.
• Set the Birthday Coupon Sent Tag Before Saving the Action Element.
• Open the Workflow Settings.
• Set the Contact Timezone Before Setting the Time Window.
• Turn On the Saturday and Sunday Checkboxes Before Returning to the Workflow Builder.
• Publish and Save Your Workflow.

To start, make sure you are logged in to your GoHighLevel sub-account, you have created a Coupon, and a birthday tag.

• Create the Birthday Email Automation workflow using the Workflow Builder inside the Automation section.

1.1 Click Automation.

• You will be taken to the Workflows tab by default.

1.2 Click Workflows.

• You will see a list of your workflows, along with options like Create Folder, Build Using AI, and + Create Workflow.

1.3 Click + Create Workflow.

• A dropdown menu will appear with options, including + Start from Scratch.

1.4 Click + Start from Scratch.

• You will be taken to the Workflow Builder.

• Rename your Birthday Email Automation workflow, then set the Birthday Reminder trigger.

2.1 Rename your workflow.

• Click the Pencil icon at the top of the Workflow Builder and enter a new workflow name.

2.2 Click the Add New Trigger button.

• The trigger library will appear, where you can search for and select a trigger.

2.3 Search for and click Birthday Reminder.

• You will be taken to the trigger settings to configure it.

• Click the Add Filters button inside the Birthday Reminder trigger.

3.1 Rename the trigger.

• This helps make the trigger easier to identify in the workflow canvas.

3.2 Click the + Add Filters button.

• A filter dropdown menu will appear below the + Add Filters button.

• Set the number of days before saving the trigger.

4.1 Set the first dropdown filter to Before no. of days.

• Another dropdown menu will appear below it.

4.2 Choose the number of days before the trigger activates.

• For this example, you can set it to 7 days, but many users prefer setting it to 0.

4.3 Click the Save Trigger button.

• The trigger should now appear in the workflow canvas.

• Click Add New Element, then search for and select If / Else.

5.1 Click Add New Element.

• The action element library should appear on the right side of the canvas.

5.2 Search for and select If / Else.

• You will be taken to the If / Else settings.

• Rename the action element and the first branch, then set the email condition to check if the contact has a valid email address before saving the workflow.

6.1 Rename the If / Else action element and its first branch.

• Renaming helps make the workflow easier to read in the workflow canvas.

6.2 Set the filter in the first segment of the first branch to Email.

• Another dropdown menu will appear below it.

6.3 Set the second filter in the first segment to Is not empty.

• The Is not empty option should appear in the second filter field.

6.4 Click Save Action.

• This action element should now appear in the workflow canvas.

• Add and configure the Send Email action element under the Check if contact has an email branch.

7.1 Click Add New Element.

• The action element library should appear on the right side of the canvas.

7.2 Search for and select Send Email.

• You will be taken to the Send Email settings.

• Rename the action element, set the sender’s name and email address, and add the email subject line.

8.1 Rename the Send Email action element.

8.2 Set the sender’s first name.

• You are free to use the custom values function for this.

8.3 Set the sender’s email address.

• You are free to use the custom values function for this.

8.4 Add the email subject line.

• Use a clear and simple subject line for the birthday email.

• Write the email body and include the Birthday Coupon code before saving the action element.

9.1 Write the email body.

• Keep the message short, clear, and easy to read.

9.2 Add the Birthday discount code.

• Make sure the instructions clearly explain how the receiver can use the discount code.

9.3 Click the Save Action button.

• The Send Email action element should now appear in the Birthday Email Automation workflow canvas.

• Click Add New Element, then search for and select Add Contact Tag.

10.1 Click Add New Element.

• The action element library should appear on the right side of the canvas.

10.2 Search for and select Add Contact Tag.

• You will be taken to the Add Contact Tag settings.

• Rename the action element, then set the Birthday Coupon Sent tag before saving the action element.

11.1 Rename the action element.

• This helps make the workflow easier to read in the workflow canvas.

11.2 Set your created tag.

• Select the Birthday Coupon Sent tag.
• This tag shows that the contact already received the birthday coupon email.

11.3 Click the Save Action button.

• This action element should now appear in the workflow canvas.

• Click the Settings tab located at the top of the workflow canvas.

12.1 Click the Settings tab.

• You should now be taken to the Birthday Email Automation workflow settings section.

• Set the Contact Timezone inside the Communication section before turning on the Time Window setting for the workflow.

13.1 Set the Contact Timezone.

• This helps the workflow send messages based on the receiver’s local timezone.

13.2 Turn on the Specific Time option in the Time Window section.

• New settings for time and days should appear below it.

