GoHighLevel Click-to-Call: Setup, Voice Routing & Cost Optimization

Click-to-call is one of GoHighLevel's most powerful features for sales-driven agencies. One click from a contact record, and your team is on the phone. But behind that simple button is a voice routing system that determines call quality, reliability, and — most importantly — cost. This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced routing optimization.

How Click-to-Call Works in GoHighLevel

GHL's click-to-call functionality is embedded throughout the platform — in contact records, conversation threads, opportunity cards, and workflow actions. When a user clicks the phone icon:

1. GHL initiates a WebRTC connection from the user's browser to their telephony provider
2. The provider places an outbound PSTN call to the destination phone number
3. The two legs are bridged: WebRTC (user) ↔ Provider ↔ PSTN (recipient)
4. Call recording, tracking, and logging happen automatically in GHL

By default, the telephony provider is LC Phone (Twilio). Every call flows through Twilio's infrastructure, and you're billed at Twilio rates for both the outbound leg and the WebRTC connection.

Setting Up Click-to-Call in GHL

Basic Setup

1. Assign a phone number: Go to Settings → Phone Numbers and ensure you have at least one number assigned to your sub-account.
2. Set the outbound caller ID: In Settings → Phone Numbers, select which number appears as the caller ID for outbound calls.
3. Configure user permissions: Under Settings → My Staff, ensure team members have "Phone" permissions enabled.
4. Test the connection: Open any contact record and click the phone icon. Your browser will request microphone access on first use.

Browser Requirements

• Chrome, Firefox, or Edge (latest versions)
• Microphone permissions granted
• Stable internet connection (minimum 100kbps up/down for voice)
• WebRTC enabled (on by default in modern browsers)

Understanding Voice Routing in GHL

Voice routing determines the path your call takes from your browser to the recipient's phone. The routing decision affects three things:

• Cost: Different carriers charge different per-minute rates
• Quality: Network hops, codec selection, and route optimization affect audio clarity
• Reliability: Some routes have better uptime and fewer dropped calls

Default Routing: LC Phone (Twilio)

Out of the box, GHL routes all calls through LC Phone, which is Twilio under the hood. The call path looks like this:

Your Browser → WebRTC → Twilio Edge → Twilio → Bandwidth (carrier) → PSTN → Recipient

That's a lot of hops, and each intermediary adds cost. You're paying Twilio's retail rates, which include Bandwidth's wholesale rates plus Twilio's margin, plus GHL's markup.

Custom Voice Provider Routing

In 2024, GoHighLevel introduced the Custom Voice Provider API — a game-changer for agencies that want control over their voice routing. This API allows third-party applications to intercept voice call requests and route them through alternative carriers.

With a Custom Voice Provider like TelnyxForGHL, the call path becomes:

Your Browser → WebRTC → TelnyxForGHL → Telnyx (carrier) → PSTN → Recipient

Fewer hops. Lower cost. And because Telnyx owns its network infrastructure, you're going directly to the carrier instead of through a reseller.

Inbound Call Routing

Click-to-call is about outbound, but inbound routing is equally important for agencies. When someone calls your GHL number:

1. The call hits your telephony provider (LC Phone or custom provider)
2. GHL's routing rules apply: ring strategy, IVR menus, call queues, or direct routing to a user
3. The call is delivered to the assigned user via WebRTC in their browser or forwarded to an external number

Ring Strategies

• Simultaneous: All assigned users ring at once. First to answer gets the call.
• Round Robin: Calls rotate between users for even distribution.
• Sequential: Try users in order, moving to the next if no answer within the timeout.

Call Forwarding

GHL can forward inbound calls to external phone numbers (mobile, landline). This is important to understand from a cost perspective: forwarded calls incur double the per-minute charges — one leg inbound to GHL, one leg outbound to the forwarding number. For high-volume agencies, this doubles the impact of per-minute rate optimization.

Voice AI and Click-to-Call

The integration of voice AI with click-to-call creates powerful automation possibilities for GHL agencies:

AI-Powered Inbound Routing

Modern voice AI can handle the initial seconds of an inbound call — greeting the caller, identifying their intent, and routing to the right team member. This eliminates the need for traditional IVR menus ("Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support") and creates a more natural experience.

