Community Groups in HighLevel

Updated: February 4, 2026  | 
Author: Bill Stilwell

This post covers how community groups work, what you can build inside them, how public and private access differs, and how to set one up from scratch.

Reading time: about 10 minutes.

What Is a Community Group in HighLevel?

A community group is the core unit of HighLevel’s community feature. It is a branded, organized space where your members log in, interact, learn, and stay connected.

Each group has its own channels, member roster, roles, branding, gamification settings, course library, and event calendar. Groups sit inside a top-level community, and you can run multiple groups under the same account.

Members access their groups through a web portal or the HighLevel mobile app. No separate logins or third-party tools are required.

Public vs. Private Groups

Every group is either public or private. This setting controls who can see content and how new members get in.

Public groups are open. Anyone can see the posts, view the member list, and join immediately without needing approval.

They work well for free communities, lead-generation groups, and audiences you want to grow quickly.

Private groups are gated. Only approved members can see posts and the member list.

Every join request – including those using an invite link – requires manual admin review before access is granted.

You can switch a group between public and private at any time. Go to Group Settings, then Details, change the setting, and save.

The change takes effect immediately.

Channels

Channels are topic-specific areas within a group where posts and discussions are organized. Only admins can create channels.

Each channel gets a name (up to 15 characters), a short description (up to 60 characters), and an icon chosen from the available options.

There are three channel types. Standard channels are open to all group members.

Private channels are invite-only and invisible to members who have not been added. Announcement channels allow only admins and owners to post while members see a read-only view.

Private channels can be linked to course access – members who unlock a specific level or course get automatically added to the corresponding private channel.

Member Roles and Permissions

Every member of a group has one of four roles. Each role comes with a specific set of capabilities.

Owner has full control, including deactivating the group, editing all settings, and assigning any role including Admin. There is one Owner per group, and ownership can be transferred.

Admin can manage members – invite, approve, remove, and adjust roles – and moderate or delete any content in the group.

Moderator can moderate conversations and members within the limits configured by the Owner or Admin. To assign this role, open the group’s Members tab, click the three-dot menu next to a member’s name, and select Moderator.

Contributor participates in discussions based on the group’s privacy setting and which channels they have access to. Admins can control whether Contributors can create posts at all.

Branding and Custom Domain

Each community can be fully branded. Go to Community Settings, then Branding, to upload a logo, cover image, and favicon.

These appear across the portal and in browser tabs.

Group themes give you control over colors and visual style. Custom CSS and JavaScript can be added for deeper customization beyond the built-in options.

A custom domain replaces the default HighLevel URL with your own branded address. Go to Memberships, then Communities, then Settings, then Custom Domain.

Enter your domain, update your DNS records, and click Update Domain. Propagation takes up to 48 hours.

Inviting Members

Log in to the group and click Invite Members. You have two options: copy the invite link to share via email, SMS, or any other channel, or use the Email Invite field to send a direct invite to a specific name and email address.

When sending an email invite, you can toggle on Give Administrative Privileges before sending if the person needs admin access from day one.

Admins can also grant group access directly from the Contacts page without the member going through the join flow. This bypasses any approval questions or payment requirements – useful for adding existing clients or subscribers automatically.

You can also control whether members can invite others. Go to Group Settings and toggle Allow Members to Invite New Members on or off.

When off, the invite button is hidden for non-admin members.

Courses Inside a Group

Go to the Learning tab inside the group and click Add Course. This attaches any existing course from your account to the group so members can access it directly from the community.

You can control which courses appear, adjust visibility, and remove them at any time. Course access can also be gated by gamification level – members unlock specific courses when they reach a qualifying tier on the leaderboard.

Email Notification Settings

HighLevel sends automated emails for a wide range of community events. Go to Sites, then Client Portal, then Memberships, then Settings, then Email Settings, then Communities to configure all of them.

Notification categories include group invitations, membership approval and decline, new comments, comment replies, likes, member tagging, content reports, new calendar events, course unlocks, and role changes. Each has a default template you can preview and customize.

Community emails are sent from the default email address configured in your sub-account’s Email Services settings.

What Can You Do With It?