• Turn on the weekend checkboxes before returning to the workflow builder.

14.1 Turn on the Saturday and Sunday checkboxes.

• This is important because some contacts may have birthdays on Saturday or Sunday.

14.2 Click the Builder tab.

• You should now return to the workflow canvas.

• Turn on Publish and save your workflow.

15.1 Turn on the Publish button.

• The toggle will turn blue to show that it is active.

15.2 Click Save.

• The red dot on the Save button will disappear, confirming that your Birthday Email Automation workflow has been saved.

Birthday Email Automation works best when you keep the process simple. Most customers do not want long birthday emails filled with too much information. A short message, a clear offer, and good timing usually perform much better.

The timing of the email matters more than many businesses realize. Sending the birthday offer a few days before the birthday gives customers enough time to book a service, visit your business, or use the coupon before it expires. That small adjustment can improve engagement without changing the entire workflow.

You should also treat birthday campaigns as part of your long-term customer retention process. Even a small birthday discount can help bring past customers back if the message feels personal and easy to act on.

• Send the birthday email about 7 days before the birthday.
• Keep your message short and easy to understand.
• Add a clear expiration date to the coupon offer.
• Use the customer’s first name inside the email.
• Include one simple call-to-action in the message.
• Test the workflow before turning it live.
• Add an SMS reminder if you want extra visibility.
• Track coupon usage to measure campaign performance.
• Create better birthday offers for repeat customers or VIP clients.
• Use contact tags to organize future follow-up campaigns.
• Avoid sending too many birthday reminders close together.
• Verify your sender email address inside GHL before publishing the workflow.

Birthday Email Automation works for almost any local business. You send a message at the right time instead of sending random promotions. That makes the email feel more personal to the customer.

You also save time with this setup. Once the workflow is active in GHL, the system sends the emails for you. You do not need to track birthdays by hand or remember when to follow up.

Many businesses can use birthday campaigns in simple ways.

• Salons can send birthday discounts for hair or spa services.
• Gyms can offer birthday deals for memberships or classes.
• Restaurants can send free dessert or meal coupons.
• Dentists can reconnect with past patients using birthday offers.
• Med spas can promote birthday treatments or packages.
• Retail stores can send birthday coupons for future purchases.
• Agencies can build Birthday Email Automation workflows for clients.
• Service businesses can stay in touch with past customers.
• Loyalty programs work well with birthday rewards.

One of the best parts is consistency. New contacts enter the workflow during the year. That helps you stay connected with customers without building new campaigns every month.

Birthday Email Automation works best when you keep the workflow simple and clean. Most problems happen when businesses rush the setup or skip small details. A few small mistakes can lower open rates and reduce coupon use.

One common mistake is sending the birthday email too late. If the customer gets the offer on their birthday, they may not have time to use it. Sending the email a few days early gives people more time to book a service or use the coupon.

Another problem is making the email too long. Most people scan emails very fast. A short message with one clear offer usually works better than a long sales email.

• Collect customer birthdates before starting the workflow.
• Check that contacts have valid email addresses.
• Keep the birthday message short and easy to read.
• Test the workflow before you publish it live.
• Use the correct timezone inside GHL settings.
• Add an expiration date to the birthday offer.
• Avoid sending too many reminder emails.
• Use offers that customers will actually want to use.
• Track coupon use and email results over time.
• Use contact tags for reporting and follow-up campaigns.

Small fixes can improve your results fast. A simple Birthday Email Automation workflow is often easier to manage and works better over time.

Birthday Email Automation is easy to manage once the workflow is active, but many users still have questions about setup, timing, testing, and best practices. These answers will help you avoid common problems and get better results from your birthday campaigns inside GHL.

Birthday Email Automation helps you stay in touch with customers without extra daily work. Once the workflow is active in GHL, the system sends the emails and applies the tags for you. That helps you stay consistent during the year.

Birthday emails also feel more personal than normal promotions. Customers are more likely to notice a birthday offer because the timing feels relevant. Even a small discount can help bring people back to your business.

This workflow works well for many local businesses. Salons, gyms, restaurants, retail stores, agencies, and service businesses can all use Birthday Email Automation to create repeat visits and stronger customer relationships.

You also do not need a large setup to get started. A simple birthday email is enough for most businesses. Later, you can add SMS reminders, follow-up messages, or better offers for repeat customers.

It is smart to test the workflow from time to time. Small changes to the message or timing can improve results. Simple workflows are often easier to manage and perform better over time.

Have you started using Birthday Email Automation inside GHL yet?