GoHighLevel Phone SystemHow Calling Works, What It Costs and How to Set It Up
An incoming call
- Call comes in
- IVR: press 1 for sales
- Rings the sales team
- Missed? Text back
Key facts
The GoHighLevel phone system at a glance
Checked October 11, 2026 · HighLevel: LC Phone pricing guide
- Provider
- LC Phone (built in) or your Twilio
- Local number
- $1.15/month
- Toll-free number
- $2.15/month
- Outbound calls
- $0.0166/min
- Inbound calls
- $0.0117/min
- Recording
- $0.0025/min + storage
- Buying US numbers
- One-time ID check
- Texting
- Needs A2P or toll-free verification
The basics
LC Phone or your own Twilio account?
Both connect numbers to HighLevel. LC Phone is built in and the simpler choice for most businesses.
| Compare | LC Phone | Your own Twilio |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and billing | ||
| Setup | One click, no API keys | Twilio account + connection |
| Billed | In HighLevel | By Twilio |
| Price | Cheaper “in most cases” (HighLevel) | Twilio list prices |
| Tools | ||
| Sender ID, opt-out and DND tools built in | Managed in Twilio | |
| Messaging ramp and error monitoring | Managed in Twilio | |
| Number pools, IVR, dialer, recording | ||
| Switching | ||
| Move numbers between them | Support-led migration | Support-led migration |
From HighLevel’s LC Phone article (modified 11 September 2026).
Numbers
Getting a number: buy, port, host, verify or move
Five ways to put a number to work in HighLevel, depending on whether you have one already.
| Compare | Buy new | Port in | Host for texting | Verified caller ID | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| When to use it | |||||
| Use it for | A new line or tracking number | Keeping your existing number | Keep voice with your carrier, add texting | Show your existing number on outbound calls | Moving numbers between sub-accounts |
| Calls in HighLevel | Outbound only | ||||
| Texts in HighLevel | After registration | After registration | |||
| What to expect | |||||
| Time | Minutes | 2–4 weeks (under 50 numbers) | Varies | Minutes | Minutes |
| Watch out for | One-time ID check (+1 numbers) | Name and address must match the carrier | Mobile numbers can’t be hosted | Not supported in some countries | Up to 10 numbers per move |
HighLevel guides: buying a number · identity verification · porting · number hosting · verified caller ID · what happens when you cancel.
Incoming calls
How incoming calls are routed
One call can pass through a menu, the contact’s owner, the team and a backup. The ring timeout decides when it moves on.
Typical call flow
- IVR or workflow
- Contact or number owner
- Team & forwarding number
- Voicemail or Voice AI
- Incoming call timeout: how many seconds it rings before the backup takes over (10–20 is typical)
- A short timeout (around 20 seconds) stops calls landing in someone’s personal mobile voicemail
- Owner routing: a known contact’s call can reach their assigned owner first
- Ring more team members, on the web dialer and mobile app
- “Call Connect” makes the person answering press a key, so voicemails aren’t counted as answered calls
- Recording can play a disclosure message first
- HighLevel’s articles list the routing order slightly differently: test with a real call
Phone menus
IVR menus: “press 1 for sales”
IVRs are built as workflows, so a menu can also tag, assign and follow up.
An IVRIVR: Interactive voice response: the recorded phone menu that asks callers to press a key or say an option. answers every call the same way, then sends each caller to the right person.
Example IVR
- Menu plays
- Caller presses 1
- Ring up to 10 users
- No answer → voicemail
How IVR works
- IVR trigger on the number, then menu and key-press steps
- “Connect call” to users, a team or an outside number
- Voicemail detection, recording and maximum call length
- “Record voicemail” ends on silence, a key press or max length
Rules to know
- One IVR workflow per number at a time
- Voicemails from the IVR appear in Conversations
- Keep menus short: three or four options is plenty
HighLevel guides: IVR triggers and actions · IVR connect call. Want an AI to answer instead? See the AI receptionist guide.
The money feature
Missed-call text back
Every unanswered call gets an instant text, so the lead doesn’t ring your competitor next.
- Step 1
Open the setting
Settings → Phone System → Voice → Voicemail & Missed Call Text Back.
- Step 2
Set the ring timeout
Only calls unanswered past the timeout count as missed.
- Step 3
Write the text
Short, with your name and a booking link. Send a test.
- Step 4
Check a number can text
At least one number must be A2P-registered or toll-free verified.
