Not if Stop on Response is turned on. In GoHighLevel, the setting stops a workflow for a contact who replies, so the next scheduled text does not go out after the prospective client answers. The bottom line: Stop on Response prevents awkward follow ups, but it is not the same as honoring an opt out, and it does not notice a phone call.
What GoHighLevel documents
GoHighLevel's help pages describe Stop on Response as stopping the workflow for the contact who responds, and note that it does not catch phone calls. So if a prospect calls back instead of replying, the workflow keeps running unless something else ends it. The fix is a step that removes the contact from the workflow when staff tag the call, or when an appointment is booked.
Why a law firm cares
A follow up that arrives after the prospect has already replied, hired the firm, or said no looks careless, and in a legal setting it can read as pressure. There is also a legal layer. The FCC's 2024 consent order lets a person revoke consent to autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts by any reasonable means, requires callers to honor the request within a reasonable time not to exceed 10 business days, and treats the words stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel, and unsubscribe sent by text as automatically reasonable. A broader part of that order, which treats a revocation as applying to all messages from the caller, was delayed to January 31, 2027, and the FCC released a revised order on September 9, 2026 that would replace the delayed rule and take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Ask counsel which version applies on your launch date.
| Reply from the prospect | What should happen |
|---|---|
| Any reply asking a question | Stop the automation, and route to intake |
| Stop, cancel, unsubscribe, or a similar word | Stop all texts and record the opt out |
| Says they hired someone else | Stop, tag Lost, and end the sequence |
| Calls the firm instead of texting | Staff tag the contact so the workflow ends |
| Books a consultation | Remove from the follow up workflow |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- Open the follow up workflow and turn on Stop on Response in the workflow settings.
- Add an Appointment Status or Customer Booked Appointment trigger workflow that removes the contact from the follow up workflow.
- Add a tag such as Call received that staff use after a phone conversation, and a step that removes tagged contacts from the workflow.
- Confirm in a test how your account handles a STOP reply, and record the date and message of any opt out.
- Write the follow up texts so each stands alone, since the next text may go to someone who is reading the thread for the first time.
- Add a task for intake to read every reply the same day.
The workflow trigger list and the Getting Started with Workflows page on the help portal describe triggers, actions, and removal from workflows, and the FCC order lists the opt out words.
Worked example
For example, a firm sends 3 follow up texts to 100 leads a month, so up to 300 texts. If 25 leads reply after the first text and Stop on Response ends their sequences, the firm avoids 50 unnecessary texts (25 leads times 2 remaining texts).
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming a phone call stops the sequence. It does not.
- Treating Stop on Response as an opt out. Honor opt outs separately.
- Ignoring words like cancel or end. The FCC counts them.
- Not logging the opt out. Keep a record.
How this was handled before
Firms followed up by hand, with a paralegal checking whether a prospect had answered before sending the next message. Automated sequences removed the checking, and Stop on Response puts a simple version of it back. Regulators have also tightened how opt outs must be honored.
What to measure after launch
Track replies received, follow ups stopped after a reply, opt outs, and opt outs honored within a day. Test a STOP reply and a phone call every month to confirm the automation ends.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Keep records of opt outs and the date they were honored, because the FCC rule sets a 10 business day maximum. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Does Stop on Response catch phone calls?
No. GoHighLevel's help pages say it does not, so use a tag or an appointment trigger to end the workflow.
How fast must a firm honor an opt out?
The FCC's 2024 order says within a reasonable time, not to exceed 10 business days. A 2026 revision proposes changes.
Which words count as opting out?
Stop, quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel, and unsubscribe are treated as automatically reasonable when sent by text.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.