• Replace standalone community tools: Run your entire member community inside HighLevel instead of maintaining a separate Skool, Circle, or Mighty Networks account.
• Gate your best content to paying members: Set a group or specific channels to private and connect them to a paid membership offer – access is controlled automatically.
• Segment your audience across multiple groups: Create separate groups for different audiences, products, or membership tiers under one account.
• Run live coaching calls inside the community: Use Go Live in any group channel to host interactive sessions or broadcast from OBS without sending members to Zoom.
• Deliver courses and discussions in one place: Attach courses to the group so members move between lesson content and community discussion without switching platforms.
• Automate access with workflows: Use the Group Access Granted and Group Access Revoked triggers in Workflow Builder to add or remove members automatically based on purchases, tag changes, or any other event.
• Get discovered on GoKollab: List your group on the GoKollab marketplace to reach new members who are actively looking for communities in your niche.
• Build social proof with gamification: Enable the leaderboard and level system so active members earn recognition publicly, which keeps engagement visible and self-reinforcing.

Key Definitions

Use Cases by Industry

Business Coaching and Consulting

A business coach creates a private group for paying clients. Channels separate weekly Q&A, resource sharing, and accountability check-ins.

Go Live handles weekly group calls. The gamification leaderboard recognizes the most engaged clients publicly each week.

Result: The community becomes a core retention tool – clients stay because the group is where their peers, content, and coach all live.

Online Education

An educator attaches their full course library to a paid community group. Students access lessons and ask questions in the same platform without switching between a course portal and a separate discussion forum.

Course unlock notifications fire automatically when a student reaches a new gamification level, rewarding engagement with new content access.

Result: Completion rates improve because discussion and content are in one place and progress feels like advancement.

Marketing Agencies

An agency builds a free public group to attract potential clients and a separate private group for paying retainer clients. The public group gets listed on GoKollab for discovery.

Workflow automations move contacts from the free group to the paid group when they purchase a retainer, with no manual admin work required.

Result: The community doubles as a lead funnel and a client retention system at the same time.

Fitness and Wellness

A fitness coach runs daily accountability check-ins through community posts and uses a private channel for VIP members who pay for additional coaching access.

The gamification leaderboard rewards members who check in consistently, creating visible social proof that keeps newer members motivated.

Result: Daily engagement habits form because the community structure rewards showing up, not just purchasing.

Professional Associations

An industry association uses separate channels for job postings, industry news, member introductions, and event announcements. The announcement channel ensures critical updates reach everyone without being buried in conversation threads.

Events are created inside the group with calendar integrations so members add sessions directly to Google Calendar from the community.

Result: Members have one destination for everything related to their industry – news, networking, events, and resources.

Who Is This For?

How to Set Up a Community Group

Step 1: Create the community

Go to Memberships, then Communities, and click Create New Community.

This sets up the top-level container that will house all your groups, branding, and community-wide settings.

Step 2: Create and name your group

Click Create Group. Enter a group name, URL slug, and short description.

Select Public or Private based on your access model. You can change this at any time.

Step 3: Upload branding

Go to Community Settings, then Branding. Upload your logo, cover image, and favicon.

Use the Group Theme option to adjust colors and visual style to match your brand.

Step 4: Set up a custom domain

Go to Memberships, then Communities, then Settings, then Custom Domain.

Enter your domain, update your DNS records, click Update Domain, and allow up to 48 hours for propagation.

Step 5: Create your channels

Click Add Channel in the left sidebar. Give each channel a name (up to 15 characters), description (up to 60 characters), and icon.

Create at least one Announcement Channel for admin-only broadcast posts that members see in a read-only view.

Step 6: Invite members and assign roles

Click Invite Members to copy the invite link or enter a direct email address. To grant admin access, toggle on Give Administrative Privileges before sending.

After members join, use the three-dot menu on any member in the Members tab to assign them Admin, Moderator, or Contributor roles.

Step 7: Attach courses

Go to the Learning tab and click Add Course to attach any existing course from your account.

Members access attached courses directly from the community without needing a separate login.

Step 8: Configure gamification

Go to Settings, then Gamification and Rewards. Rename the nine level tiers and add up to three reward descriptions.

Build a Workflow with the User Group Gamification Level Changed trigger to automate recognition when members advance.

