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How to Use ClickUp for Dev Projects

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How to Use ClickUp to Manage Dev Projects

ClickUp can help you manage development work from idea to deployment, especially when your stack includes modern hosting platforms and Vercel alternatives. This how-to guide walks you through building a clear, repeatable workflow so your team always knows what to do next.

Using lessons inspired by platforms like the ones compared in the Vercel alternatives guide, you will structure work in ClickUp, standardize tasks, and keep releases predictable.

Step 1: Set Up a ClickUp Space for Engineering

Start by creating a dedicated Space so all development work lives in one organized area.

  1. Create a new Space and name it something like Engineering or Product Development.

  2. Choose a Space color and icon so your team recognizes it quickly.

  3. Enable key features for this Space, such as:

    • Tasks
    • Docs
    • Whiteboards
    • Custom Fields
    • Automations

  4. Add members: invite developers, product managers, QA, and stakeholders who need visibility.

Within this Space, you will create Folders and Lists that mirror the way you ship features with modern platforms.

Step 2: Build Folders That Mirror Your Dev Lifecycle in ClickUp

Next, translate your development lifecycle into Folders so teams can see exactly where work belongs.

Common Folders you can set up in ClickUp include:

  • Product Roadmap: for upcoming initiatives.
  • Backend Services: for APIs, databases, and integrations.
  • Frontend & UI: for web apps, dashboards, and marketing sites.
  • Infrastructure & Hosting: for work related to edge networks, build pipelines, and deployments.
  • Quality & Testing: for automated tests, manual QA, and performance checks.

Align these Folders with the types of projects you might run on hosting tools or other Vercel-style platforms, so the structure feels natural to engineers.

Step 3: Create ClickUp Lists for Projects and Environments

Lists act as containers for tasks. Each Folder in ClickUp should include Lists that represent projects, products, or environments.

For example, in your Frontend & UI Folder, create Lists such as:

  • Marketing Site
  • Web App Dashboard
  • Design System & Components

In the Infrastructure & Hosting Folder, you might set up Lists like:

  • Build & Deploy Pipelines
  • Edge & CDN Configuration
  • Environment Management

This separation keeps tasks focused while still letting you see portfolio-level progress across all your ClickUp Lists.

Step 4: Define Custom Fields for Technical Work in ClickUp

Custom Fields add important context to dev tasks. Configure them at the Space or Folder level so every new task in ClickUp inherits the same structure.

Helpful Custom Fields include:

  • Component / Service (Dropdown) – API, Auth, UI, Billing, etc.
  • Environment (Dropdown) – Local, Dev, Staging, Production.
  • Tech Stack (Dropdown) – React, Next.js, Node, Go, etc.
  • Estimate (Number) – story points or hours.
  • Deployment Required? (Yes/No) – flags work that triggers a release.

Once these Custom Fields are active, developers can filter and group tasks by environment, service, or tech stack directly inside ClickUp.

Step 5: Create a Standard Task Template in ClickUp

Task Templates keep tickets consistent, whether work is backend, frontend, or infrastructure-related.

  1. Create a new task in the correct List and add a detailed structure:

    • Summary: short, action-oriented title.
    • Description: include sections like:
    <strong>Context</strong>: Why this work matters.
<strong>Requirements</strong>: Acceptance criteria and edge cases.
<strong>Implementation Notes</strong>: Technical hints and links.
<strong>Testing</strong>: Unit, integration, and end-to-end checks.
<strong>Deployment</strong>: Steps or pipelines to run.

  2. Apply Custom Fields with example values so future tasks follow the same pattern.

  3. Add example Subtasks, such as:

    • Design review
    • Implementation
    • Write tests
    • Code review
    • Deploy to staging
    • Deploy to production

  4. Click the task menu and save it as a Task Template in ClickUp, naming it something like Dev Ticket – Standard.

Team members can now apply this Template to any new ticket to keep formatting and expectations uniform.

Step 6: Design a Kanban Workflow in ClickUp

Use ClickUp Board view to reflect how development work moves through your pipeline.

Set Statuses that mirror your release flow, for example:

  • Backlog
  • Ready for Dev
  • In Progress
  • In Review
  • QA & Testing
  • Ready for Deploy
  • Deployed
  • Done

In Board view, teams drag tasks across columns, giving everyone a clear view of what is blocked, what is waiting for review, and what is ready to ship.

Step 7: Connect Docs, Specs, and Runbooks in ClickUp

Documentation is vital when coordinating multiple services and hosting providers. ClickUp Docs help you keep everything in one place.

Create Docs for:

  • Architecture overviews and diagrams.
  • Service-specific runbooks and incident guides.
  • Release and rollback procedures.
  • Onboarding guides for new engineers.

Link Docs directly from tasks so developers can open a spec or runbook with one click. You can also pin key Docs to the Space sidebar in ClickUp for quick access.

Step 8: Use Automations to Streamline ClickUp Workflows

Automations reduce manual busywork and keep tasks updated as they move through the pipeline.

Helpful Automations you can configure in ClickUp include:

  • When Status changes to In Review, assign the task to a code reviewer.
  • When Status changes to QA & Testing, add a QA checklist and notify the QA channel.
  • When Status changes to Deployed, move the task to the appropriate Release List.
  • When a task is created with Deployment Required = Yes, add it to a release planning List.

These Automations help map your existing CI/CD and hosting practices into ClickUp so teams spend less time on admin work.

Step 9: Plan Sprints and Releases in ClickUp

For teams using agile methods, Sprints and release Lists keep work organized around clear timeboxes and milestones.

  1. Enable the Sprints feature in your Space settings.

  2. Create Sprints that match your cadence (for example, two-week cycles).

  3. Use the Sprint view to:

    • Pull prioritized items from the Backlog.
    • Balance work across developers using workload or capacity views.
    • Track progress toward Sprint goals.

  4. Create a Release List for each major launch, and filter tasks by Deployment Required so you always know what must ship together.

This setup turns ClickUp into a central hub for planning and tracking every release, regardless of your hosting provider.

Step 10: Monitor Workload and Improve with ClickUp Dashboards

Dashboards help you see system health across services, teams, and environments.

Build a Dashboard in ClickUp with widgets like:

  • Task List by Status – shows where work is bunching up.
  • Workload by assignee – prevents overloading specific developers.
  • Sprint Burndown – tracks progress during active Sprints.
  • Cycle Time and Lead Time – reveals how long it takes tasks to move from Backlog to Done.

Review this Dashboard in your weekly standup or retro to decide where to improve your processes.

Next Steps: Expand Your ClickUp System

Once your basic workflow is running smoothly, you can extend ClickUp to cover more of your product and marketing operations, keeping every team aligned around the same source of truth.

If you want expert help designing scalable systems that connect project management, SEO, and analytics, you can explore consulting options from partners like Consultevo.

By combining clear structure, templates, Automations, and Dashboards, ClickUp becomes the single place where development teams plan, execute, and learn from every release.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

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