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Here’s a little productivity win that gave me a lightbulb moment this week…

I was implementing a smart QR code ticketing system inside HighLevel — a strategy I first learned from Pat Friel (you can read my full how-to here: Create personalised QR code event tickets using HighLevel).

Everything was working nicely… until I hit a technical snag.

I needed a way to display a message on the check-in form if someone had already redeemed their ticket — to stop any cheeky double use. And this isn’t something HighLevel does natively.

Pat said: “Just add a bit of JavaScript.”

Now, I’m not a developer. I know what JavaScript is, but writing it? Not my thing.

In the past, this would have stopped me in my tracks.
But then I remembered my trusty assistant: ChatGPT.

👨‍💻 The Ask

I typed this into ChatGPT:

“Can you write me a JavaScript code to create a visual notification on a HighLevel form that a ticket has already been redeemed? The inbound link will include data for ‘already_redeemed=yes’, and when it does, I want to clearly display that this ticket has already been used.”

Within seconds, it gave me the code.
Not just that — I asked it for improvements, tweaks, styling, and it adapted the code each time.

No Stack Overflow trawling. No trial-and-error.
Just a working solution — in under 5 minutes.

🧠 Why This Is a Big Deal for Marketers

Let’s be honest: as marketers, we often need little bits of code — a script to hide a button, validate a field, tweak how something displays. But if you’re not a developer, it can feel like you’ve hit a wall.

Now, thanks to ChatGPT, we can skip the frustration and get working solutions fast.

This is a game-changer.

Whether you need:

• a script to hide form elements conditionally

• a countdown timer

• a way to pre-fill fields based on URL parameters

• or anything else slightly techy but not full-scale development…

Just describe the problem in plain English, and ChatGPT will help you build it.

✅ My Tip: Treat ChatGPT Like a Junior Dev

You don’t need to learn to code. You just need to know what you want to happen.

Ask ChatGPT like you’re briefing a junior developer:

• “I want to show a red message if a parameter in the URL says ‘already_redeemed=yes’”

• “Can you make the message bold and use a warning icon?”

• “Now also hide the submit button if it’s redeemed”

It’ll guide you step-by-step.

🚀 One More Productivity Hack Unlocked

I’ve always said that marketers today are part-strategist, part-techie, part-content creator.

ChatGPT is like having a little tech assistant in your pocket, ready to fill in your skill gaps — and speed things up.

No need to outsource tiny tasks.
No need to get stuck.

Just ask, tweak, and copy-paste.

Try it. Next time you need something coded — just ask ChatGPT. You might be surprised how far it can take you.

🔗 Related:

• How to resize and crop images using ChatGPT

• QR Code Ticketing in HighLevel – Full Tutorial

[[ UPDATE 11 Aug 2026 — While you can still “hack” HighLevel as per below. HighLevel have just launched Events and Ticketing which makes it much easier. It is still in Beta so you may need to ask your administrator to enable this functionality Here is the link to my article on this new and exciting module. Click Here.    Julian  ]]

If you run events, workshops or appointments — and want an easy way to manage attendance, check-ins and follow-ups — QR code tickets are a brilliant solution.

HighLevel doesn’t include a built-in QR ticketing system out of the box, but with a clever workflow and a third-party QR generator, you can create personalised, scannable tickets that sync directly with your CRM.

This guide — including a great explainer video by Pat Friedl— shows you how to do it step-by-step.

Why Use QR Code Tickets?

QR tickets let you:

• Send each attendee a unique, scannable link

• Check them in quickly at the door using a mobile or tablet

• Trigger workflows when they arrive (e.g. thank-you message, survey)

• Prevent link sharing — every code is personalised to that person

• Create a professional, smooth experience for both you and your attendees

Step 1: Watch Pat Friedls’ Setup Tutorial 🎥

Before you dive in, watch this short video by Pat Friedl. It walks you through exactly how to use dynamic QR codes in a HighLevel workflow:

Key points covered in the video:

• Use a QR code generator (like qrserver.com or a similar service) to create the image

• Create a dynamic link, such as:
  https://yourdomain.com/ticket?contact={{contact.id}}

• Use a custom field to store the QR code image URL, which updates per contact

• The unique QR code is generated outside of HighLevel by a third party service. For data security we do not send “off site” any personal data. Rather we first generate a unique, “trigger link” in HighLevel which contains no personal identifiable data and this is used to generate the unique QR code image.
• Ticket security – only allow redemption once. When the ticket is first redeemed capture this data in a custom field – eg. “Ticket previosuly Redeemed”. Be sure to include this in the data that gets passed into the QR code and so populates the entry form when scanned. So staff can visually see the ticket has previously been redeemed.

