Timesheet approvals in ClickUp
Managing tracked time correctly in ClickUp helps your team stay compliant, bill accurately, and close payroll on time. This guide explains how timesheet approvals work, who can use them, and the exact steps to review, approve, or reject submitted hours.
What are ClickUp timesheet approvals?
Timesheet approvals let specific people review and sign off on time entries submitted for a selected period. This creates a clear approval workflow between the people submitting time and the people responsible for validating that time.
Approvals are part of the Time Tracking ClickApp and are available on certain Workspace plans. When approvals are enabled, members can send their timesheets for review and designated approvers can approve or reject them.
Requirements to use timesheet approvals in ClickUp
Before you start using timesheet approvals, make sure your Workspace and members meet the necessary requirements.
Workspace plan and prerequisites in ClickUp
- Your Workspace must be on a plan that includes the Time Tracking ClickApp.
- The Time Tracking ClickApp must be enabled at the Workspace level.
- Only available time tracking features for your plan will appear in the Timesheets view.
Members who can use ClickUp timesheet approvals
Different roles have different abilities when working with timesheet approvals in ClickUp.
- People who can submit timesheets: Members and, depending on Workspace settings, some Guests who can track time.
- People who can approve timesheets: Typically Workspace owners, admins, or members who are designated as approvers based on the Workspace configuration.
- People who can manage settings: Owners and admins usually control whether approvals are enabled and how they are used.
Open the Timesheets view in ClickUp
You can work with timesheet approvals from the Timesheets view inside ClickUp.
- Open your Workspace.
- Navigate to the location where you track time, such as a Space, Folder, or List.
- Switch to the Timesheets view. If you do not see it, add it as a view or confirm that the Time Tracking ClickApp is enabled.
In the Timesheets view, you will see tracked time entries organized by date and person, along with options to submit and review timesheets.
Submit a timesheet for approval in ClickUp
Team members who track time can submit their hours for approval at the end of a pay period, billing period, or any chosen date range.
Steps to submit your ClickUp timesheet
- Open the Timesheets view in ClickUp.
- Select the date range you want to submit, such as a week or month.
- Review your time entries for missing or incorrect data.
- Click the option to Submit or Send for approval for that period.
- Confirm the submission so your approver is notified.
Once submitted, the status of the period changes to indicate it is pending approval. You may not be able to edit specific entries while they are awaiting review, depending on Workspace settings.
Review and approve ClickUp timesheets
Approvers can open timesheets submitted by their team and either approve them or send them back with corrections.
Access pending ClickUp timesheet approvals
- Open the Timesheets view.
- Use filters or the date picker to locate the period with pending submissions.
- Select the person whose timesheet you want to review.
Pending timesheets are typically marked with a status showing they are awaiting approval.
How to approve or reject timesheets in ClickUp
- Open the submitted timesheet for the selected person and date range.
- Review total hours, individual entries, and task details.
- Check for missing time, overlaps, or entries on incorrect tasks.
- If everything is correct, click Approve to lock in the timesheet for that period.
- If corrections are needed, choose the option to Reject or Send back with notes.
When you approve a timesheet, the status updates accordingly and it becomes the source of truth for reporting, invoicing, or payroll. When you reject a timesheet, the submitter can adjust their entries and resubmit.
Track timesheet approval status in ClickUp
Understanding the status of each timesheet helps you keep your workflow organized.
- Not submitted: The team member has not yet sent the period for approval.
- Pending: The timesheet is submitted and awaiting approval.
- Approved: The timesheet has been reviewed and accepted.
- Rejected: The approver has requested changes before resubmission.
Use the Timesheets view filters to quickly see which members still need to submit or which periods need review. This makes it easier to close out each cycle on time.
Best practices for ClickUp timesheet approvals
To keep your time tracking and approvals smooth, use these best practices.
Standardize your ClickUp approval periods
- Choose consistent periods such as weekly or bi-weekly.
- Communicate submission deadlines to your team.
- Align approval periods with your billing or payroll schedule.
Set clear rules for time tracking in ClickUp
- Define which tasks require tracked time.
- Explain how to categorize billable and non-billable time.
- Clarify who approves timesheets for each team or project.
Use ClickUp reports alongside approvals
After timesheets are approved, use reporting features to analyze time data. This helps you:
- Understand project effort and costs.
- Check utilization across team members.
- Support accurate client invoicing.
Troubleshooting ClickUp timesheet approvals
If you run into issues with timesheet approvals, check these common areas first.
- Confirm the Time Tracking ClickApp is enabled for your Workspace.
- Make sure you are viewing the correct Space, Folder, or List.
- Verify that the current plan supports advanced time tracking features.
- Check member permissions if someone cannot submit or approve.
If problems persist, compare your setup with the official help article on timesheet approvals in ClickUp at this support page.
Optimize your ClickUp setup further
Once you have timesheet approvals working smoothly, you can optimize the rest of your Workspace configuration, including automations, reporting, and integrations. For advanced implementation help, audits, and consulting around ClickUp and other productivity platforms, you can explore services from Consultevo.
By configuring timesheet approvals correctly and following a consistent review process, your organization can rely on ClickUp as a central, accurate source of time data for projects, billing, and payroll.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.
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