How to Use ClickUp for Agency Management
ClickUp gives agencies a single workspace to manage clients, projects, tasks, and reporting without juggling multiple tools. This how-to guide walks you through setting up an effective agency workspace so your team can deliver projects on time and stay profitable.
Why Agencies Use ClickUp for Project Management
Agency teams often struggle with scattered communication, unclear ownership, and missed deadlines. A centralized platform solves this by bringing tasks, files, and conversations together.
Using ClickUp as your core agency management hub helps you:
- Coordinate cross-functional creative, strategy, and account teams
- Standardize client delivery processes and templates
- Track billable vs. non-billable work with detailed time tracking
- Visualize workloads and capacity across the agency
- Automate routine work like status updates and task routing
The following sections show you how to configure your workspace to match a modern agency operating model.
Step 1: Plan Your Agency Structure in ClickUp
Before you build anything, decide how to model your agency hierarchy. A clear structure makes navigation easier and helps you roll up reporting.
Design your spaces for agency teams
Create high-level Spaces to mirror core departments in your agency, such as:
- Client Services or Accounts
- Creative or Design
- Performance Marketing
- Development or Web
- Operations or PMO
You can also create a dedicated Space for internal initiatives like branding, HR, or finance.
Create folders for clients and services
Within each Space, organize work into Folders so you can separate clients, services, or delivery models. Common patterns include:
- One Folder per client with lists for active projects
- One Folder per service line (SEO, paid media, web design, content)
- One Folder for retainers and another for one-off projects
Pick the model that best reflects how your agency scopes and delivers work.
Step 2: Build Client Projects and Retainers in ClickUp
Once your structure is set, start translating real client work into projects and tasks.
Set up standard project templates
Create project templates for repeatable engagements, such as:
- New website build
- Brand identity refresh
- SEO audit and implementation
- Paid media launch
- Ongoing content production
Each template should include:
- Predefined task lists and phases
- Standard custom fields (budget, priority, channel, client owner)
- Dependencies (for example, creative review before development)
- Default assignees or roles for each step
Saving templates here lets you spin up new client projects in minutes.
Model retainers and recurring work
For retainer clients, use recurring tasks or recurring lists to reflect monthly or weekly commitments. Typical recurring items include:
- Monthly performance report
- Weekly standup with the client
- Content calendar planning
- Campaign optimization cycles
This structure ensures that recurring obligations never fall through the cracks and can be forecasted across months.
Step 3: Configure ClickUp Views for Visibility
Different stakeholders in an agency need different perspectives on the same work. Configuring multiple views makes your workspace more useful for everyone.
Create PM views for delivery teams
Project managers and producers need granular task visibility. Helpful views include:
- List view: Detailed task lists with custom fields for status, budget, and due dates
- Board view: Kanban-style columns for stages like Briefed, In Progress, In Review, Approved, Done
- Table view: Spreadsheet-like reporting across projects and clients
These views make it easier to monitor work in flight and quickly identify bottlenecks.
Build executive dashboards in ClickUp
Leaders need roll-up reporting across accounts and departments. Use dashboards to show:
- Project status by client and service line
- Hours logged vs. budget per project
- Workload by team member and role
- Upcoming milestones and deadlines
Dashboards provide a single source of truth when discussing performance and resourcing in leadership meetings.
Step 4: Standardize Agency Workflows in ClickUp
Consistency is key to scaling an agency. Standard workflows help teams move faster and reduce errors.
Set task statuses and automation rules
Define clear statuses that mirror your real-world delivery process. For example:
- Backlog
- Ready to Start
- In Progress
- In Review
- Client Review
- Approved
- Completed
Layer automation on top of these statuses to handle repetitive actions, such as:
- Auto-assigning tasks when they move into In Progress
- Notifying account managers when items enter Client Review
- Updating due dates when dependencies are completed
Automation keeps work flowing without relying on manual follow-ups.
Standardize intake and briefing
Create form-based intake for new client requests and internal briefs. Map form fields to custom fields so your team gets all the details they need, including:
- Campaign objectives
- Target audience and channels
- Budget and deadlines
- Brand guidelines and required assets
Each form submission can automatically create a task or project in the right Space, ensuring nothing gets lost in email threads.
Step 5: Track Time, Capacity, and Profitability
To manage an agency effectively, you need to understand how time is spent and whether projects remain profitable.
Use ClickUp time tracking and estimates
For each task, set time estimates based on your scopes. Ask team members to log time directly on tasks so you can see:
- Actual vs. estimated hours for each deliverable
- Billable vs. non-billable time per client
- Which types of work regularly exceed estimates
Over time, this data improves future proposals and helps you tighten process gaps.
Monitor utilization and workloads
Use workload views and capacity planning to balance assignments across the team. You can:
- Allocate hours per person, per week
- Identify over-utilized team members at risk of burnout
- Spot under-utilized specialists who can support other projects
This makes it easier to decide when to hire, redistribute work, or adjust client timelines.
Step 6: Collaborate and Communicate in ClickUp
Centralizing communication keeps projects moving and makes handoffs smoother.
Use comments, mentions, and docs
Keep work discussions inside tasks so context stays attached to the work. Encourage your team to:
- Use @mentions for questions, approvals, and handoffs
- Attach files and links directly to tasks
- Document processes and playbooks in workspace docs
Docs are especially helpful for storing client brand guidelines, campaign strategies, and onboarding checklists.
Coordinate with clients effectively
Depending on client preference, you can:
- Share read-only or limited-access views to show progress
- Export reports and dashboards for regular status updates
- Use formal review stages to control when clients see work
This approach gives clients transparency while maintaining control over internal workflows.
Step 7: Improve Your Setup with ClickUp Reports
Once your agency runs inside the platform, use reports to continuously improve.
Review project and portfolio performance
On a recurring basis, analyze:
- Which project types deliver the best margins
- Where delays frequently occur in your workflows
- Which clients require more scope management
Use these insights to refine templates, adjust staffing, and update your service offerings.
Compare tools and refine your stack
If you are still evaluating agency platforms, you can compare your setup with other tools described in the original guide on best agency management software at this resource. This helps validate that your configuration aligns with modern agency practices.
Next Steps: Optimize Your ClickUp Agency Workspace
With a clear structure, standardized workflows, and robust reporting, your agency can use this platform as the operating system for day-to-day delivery. Continue to refine templates, automate repetitive work, and adjust dashboards as your services evolve.
If you need expert help creating a tailored workspace, an agency-focused consultant like Consultevo can guide you through advanced configuration, onboarding, and optimization so you get more value from your setup.
By following the steps in this guide and regularly reviewing your data, you can build a scalable, efficient, and client-friendly operating environment that supports long-term agency growth.
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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