Although it’s not native functionality, this workaround lets you generate and store a unique ticket for each person — ready to embed in printed tickets, emails or SMS.

Step 2: Design and Send the Ticket

Once the QR code image is created and stored, you can add it to:

• A confirmation email with event details

• An SMS with a link to a branded ticket landing page

• A printable ticket (PDF or email format)

Make sure your landing page recognises the contact ID and optionally displays their name, booking details, or any special access they’ve been granted.

Step 3: Scan and Trigger Automation

At the event, simply scan attendees’ QR codes using a smartphone or tablet. Each code should link to a unique URL that:

• Logs the check-in (using a form, survey or trigger link)

• Tags the contact (e.g. “Attended Live Workshop”)

• Triggers workflows like:

  • Sending a thank-you message

  • Offering a limited-time upsell

  • Booking the next appointment or event

This process gives you a light-touch, CRM-integrated way to manage attendance and automate your post-event follow-up.

Example Use Cases

• Live Workshops – Register attendees with QR tickets, track who came, and follow up after

• Appointments – Use QR codes to signal arrival at a physical location

• Team Training – Record attendance for internal events or CPD sessions

• Pop-Up Events – Combine email confirmation + QR access in one seamless flow

Final Thoughts

While HighLevel doesn’t (yet) have a built-in QR ticketing module, you can achieve this setup using:

• External QR code generators

• Contact-based custom fields

• Smart workflows and landing pages

Thanks to Pat Friedls’ video and some light customisation, you can turn HighLevel into a simple, efficient ticketing tool — without needing Eventbrite or complex third-party tools.

Need help setting up QR code tickets for your event?
Book a discovery call with Julian and I’ll help you build a seamless, automated check-in system with HighLevel or MarketerM8. Book a Discovery Call Here.

Also see…

Direct mail is far from dead. In fact, when done well, it can outperform digital campaigns by a mile. But the key word here is well. The old ‘spray and pray’ letters are long gone. Today’s successful direct mail campaigns are personalised, trackable and interactive — and one of the easiest ways to make that happen is by using QR codes.

In this post, I’ll show you how to create direct mail campaigns that integrate seamlessly with HighLevel and use QR codes to bridge the offline-to-online gap.

Why QR Codes?

QR codes allow you to:

• Track who responds to your mail campaign

• Send people directly to a personalised online experience

• Trigger automations inside HighLevel (like email or SMS follow-ups)

• Add measurable ROI to your offline marketing

They’re simple to generate, easy for customers to scan with a smart phone, and — when connected to a CRM like HighLevel — incredibly powerful.

Step 1: Use Pat Friedls’ Walkthrough to Set Up QR Code Generation 🎥

Before you build your direct mail campaign, I recommend watching this short video by Pat Friedl. He walks through the exact steps to generate dynamic QR codes inside a HighLevel workflow:

This approach creates a QR code image that’s unique for each contact and stored in a contact custom field — a key step in delivering a personalised direct mail experience.

An important note. The unique QR code is generated outside of HighLevel by a third party service. For data security we do not send “off site” any personal data. Rather we first generate a unique, “trigger link” in HighLevel which contains no personal identifiable data and this is used to generate the unique QR code image.

Step 2: Design Your Direct Mail Piece

Now you’ve got a QR code stored for each recipient, it’s time to create your mailer.

Some quick design tips:

• Include a clear call to action, e.g. “Scan this code to claim your VIP pass”

• Make sure your QR code prints clearly — test it before sending

• Use personalisation like the recipient’s first name or company name to boost engagement

You can produce the mailers using an office printer, or send them automatically via webhooks to direct mail fulfilment services like STANNP.

Step 3: Automate the Journey After the Scan

This is where HighLevel really comes into its own. Once someone scans the QR code and visits your landing page, you can:

• Trigger a tag (e.g. “Scanned Direct Mail QR”)

• Start an email or SMS nurture sequence

• Drop them into your sales pipeline

• Send an internal alert to a sales rep

• Offer a limited-time page or hidden content

• Enter them into a competition
• Plus many more use cases

Because the contact ID is embedded in the QR URL, HighLevel can instantly identify the contact and start tracking their journey.

Final Thoughts

Combining unique QR codes with HighLevel transforms direct mail into something powerful:

• It’s trackable

• It’s automated

• And it delivers real results

If you’re already using HighLevel (or my white-label version, MarketerM8), this is a brilliant way to stand out in a noisy market and drive measurable response from your offline activity.

Need help setting this up?
Book a discovery call with Julian and I’ll show you how to integrate QR codes into your CRM and direct mail campaigns using HighLevel or MarketerM8. Click to Book a Discovery Call.

Also see…

If you rely on HighLevel to power your marketing, CRM or automation systems, it’s only natural to want a heads-up if there’s ever an issue.