Step 9: Configure email notifications

Go to Sites, then Client Portal, then Memberships, then Settings, then Email Settings, then Communities.

Enable or disable each notification type and customize the templates for invitations, approvals, comments, and events.

How Does It Connect to HighLevel?

• Paid Community Memberships: Connect a payment offer directly to a group so new members pay before gaining access. Paid Community Memberships handles the full billing and access flow.
• Community Gamification: Points, levels, and a leaderboard are configured per group. Community Gamification drives engagement and unlocks course content for advancing members.
• Community Posts and Comments: All member interaction happens through Community Posts and Comments across the channels you create inside each group.
• Community Live Streaming: Go Live is available in any group channel. Community Live Streaming lets you run interactive sessions or broadcasts without leaving the platform.
• Workflow Builder: The Group Access Granted and Group Access Revoked triggers connect community membership directly to Workflow Builder for fully automated onboarding and offboarding.

Common Questions

What is a Community Group in HighLevel?

A dedicated space where your members interact, take courses, attend events, and build relationships. Groups can be public or private, with their own channels, roles, branding, gamification, and member management – all inside your HighLevel account.

What is the difference between a public and private community group?

Public groups allow anyone to see content and join immediately. Private groups hide content from non-members and require all join requests – including invite links – to be manually approved by an admin.

What roles are available in a HighLevel community group?

Four roles: Owner (full control), Admin (manages members and content), Moderator (moderates within configured limits), and Contributor (participates based on group and channel access settings).

Can I set up a custom domain for my HighLevel community?

Yes. Go to Memberships, then Communities, then Settings, then Custom Domain.

Enter your domain, update DNS records, and click Update Domain. Expect up to 48 hours for propagation.

How do I invite members to a HighLevel community group?

Log in to the group and click Invite Members. Copy the invite link to share anywhere, or use Email Invite to send a direct invitation.

Admins can also grant access from the Contacts page, bypassing join questions and payment requirements.

Can members invite others to a HighLevel community group?

Yes, if the admin enables it. Go to Group Settings and toggle on Allow Members to Invite New Members.

When off, the invite button is hidden for non-admin members.

How do I add courses to a HighLevel community group?

Go to the Learning tab inside the group and click Add Course. This attaches any existing course from your account.

Members access it directly from the community without a separate login.

What types of channels can I create in a HighLevel community group?

Standard (open to all members), Private (invite-only, hidden from non-members), and Announcement (admin/owner post access only, read-only for members). Each gets a name up to 15 characters, description up to 60 characters, and an icon.

Can I change a group from public to private after it is created?

Yes. Log in to the group, go to Group Settings, then Details, change the visibility setting, and save. The change takes effect immediately.

Can a HighLevel community group be listed on GoKollab?

Yes. Go to your sub-account, then Memberships, then Kollab Marketplace, and click Activate Now. Only groups with 10 or more members are eligible to appear on the GoKollab discovery page.

To Wrap It Up

Community Groups are the foundation everything else in HighLevel’s community feature builds on.

Gamification, live streaming, paid memberships, course delivery, events, and workflow automation all operate within the group structure. Getting the group set up correctly – the right privacy model, well-named channels, roles assigned appropriately, and branding in place – determines how every other feature performs.

The biggest practical advantage is consolidation. If you are currently running a community on Skool or Circle alongside HighLevel, you are managing two platforms, two member lists, and two sets of notifications.

Moving the community into HighLevel eliminates that split and connects member activity directly to your CRM, automations, and payment system.

Here is how to get started:

1. Create your community and first group under Memberships, then Communities
2. Decide on public or private – you can change this later but it shapes the whole access model
3. Upload your logo, cover image, and favicon under Community Settings, then Branding
4. Set up a custom domain if you have one – it makes a meaningful difference in how professional the community feels
5. Create three to five focused channels rather than a long flat list
6. Invite your first members and assign roles before the group goes live
7. Attach any relevant courses under the Learning tab
8. Configure at least the invitation and approval notification emails
9. Build a workflow using Group Access Granted to automate your member onboarding sequence

The channel structure decision matters more than most people expect. A group with three well-named channels stays organized as it grows.

A group with fifteen channels feels cluttered on day one and gets ignored by day thirty.