GHL's AI capabilities, combined with third-party integrations, enable:

• Intent detection: AI identifies why the caller is reaching out
• Smart routing: Calls are directed to the most appropriate team member based on context
• Qualification: AI asks qualifying questions before connecting to a human
• After-hours handling: AI can take messages, book appointments, or provide information when no one is available

Outbound Voice AI

Voice AI for outbound calling is growing rapidly in the GHL ecosystem. Use cases include:

• Appointment confirmation: AI calls to confirm upcoming appointments
• Lead follow-up: AI initiates follow-up calls on new leads
• Survey and feedback: Automated post-service calls
• Re-engagement: Reaching out to dormant contacts

Each of these use cases generates significant call volume. And every minute of AI-powered calling is billed at your per-minute voice rate. The difference between $0.017/min (Twilio) and $0.009/min (Telnyx) adds up fast when AI is making hundreds of calls per day.

Cost Optimization for Click-to-Call Heavy Agencies

If your agency relies heavily on click-to-call — sales teams making 50-100+ calls per day, AI-powered follow-ups, or appointment reminder campaigns — voice costs can quickly become your largest GHL expense. Here's how to optimize:

1. Route Through a Lower-Cost Carrier

The single biggest cost lever is your per-minute rate. Switching voice routing from LC Phone (Twilio at $0.017/min) to Telnyx ($0.009/min) reduces voice costs by 47% immediately. For an agency making 20,000 minutes of calls per month, that's:

• LC Phone: $340/month
• Telnyx: $180/month
• Savings: $160/month ($1,920/year)

2. Minimize Call Forwarding

Every forwarded call costs double. Encourage team members to use the GHL web app or mobile app for calls instead of forwarding to their personal phones. This eliminates the second call leg entirely.

3. Optimize AI Call Duration

If you're using voice AI, optimize your AI scripts to be concise. A 30-second AI call costs half as much as a 60-second one. Review call recordings to identify where AI conversations can be tightened.

4. Use Local Presence Dialing Strategically

Local presence (displaying a local area code to the recipient) improves answer rates by 30-40%, which means fewer wasted call attempts. Fewer unanswered calls = lower total cost per connected conversation.

5. Monitor and Analyze Call Data

GHL provides call analytics, but many agencies don't use them. Review:

• Average call duration by team member
• Answer rates by time of day
• Calls per conversion
• Cost per acquisition via phone

How TelnyxForGHL Optimizes Voice Routing

TelnyxForGHL is built specifically for click-to-call heavy GHL agencies. Here's what it does:

• Automatic voice routing: All outbound calls route through Telnyx's network at wholesale rates
• Caller ID preservation: Your existing GHL numbers show as the caller ID — no porting needed
• Zero workflow changes: Click-to-call, workflows, automations, and AI calls all work identically
• Real-time call logging: Every call is logged in GHL with full duration, recording, and status data
• Voice-only mode: Route only voice through Telnyx while SMS stays on LC Phone — no 10DLC migration needed

Setup Takes Minutes

1. Install TelnyxForGHL from the GHL Marketplace
2. Connect your Telnyx account (or create one — it's free)
3. Select voice-only or voice+SMS routing
4. Your next click-to-call goes through Telnyx at 47-78% lower rates

Real-World Impact: Sales Agency Case Study

Consider a typical GHL sales agency with 10 agents making 80 calls per day each, averaging 3 minutes per call:

• Daily call volume: 800 calls × 3 min = 2,400 minutes/day
• Monthly call volume: ~52,800 minutes/month
• LC Phone cost: 52,800 × $0.017 = $897.60/month
• Telnyx cost: 52,800 × $0.009 = $475.20/month
• TelnyxForGHL platform: $19/month
• Monthly savings: $403.40
• Annual savings: $4,840.80

For an agency with international clients, the savings are even more dramatic. An Australian agency with the same volume would save over $12,000 per year.

Click-to-Call Best Practices

• Use headsets: Built-in laptop microphones cause echo and poor call quality. A $30 USB headset dramatically improves the experience.
• Close unnecessary browser tabs: WebRTC is CPU-intensive. Too many open tabs can cause audio quality issues.
• Use wired internet when possible: WiFi introduces jitter. For high-volume callers, ethernet makes a noticeable difference.
• Set up call dispositions: Track call outcomes (connected, voicemail, no answer, not interested, booked) for better analytics.
• Record calls for training: GHL supports automatic call recording. Use it for quality assurance and training new agents.

The Bottom Line

Click-to-call is central to how GHL agencies operate. Every call costs money, and for high-volume agencies, voice is often the largest line item on the GHL bill. Optimizing your voice routing — whether through carrier selection, call forwarding reduction, or AI script optimization — has a direct and measurable impact on profitability.

TelnyxForGHL makes the single highest-impact optimization (carrier routing) accessible in minutes, with no technical complexity and no changes to your team's workflow.