Let’s talk about one of the most annoying (and misunderstood) HighLevel quirks I’ve seen lately…
👉 Recurring calendar events that ghost your automations.
If you’ve ever built what you thought was a flawless workflow—only to have it do absolutely nothing when a recurring appointment hits your calendar—you’re not crazy. You’re just using the wrong trigger.
This came up on a live Zoom call I hosted with Mario Aldayuz, Head of Partnerships at HL Pro Tools, and it’s something I think way more people need to know about.
Let’s break it down:
The Workflow Trigger That Doesn’t Work (Sometimes)
Most people naturally use the “Customer Booked Appointment” trigger when building calendar workflows. Seems logical, right?
But here’s the catch…
⚫ That trigger only works when someone manually books.
It doesn’t fire for recurring events already scheduled in the system.
So if your client has, say, a standing coaching call every Tuesday at 10am… your reminder workflow just sits there doing nothing while your client forgets the meeting.
The Fix: Use the Right Trigger
To make sure your automations actually fire for all types of bookings—including recurring ones—you’ll want to use this instead:
🟢 “Appointment Status is Updated” trigger
This one’s more flexible and picks up all appointment activity, not just new bookings. So whether it’s rescheduled, confirmed, or part of a recurring series—it works.
🔥 Pro tip from Mario:
Combine this trigger with a filter step that checks the status (e.g., “confirmed”) before sending reminders or tasks. That way, you’re not blasting messages when someone cancels.
Other Smart Fixes for Calendar Workflows
Here’s what we also covered on the Zoom call that might save you hours of “why isn’t this firing?!” frustration:
🧠 Audit your triggers. 90% of workflow issues come from using the wrong one.
🕒 Add “wait” steps to give HighLevel time to catch up on updates (especially with contact info).
✂️ Turn off native calendar notifications. Use workflows instead for full control of messaging.
If you’re doing more advanced stuff—like splitting logic for group calls vs. one-on-ones, or sending custom reminders by service type—you’ll want to look into AI calendars too.
Real-World Example
One user on the call was running weekly financial check-ins with their clients. Everything was set up beautifully—reminders, prep instructions, even a post-call follow-up. But none of it was triggering.
Why? All the calls were recurring bookings, and they were using the wrong trigger.
Once they switched to “Appointment Status Updated”, everything worked like magic again.
So yeah, sometimes it’s not your workflows—it’s just HighLevel being HighLevel. 😅
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Rebuild)
⚫ Recurring bookings don’t trigger “Customer Booked Appointment.”
🟢 Use “Appointment Status is Updated” instead.
🧪 Test your workflows with real calendar events, not just the test button.
🔁 Recurring clients = recurring opportunities… but only if your automations fire.
Cool Free Thing: The Testimonial Workflow You Wish You Already Had
Before a client lets you manage their calendar, their CRM, or their tax forms, they need to trust you.
The fastest way to earn that trust? ⭐️ Testimonials.
So here’s a gift: our Testimonial Workflow—the exact process we use to…
✅ Collect high-converting testimonials
✅ Clean ’em up for reuse
✅ Organize them so you’re never scrambling when you need proof
Want More Pro-Level Fixes Like This?
If this solved a headache (or three), I’ve got way more HighLevel tips, templates, and tools waiting for you over at:
We’ve helped thousands of agencies turn HighLevel into an unfair advantage. Come steal our stuff. 😎
