Sub-Account Setup Made Simple for GHL Agencies

One of the biggest mistakes new GoHighLevel users make is treating the agency account and the sub-account like they’re the same thing. They’re not. And if you blur the lines, you’ll end up with frustrated clients and a management nightmare.

Your agency account is the master control tower. It’s where you oversee everything: billing, integrations, global settings, snapshots, and your full roster of clients. Think of it like the garage itself, stocked with every tool you own.

A sub-account, on the other hand, is the individual client’s workspace. This is their corner of the garage, fully kitted out with what they need and branded to look like it’s theirs. Each sub-account runs its own funnels, calendars, automations, and CRM without touching the others.

Here’s the simple breakdown:

• Agency account = owner’s dashboard (your view of the whole business).
• Sub-account = client’s sandbox (their dedicated setup inside your system).
• Permissions flow from agency to sub-account, not the other way around.
• Billing is handled at the agency level, but you can track usage per sub-account.

When you understand this split, everything clicks. You stop trying to run clients out of your master account and instead create smooth, professional setups inside their own sub-account. That’s the difference between running a hobby project and scaling an actual agency.

Let’s be blunt: if you’re skipping proper sub-account setup, you’re slowing your agency down. Every client dumped into a messy, half-configured system creates extra work, more mistakes, and bigger headaches when things break.

Here’s why sub-account setup matters so much:

• Streamlined client management – Each client gets their own sandbox. No cross-contamination, no “oops I sent the wrong email to the wrong client.”
• Easier onboarding – With snapshots and clean sub-account setups, onboarding new clients goes from a week-long grind to a same-day process.
• Tighter security – Permissions live at the sub-account level, so staff and clients only see what they’re supposed to. No more all-access chaos.
• Scalability on autopilot – As your agency grows, you can spin up new sub-accounts like clockwork. Same setup, same process, no reinventing the wheel.

Think of sub-account setup like laying the foundation for a house. A sloppy foundation cracks later, and you’ll waste money fixing it. A solid foundation means everything you build on top: automations, funnels, campaigns, just works.

The agencies that nail this process early are the ones that scale the fastest.

Sub-account setup might sound intimidating, but once you know the flow, it’s a repeatable system that saves you hours with every new client. Follow these steps to get it right the first time:

To begin, make sure you’re in the Agency View of your GoHighLevel sub-account.

The Main Menu on the left side of your screen has all the main areas you work in when using GHL.

1.1 Click on the Sub-Accounts Menu Item.

• Access the Sub-Accounts within GoHighLevel.
  • You’ll now be in the Sub-Account section of GHL, where you can see all your existing sub-accounts.

1.2 Click on the ‘Create Sub-Account’ button.

GoHighLevel gives you a few options for creating a new account.

2.1 Select a ‘Template’ or start with a ‘Blank Snapshot.’

• The templates are built to help you get started quickly. A blank snapshot is a completely empty account.

2.2 Click the ‘Select & Continue’ button.

2.3 You can also click the ‘Setup Guide’ button.

• This will show you a walk-through of the complete sub-account setup guide.

The setup guide is a step-by-step assistant that will walk you through the rest of the process.

3.1 Go through the sections of the setup guide.

3.2 Click ‘Continue’ to move to the next section.

Now it’s time to create your sub-account.

4.1 Click ‘Add Manually’ to start adding your business details.

In this section, you’ll add the specific details for your new account.

5.1 Fill in all your business details.

5.2 Click the ‘Add Sub-Account’ button.

Once your new sub-account is created, you can switch to it to start working.

6.1 Switch to your new sub-account.

• Once your sub-account setup is complete, you can now start customizing your new account and get to work!

Your sub-account is now locked, loaded, and ready for the client.

Sub-account setup is simple once you’ve done it a few times, but there are a handful of shortcuts and landmines that can make or break your process.

Best Practices 

• Always start with a snapshot. It’s the fastest way to duplicate your best systems across every client without reinventing the wheel.
• Document your setup flow. Create a short SOP for your team so everyone follows the same steps each time. Consistency keeps clients happy.
• Use naming conventions. Label pipelines, calendars, and automations with the client name. This keeps things organized when you’re juggling dozens of sub-accounts.
• Test before you hand off. Never assume the automations or calendars are working. Run through them yourself first.

Common Mistakes to Avoid 

• Giving away too much access. New users often set staff as Admins by default. Don’t. Keep roles lean unless someone truly needs top-level control.
• Skipping integrations. Forgetting to connect phone or email means campaigns stall on day one. Double-check them before launch.
• Mixing clients in the agency account. Never build client funnels or workflows inside your agency dashboard. That’s not what it’s for.
• Ignoring branding. Leaving generic logos and default settings makes you look sloppy. Clients notice.

Bottom line: treat sub-account setup like a repeatable assembly line. The more systemized it is, the faster you’ll onboard and the more professional your agency looks.

When you set up sub-accounts the right way, you’re not just organizing software, you’re building trust, speed, and professionalism into your agency.

For agencies, the impact is massive. Instead of wrestling with settings every time a new client signs on, you’ve got a plug-and-play system that works on day one. That means faster onboarding, fewer mistakes, and less firefighting when something breaks.

For clients, it’s even more powerful. They log into their own branded portal, see their pipelines, calendars, and communications neatly in place, and immediately feel like they’re working with a professional team. That level of polish keeps clients around longer and paying more.

It also opens the door to scaling. Once sub-account setup becomes second nature, you can bring on five clients or fifty without drowning in the details. Each one gets the same clean build, the same systems, and the same experience.

In short: proper sub-account setup transforms your agency from “winging it” into running like a machine. And clients feel the difference.

When you lock down your sub-account setup process, the payoff shows up fast. Agencies that master this step see three big wins:

No more fumbling with settings or rebuilding from scratch. With snapshots and standardized sub-account setups, onboarding becomes a rinse-and-repeat process. What used to take days now takes hours.

Adding clients doesn’t have to mean adding stress. Each sub-account runs independently, so your systems scale smoothly. Whether you’re onboarding your fifth client or your fiftieth, the process doesn’t get harder, it just keeps working.

With permissions dialed in, you decide who sees what. Staff only access the tools they need, clients see their branded dashboard, and your agency keeps full ownership of the platform. That balance of freedom and control makes managing dozens of accounts sustainable.

The result? An agency that looks professional, runs efficiently, and has room to grow without you burning out in the process.

Sub-account setup isn’t just another checkbox in your GoHighLevel workflow, it’s the backbone of how your agency scales. When you take the time to set them up right, you gain efficiency, security, and a system you can repeat over and over again.

Here’s the bottom line:

• Sub-accounts keep each client’s work clean and separate.
• Proper setup makes onboarding fast and painless.
• Snapshots and permissions give you control and consistency.
• Clients get a polished, branded experience that keeps them around.

Now it’s your move. If you haven’t already, carve out time this week to document your sub-account setup process and create a standard snapshot for new clients. The faster you get this system in place, the faster your agency can grow without the chaos.

So, have you nailed down your sub-account setup process yet? If not, this is the perfect time to start.