Tracking External Forms with GoHighLevel

Purpose of This Guide

This guide explains how to install and use the External Tracking Script to record page views and track GHL and standard HTML form submissions on external websites like WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Webflow, or custom HTML.

Use this setup if you:

• Embed a GHL form on an external website

• Use a standard HTML form (not iframe-based)

• Want page views and submissions tracked for attribution

• Want to trigger workflows when those events occur

⚠️ Iframe-based or widget-based third-party forms are still not supported.
Forms must exist directly in the DOM and use valid HTML <form> elements.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What Is the External Tracking Script?
• Important Behavior Notes
• Why You Need It
• What It Does
• Before You Start
• Step 1: Get Your Tracking Script
• Step 2: Install the Script
• Step 3: Ensure Your Form Is Compatible
• ✨ Custom Field Capture (New)
• Smarter Field Mapping
• Better Data Handling
• Step 4: View Submissions
• Step 5: Workflow Triggers
• Advanced Troubleshooting
• Example Full Form
• Platform-Specific Installation
• FAQs

What Is the External Tracking Script?

The tracking script is a small piece of JavaScript unique to your account.
When placed on your external site, it:

• Records page views

• Tracks compatible form submissions

• Captures mapped custom field values

• Stores anonymous activity until the visitor becomes known

• Sends tracked events to your CRM for reporting and workflow automation

It acts as the bridge that lets you see activity from sites not hosted inside the platform.

Important Behavior Notes

⚠️ No contact or activity log will appear until a form submission occurs.

Here’s how it works:

• Page views are tracked anonymously

• Anonymous activity is stored in the browser

• Once a form is submitted:

  • A contact is created or updated

  • All prior activity is linked to that contact

This script does not:

• Create contacts from iframe-based or widget-based forms

• Track interactions like clicks or scrolls

• Track session analytics or cross-domain behavior

• Capture hidden or disabled form fields (unless explicitly configured)

Why You Need It

Without the tracking script, we cannot:

• Record page views on external websites

• Attribute leads or conversions to campaigns

• Trigger workflows based on external activity

With the tracking script installed:

• You can track our forms on external websites

• You can measure page performance in the Attribution Report

• You can trigger automations for visitors who submit a form

What It Does

Tracks:

• Page views

• Form submissions

• Workflow triggers (based on above events)

Doesn’t track:

• Scrolls, clicks, or time-on-page

• Session-level analytics

• Cross-domain behavior

Before You Start

• The site domain must be connected to your account

• The form must:

  • Be a GHL embed, or

  • Be a standard HTML <form> with valid input fields

• Forms inside iframes, popups, or JS widgets will not be tracked

Step 1: Get Your Tracking Script

In your account:

1. Go to Settings → External Tracking

2. Click Copy Script

Your snippet will look like this:

<script 
  src="https://link.yourdomain.com/js/external-tracking.js"
  data-tracking-id="tk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx">
</script>

Do not modify your data-tracking-id. It’s unique to your account.

Step 2: Install the Script

Paste the script before the closing </body> tag on your website.

Option A: Add Directly (Recommended)

Example:

<!-- External Tracking Script -->
<script 
  src="https://link.yourdomain.com/js/external-tracking.js"
  data-tracking-id="tk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx">
</script>
</body>
</html>

Works for:

• Custom HTML sites

• WordPress

• Wix / Squarespace / Webflow

Option B: Install via Google Tag Manager (GTM)

⚠️ Known Issue: GTM may remove the data-tracking-id attribute, breaking initialization.
If you see console errors like
 LC Tracking: Missing data-tracking-id attribute,
 your GTM setup is stripping the ID.

Temporary Fix / Workaround:

1. Create a Custom HTML Tag in GTM.

2. Paste your full tracking code (do not modify it).

3. Set trigger to All Pages.

4. Preview the page, open DevTools → Elements tab.

5. Verify the data-tracking-id attribute is still present in the script tag.

   • If it’s missing → install the code manually in your site footer.

Step 3: Ensure Your Form Is Compatible

The tracking script supports:

• GHL embedded forms

• Standard HTML forms rendered directly in the DOM

Form Requirements

For submissions and field capture to work:

• A real <form> tag must exist

• Fields must:

  • Be visible

  • Have a valid name attribute

• An email field must be present

Not Supported

• Forms inside iframes

• Popup-based forms

• Third-party widgets that do not expose real inputs in the DOM

✨ Custom Field Capture (New)

External Tracking now captures more than just name and email.

