How To Create a Workflow From Scratch
If you can choose a trigger and a few simple actions inside HighLevel, you are closer to advanced automation than you think. For loan officers, one of the most powerful automations you can build is a pre-approval call workflow that speeds up documents, reduces ghosting, and boosts conversion.
In this post, we will turn a raw training into a clear, step by step guide you can follow to build your first workflow from scratch.
Why a Pre-Approval Call Workflow Matters
The biggest leak in most mortgage pipelines is simple: borrowers do not send their documents.
You chase them with one off calls and texts, weeks go by, and eventually they either disappear or show up unprepared. The fix is not more “checking in.” The fix is structure and speed.
A pre-approval call workflow helps you:
Book a pre-approval call right after the initial screening call
Create urgency around documentation with clear deadlines
Automate reminders so you are not manually following up
Show up to the call prepared and positioned as the expert
When you are fast to respond and consistent with follow up, your conversion rate often jumps because you are the one who actually moves the file forward.
Step 1: Understand Workflows, Triggers, and Actions
Inside HighLevel, a workflow is:
One trigger that starts the automation
A list of actions that run automatically in order
Think of it like a playbook your assistant runs perfectly every single time.
Common triggers include:
Form submitted
Appointment booked
Tag added
For this example, your trigger will be an appointment booked on your Pre-Approval Call calendar.
Step 2: Create the Workflow and Calendar
Go to Automations → Workflows → Create Workflow.
Choose Start from Scratch so you have full control.
Rename it to something clear, such as Pre-Approval Call Workflow.
Before you go further, set up the calendar that the workflow will watch:
Go to Settings → Calendars.
Create a Pre-Approval Call Calendar.
Set the duration, for example 30 minutes.
Assign yourself as the user.
Choose the meeting location, such as Google Meet, Zoom, or phone.
Adjust your booking availability so you are not open 24 hours a day.
Once the calendar exists, go back to your workflow and connect it to the trigger.
Step 3: Set the Trigger When a Pre-Approval Call Is Booked
Add a new trigger:
Trigger type: Appointment status
Status: Confirmed
Calendar: Pre-Approval Call Calendar
Using “appointment status” instead of “customer booked appointment” allows the workflow to fire whether you book the call for the client or they book it themselves.
This is the moment your entire automation starts.
Step 4: Send Internal and Client Confirmations
The first actions should confirm the booking and notify you.
Internal notification to you
Action: Send internal notification as an SMS
Recipient: Assigned user (you)
Message example:
{{contact.full_name}} just booked a Pre-Approval Call for {{appointment.start_datetime}}.
Confirmation text to the borrower
Action: Send SMS
Message example:
Hey {{contact.first_name}}, your pre-approval call has been booked with {{user.full_name}} for {{appointment.start_datetime}}. Reply Y to confirm.
This feels like a professional office experience, similar to a doctor or dentist. It is obviously automated, but it is still clear, helpful, and trustworthy.
Step 5: Build the 3 Day Document Reminder
Now you will create the urgency that actually gets documents submitted before the call.
Wait step
Action: Wait
Condition: Wait until 3 days before appointment start time
Reminder SMS
Action: Send SMS
Message example:
Reminder: today is the final day to submit your application so we can have you pre-approved before your upcoming call with {{user.full_name}}.You have a pre-approval call in 3 days at {{appointment.start_datetime}}.Submit your application here: [link]
Replace the bracketed text with your application or portal link.
Reminder email
Action: Send Email
Subject:
Action Requested: Pre-ApprovalBody example:
John,Reminder: today is the final day to submit your documentation so we can prepare your pre-approval before our upcoming call.Please submit everything using the link provided.{{user.e_signature}}
By hitting both text and email, you dramatically increase the odds that the borrower actually completes their part.
Step 6: One Day Appointment Reminders
Keep your reminders simple and consistent leading up to the call.
Wait step one day before
Wait until one day before the appointment time.
SMS reminder
Action: Send SMS
Message example:
Reminder: you have a pre-approval call tomorrow at {{appointment.start_datetime}}.Here is the link to join: {{appointment.meeting_location}}
Email reminder
Action: Send Email
Subject:
Reminder: Your Pre-Approval CallBody can mirror the text message and include the join link and your email signature.
You can also add a final reminder one hour before the call using the same pattern if you want even tighter show up rates.
Step 7: Publish, Test, and Keep It Focused
Two important final steps:
Publish the workflow. Flip it from Draft to Published. Draft means nothing runs. Published means real leads enroll.
Test with your own contact record. Use the Test Workflow button, send everything to yourself, and make sure the messages look exactly how you want.
A key best practice is to keep one main goal per workflow. This workflow’s only job is to handle the pre-approval call and the related document urgency. If you want to nurture leads long term, create a separate nurture workflow and enroll contacts into that.
When this is live, you have turned your pre-approval process into a repeatable system. Every booked call triggers confirmations, structured reminders, and clear document deadlines, all without you having to chase people manually. That is how you move from “I will try to remember to follow up” to a predictable and scalable mortgage pipeline.