No system—no matter how robust—can offer 100% uptime. Whether it’s planned maintenance or an unexpected interruption, even the best platforms occasionally go offline.

So, rather than sitting in the dark wondering why something isn’t working, here’s how you can stay in the loop when HighLevel has an issue.

Where to Check HighLevel’s System Status

HighLevel has a dedicated status page that gives you real-time updates on how everything is running:
👉 https://status.gohighlevel.com

This page gives you a clear, up-to-date view of:

• Any known incidents or outages

• Scheduled maintenance windows

• Status of core services like email, calendars, workflows, etc.

• Historical uptime reports if you want to look back

Be the First to Know — Subscribe for Alerts

You can also subscribe to receive alerts whenever there’s an update—so you’re the first to know if something goes down.

Just hit “Subscribe to Updates” on the page and choose how you’d like to be notified:

It only takes a few seconds and it means you’re not left second-guessing when something doesn’t work as expected.

A Quick Reality Check

Even the biggest tech giants experience the odd hiccup. While HighLevel has a strong track record and continues to invest in reliability, it’s worth remembering that no platform can guarantee 100% uptime.

That’s why subscribing to the status page is a smart move. It gives you visibility and reassurance—and helps you act quickly if something’s not right.

One Final Tip

Bookmark the status page or add it to your team dashboard. If anything’s playing up, you can check it in seconds and avoid wasting time trying to troubleshoot something that’s out of your hands.

Stay informed. Avoid the guesswork.
Subscribe for HighLevel status alerts here: https://status.gohighlevel.com

If you’re looking for a CRM and marketing automation platform, two big names that come up are HubSpot and HighLevel.

On the surface, both claim to offer an all-in-one system – CRM, email, automation, landing pages, and more. But under the hood, these platforms are built for very different audiences and budgets.

So, how do they compare? And which is better for your business?

🧰 What Is HubSpot?

HubSpot is one of the most recognisable names in CRM and inbound marketing software. It’s an enterprise-grade platform used by thousands of businesses worldwide – from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

It’s known for its clean interface, comprehensive feature set, and vast ecosystem of integrations.

HubSpot offers:

• CRM and sales pipeline tools

• Marketing automation (email, forms, CTAs, landing pages)

• Helpdesk and customer service tools

• Website CMS, blog, and SEO tools

• Reporting dashboards and integrations

But it comes with a catch – cost. While there’s a free CRM, advanced features like automation, custom reporting, and sales sequences quickly push you into the paid tiers, which can escalate fast (often into hundreds or thousands per month).

⚙️ What Is HighLevel?

HighLevel (GoHighLevel) is a newer platform that’s built for agility and affordability. Originally launched for marketing agencies, it’s now widely used by small to medium-sized businesses, multi-location firms, and growing service providers.

HighLevel includes:

• Full CRM and sales pipeline management

• Automation across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and voice

• Funnels, websites, surveys, and landing pages

• Booking calendars and live chat widgets

• Social media post scheduling

• AI agents for chat, phone, and workflow creation

Everything you need to attract leads, nurture prospects, and convert sales – all under one roof, with flat monthly pricing and unlimited contacts.

🔍 Side-by-Side Hubspot vs HighLevel Comparison

🧠 Which Should You Choose?

✅ Choose HubSpot if:

• You’re a larger organisation or SaaS business

• You need enterprise-grade reporting, lead scoring, and integrations

• You have the budget for its premium features (£500–£2000+ monthly isn’t a dealbreaker)

• You want a polished UI with strong customer support and add-ons

✅ Choose HighLevel if:

• You’re a coach, consultant, agency, or local business looking to automate and grow

• You want full CRM and automation tools without stacking up costs

• You want to consolidate multiple tools (e.g. Calendly, Mailchimp, ClickFunnels)

• You need SMS/WhatsApp/email automation in one place

• You’re growing and want unlimited users and contacts on a single plan

💬 Real-World Perspective

• HubSpot is polished and powerful – but often overkill (and overpriced) for small businesses. Many users only scratch the surface of what they’re paying for.

• HighLevel gives you 80–90% of the functionality most businesses need, for a fraction of the cost. You lose some polish, but gain speed, control, and all-in-one simplicity.

🚀 Final Verdict

If you’re an enterprise team needing deep integrations, account-based marketing, or enterprise sales tools – HubSpot may be worth the investment.

But if you’re a growing business that wants to manage leads, automate follow-ups, book appointments, and run marketing all in one place – without bleeding cash each month – HighLevel is the smarter, leaner choice.

Curious if HighLevel could work for your business?
Book a free discovery call with Julian and let’s explore the best setup for your goals.

Check out HightLevel agency – MarketerM8.com