Which number sends the text
- 1. The number the caller dialled (if it can text)
- 2. A number you’ve texted this contact from before
- 3. Your default outbound number
- 4. Any other SMS-eligible number in the sub-account
Every missed call triggers a text, even repeat calls. The texts count toward your messaging limits, and the first one carries your compliance footer. From HighLevel’s article (modified 7 September 2026). Workflow version: missed-call recipe.
Outbound
Making calls: dialer, power dialer and dispositions
Web dialer
Browser softphone: dial, mute, hold, warm and blind transfer, call scripts. Calls log to the contact automatically.
Mobile app
Make and take calls on your business number from the HighLevel or LeadConnector app. See the mobile app guide.
Power dialer queue
A workflow’s “Manual call” action queues calls in Conversations → Manual Actions. Reps press start and work down the list.
Call dispositions
Up to 10 outcomes per sub-account (e.g. “Booked”, “Call back”). One per call; workflows can react to them.
Desk phones
SIP VoIP desk phones work alongside the dialer and app.
Voice AI
An AI agent can answer or place calls. Costs in our Voice AI pricing guide.
The dialer needs microphone access in a modern browser; VPNs, extensions and strict networks can block it. HighLevel guides: phone dialer (modified 3 September 2026) · manual call action · dispositions.
Voicemail
Voicemail and voicemail drops
Voicemail
- Company and per-user greetings (mp3 or wav)
- Messages land in Conversations on the contact
- Short ring timeout so calls reach CRM voicemail, not personal phones
Voicemail drops
- A pre-recorded voicemail sent from a workflow
- $0.0180 a minute
- Audio: mp3 or wav at 64 kbps
- You need the recipient’s consent for automated calls
Key facts
Voicemail drop daily limits (new accounts)
Checked October 11, 2026 · HighLevel: Voicemail drops
- Day 1
- 100 drops
- Day 2
- 200 drops
- Day 3
- 300 drops
- Day 7
- 700 drops
- Day 8 onwards
- 2,000 drops a day
HighLevel’s two voicemail-drop articles describe the delivery method differently; the daily limits above are from the setup article.
Attribution
Call tracking with number pools
Show each visitor a tracking number based on where they came from, then see which ad or keyword made the phone ring.
How a tracked call works
- Visitor from an ad
- Sees a pool number
- Call forwards to your line
- Report: source + keyword
- At least 4 numbers per pool; more for higher traffic
- Paste the pool snippet into the site’s body tracking code (footer tracking for one page)
- Write tel: links in the same format as the displayed number, or they won’t swap
- Forward to an outside number, never an LC or Twilio number (it loops)
- Pool calls ring the forwarding number only, not the web or mobile app
- Each pooled number is billed monthly
From HighLevel’s number pool article (modified 1 September 2026). Attribution appears in Reporting → Call Report; see GoHighLevel reporting.
Recording
Call recording and transcription: costs and rules
| Compare | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Per recorded minute | ||
| Recording | $0.0025/min | Turned on per number |
| Storage | $0.0005/min/month | Set auto-delete to stop it |
| Transcription | $0.0240/min | Recorded calls only, from when enabled |
| Caller name lookup | $0.01 each | Optional |
| Example: one 10-minute outbound call | ||
| Call + recording + transcription + 1 month storage | $0.44 | Call $0.166, recording $0.025, transcript $0.24 |
Caller ID
Caller ID, spam labels and trust registrations
Calls that show “Spam Likely” don’t get answered. Four registrations fix most of it.
- A2P 10DLC: lets your local numbers text (and can enrol SHAKEN/STIR)
- SHAKEN/STIR: signs your calls so carriers trust your number
- CNAM: puts your business name on caller ID where carriers support it
- Voice Integrity: asks First Orion, Hiya and TNS to review spam labels
- No EIN? The Free Caller Registry is the fallback
Confused by the “friendly name” field? Read GoHighLevel SHAKEN/STIR: what to enter.
Costs
What the GoHighLevel phone system costs
Usage is billed on top of your plan, at LC Phone rates.
| Compare | Price |
|---|---|
| Numbers | |
| Local number | $1.15/month |
| Toll-free number | $2.15/month |
| Calls | |
| Outbound | $0.0166/min |
| Inbound (local) | $0.0117/min |
| Inbound (toll-free) | $0.0198/min |
| Voicemail drop | $0.0180/min |
| Texts | |
| SMS per segment | $0.0075 + carrier fee |
| A2P registration | From $22.50 one-off + monthly |
From HighLevel’s LC Phone pricing guide (modified 29 September 2026). Full text costs in our SMS pricing guide; all usage costs in hidden costs.