Supported Field Types

The script can capture:

• Single-line & multi-line text

• Dropdowns (single & multi-select)

• Checkboxes & radio buttons

• Ratings & scores

• Number, monetary & date picker fields

• File uploads & signatures (metadata only)

• Source, captcha & boolean fields

Field Capture Rules

Fields are captured only if they:

• Are visible on the form

• Have a valid name attribute

Hidden or disabled fields are ignored unless explicitly configured.

Smarter Field Mapping

Captured fields are mapped using this priority order:

1. Field name matches a HighLevel property or custom field key

2. Field label matches a HighLevel display name

3. Field name matches label text (case-insensitive)

If no match is found:

• The value is stored as unmapped_field

• This helps identify and fix mapping issues quickly

Better Data Handling

Captured values are stored with awareness of:

• Text vs numeric fields

• Single-select vs multi-select values

• Metadata-only handling for file uploads and signatures

This ensures consistent behavior in workflows and automations.

Step 4: View Submissions

In the CRM :

1. Go to Sites → Forms → Submissions

2. Filter by External Form Name

3. Submissions appear with a tag:
    external form: {form_name}

Step 5: Workflow Triggers

You can automate actions based on:

• Page View Trigger: Fires when a visitor views a page with the tracking script even if anonymous. Anonymous activity is stored and later attached to the contact when they submit an LC form.

• Form Submission Trigger: Fires when a compatible form is submitted.

Available filters:

• Domain

• Page path

• External form name

• UTM parameters (Campaign, Source, Medium, etc.)

Advanced Troubleshooting

1. Enable Debug Mode

Add data-debug="true" to your script:

<script 
  src="https://link.yourdomain.com/js/external-tracking.js"
  data-tracking-id="tk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  data-debug="true">
</script>

Then open DevTools → Console and check for [LC Tracking] logs.

2. Network Checks

• Look for successful 2xx responses.

• Ensure no CORS errors appear.

3. Cookie Verification

• Go to Application → Cookies

• Confirm a session cookie is created.
   If missing → browser privacy or third-party restrictions might block it.

4. Common Issues

Example Full Form

<form name="signup">
  <label>Email</label>
  <input type="email" name="email" required />
  <label>First Name</label>
  <input type="text" name="first_name" />
  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

Platform-Specific Installation

WordPress

1. Copy tracking code.

2. Go to Appearance → Theme Editor → Footer (or use Insert Headers and Footers plugin).

3. Paste before </body> tag.

4. Save changes.

Avoid page builders or plugins that replace forms with <div> widgets.

Important for WordPress users

Many WordPress page builders and plugins use non-form elements (such as <div> containers or JavaScript-based widgets) instead of real <form> tags.
Those forms are not compatible with the tracking script for submission tracking.

If your forms do not use real <form> tags:

• Page view tracking will still work, but

• Form submissions will not sync to your CRM.

To ensure compatibility:

• Use plugins that output valid HTML forms (for example, WPForms, Gravity Forms, or Contact Form 7).

• Confirm that the form includes <form> and <input type="email"> elements.

• Avoid forms inside iframes or popups.

Wix

1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Custom Code → + Add Custom Code

2. Paste your script

3. Set All Pages → Load code on each new page → Place in Body (end)

4. Apply and publish.

Squarespace

1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Code Injection

2. Paste the script in the Header or Footer field

3. Save and publish.

Shopify

1. In Shopify Admin → Online Store → Themes → Edit Code

2. Open theme.liquid

3. Paste code before </body>

4. Save.

HubSpot

1. Go to Settings → Website → Pages → Templates or Site Footer HTML

2. Paste your script before </body>

3. Save and publish.

Drupal

1. Go to Structure → Blocks → Add Block

2. Paste your script into the block body

3. Save.

Magento

Follow Magento’s Design Guide for adding third-party JavaScript in the Header or Footer HTML.

Joomla

1. Go to Extensions → Templates → Templates → index.php

2. Paste before </body>

3. Save.

FAQs

Q: Can I capture custom fields from external forms now?
Yes. External Tracking can now capture and map supported custom field types from compatible forms.

Q: Are third-party forms supported?
Only if they render real HTML inputs directly in the DOM. Iframe-based or widget forms are still unsupported.

Q: Are files uploaded via forms stored?
No. Only file metadata is captured.

Q: Does this affect attribution or workflows?
Yes. Captured field data can be used reliably in workflows and attribution reporting.