Troubleshooting
Common phone problems and how to fix them
| Compare | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming | ||
| Calls go to my personal voicemail | Ring timeout too long | Set ~20 seconds; use CRM voicemail |
| Pool calls fail or loop | Forwarding to an LC/Twilio number | Forward to an outside number |
| IVR ignores a number | Number is on another IVR workflow | One IVR per number |
| Outgoing | ||
| Dialer won’t connect | Mic blocked, VPN or extension | Allow the mic; try without VPN |
| Calls show “Spam Likely” | No trust registrations; volume spikes | SHAKEN/STIR, CNAM, Voice Integrity |
| Can’t call a country | Destination not enabled | Check geo permissions or ask support |
| Texting | ||
| Missed-call text didn’t send | No SMS-eligible number | Finish A2P or toll-free verification |
| “Not a valid SMS-capable From number” | Voice-only number | Send from an SMS-capable number |
Setup
Set up your GoHighLevel phone system in 7 steps
- Step 1
Turn on LC Phone
One step in settings; no Twilio account needed.
- Step 2
Buy or port a number
Complete the one-time ID check for +1 numbers.
- Step 3
Register to text
A2P 10DLC for local numbers, toll-free verification for toll-free.
- Step 4
Add trust registrations
SHAKEN/STIR and CNAM in the Trust Center.
- Step 5
Routing and voicemail
Forwarding, ~20 s timeout, greetings, recording message.
- Step 6
Missed-call text back
Turn it on and test it from another phone.
- Step 7
Install the apps
Mobile and desktop for every user; test inbound and outbound.
What users ask
GoHighLevel phone questions from Reddit, answered
“How does the GHL power dialer work?”
A top-ranking thread for “gohighlevel dialer”.
Fix It’s a queue: a workflow “Manual call” step lines calls up in Manual Actions and reps dial through them, logging a disposition each time. Test with one contact before loading a list.
Source: r/gohighlevel: Power dialer two dials“GHL is great, but I need a real dialer”
High-volume callers want parallel dialing.
Fix HighLevel’s help docs describe a one-call-at-a-time queue. Teams that need parallel or predictive dialing look at dialers in the App Marketplace.
Source: r/gohighlevel: I need a dialer“Which VoIP system works best with GHL?”
Owners compare HighLevel’s phones with RingCentral-style systems.
Fix Start with LC Phone: calls, texts and recordings stay on the contact. Add SIP desk phones if the office needs handsets.
Source: r/gohighlevel: Which VoIP integrates best“Can I cancel and keep my number?”
Users worry about losing a published number.
Fix Port it to another carrier before cancelling: HighLevel deletes numbers 14 days after cancellation.
Source: r/gohighlevel: Cancel while preserving phone number
Expert take
How we set up phones for local businesses
GoHighLevel phone system FAQ
Does GoHighLevel have a phone system?
What is LC Phone?
Do I need Twilio to use GoHighLevel?
How much does a GoHighLevel phone number cost?
How much do calls cost in GoHighLevel?
Can I port my existing business number into GoHighLevel?
Can I use my existing number without porting it?
What happens to my numbers if I cancel GoHighLevel?
Why do I have to verify my identity to buy a number?
Can I text from my GoHighLevel number?
How does missed-call text back work?
Does GoHighLevel have a power dialer?
Can I record calls in GoHighLevel?
Can GoHighLevel transcribe calls?
How do I set up an IVR phone menu?
Can several team members answer the same number?
Can I route new callers to the right sales rep?
Can I use a desk phone with GoHighLevel?
How does call tracking work?
Can one sub-account have multiple phone numbers?
What are voicemail drops?
Why are my GoHighLevel calls marked as spam?
Footnotes
- HighLevel help centre: LC Phone (modified 11 September 2026), LC Phone pricing & billing guide (29 September 2026), identity verification (3 September 2026), porting, migration, hosting, verified caller ID (9 September 2026), phone number configuration, inbound call flow, IVR, missed-call text back (7 September 2026), phone dialer (3 September 2026), manual call, dispositions, voicemail drops, number pools (1 September 2026), call transcription and cancellation (18 August 2026). Checked October 11, 2026. Back to text
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