How to Manage Agency Projects with ClickUp

ClickUp can streamline every stage of agency project management, from client intake to reporting. This how-to guide walks you through setting up a clear system so your team can deliver work on time, stay within scope, and keep clients informed.

This guide is based on the agency management practices outlined in the ClickUp agency project management article, translated into practical steps you can implement today.

Step 1: Map Your Agency Workflow in ClickUp

Before building anything, outline how work moves through your agency. A clear workflow becomes the foundation of your ClickUp structure.

1. List your core service types (e.g., paid media, SEO, design, development, content).

2. Define the major stages each project passes through, such as:

   • Lead / Discovery
   • Proposal & Scope
   • Onboarding
   • Execution & Review
   • Launch
   • Reporting & Retainer

3. Identify owners for each stage (account management, strategy, delivery, operations).

4. Note common bottlenecks like delayed approvals, late assets, or unclear briefs.

Once you have this mapped, you are ready to translate it into spaces, folders, lists, and tasks inside ClickUp.

Step 2: Build an Agency Workspace in ClickUp

Use ClickUp hierarchy to structure work by department, client, and project so nothing gets lost.

Set Up Spaces for Core Functions

Create separate spaces for the main parts of your agency, for example:

• Sales & Pipeline
• Operations & Resourcing
• Client Delivery
• Marketing & Internal Projects

Spaces help you segment data and permissions while keeping a consistent way of working across the agency.

Organize Client Delivery in ClickUp

Inside your Client Delivery space, set up a structure like this:

• Folders per client category (e.g., Enterprise, SMB, Internal)
• Lists per client, or per service line if you handle large multi-service accounts
• Tasks for projects, campaigns, or key deliverables
• Subtasks for execution checklists and repeated actions

Use consistent naming so your team can quickly find work, such as CLIENT – Project – Channel – Quarter.

Step 3: Create a Client Intake Flow in ClickUp

A smooth intake process reduces back-and-forth and protects scope. You can use ClickUp to standardize how you gather requirements.

Design an Intake Form in ClickUp

1. Create a dedicated Intake list in your Sales & Pipeline space.

2. Add custom fields such as:

   • Service Type
   • Budget
   • Timeline
   • Primary Contact
   • Approval Needed By

3. Convert this list into a Form view so prospects or account managers can submit requests in a structured way.

4. Route all new submissions into a standard workflow with statuses like New, In Review, Approved, On Hold.

Every form submission becomes a task in ClickUp, giving your team one reliable source of truth for all new requests.

Qualify and Approve Work in ClickUp

Use a board (Kanban) view to move intake tasks through qualification and approval. Assign owners, set due dates, and tag work by priority or revenue potential. Once approved, convert tasks into projects in your Client Delivery space.

Step 4: Plan and Track Projects with ClickUp Views

Different teams need different ways to see work. ClickUp offers multiple views so you can plan at both project and portfolio level.

Use Board View for Agile Agency Work

Board view helps you manage work by status or stage. For each client list:

• Create statuses that match your process (e.g., Backlog, In Progress, In Review, Client Review, Done).
• Group cards by assignee, service, or sprint to see workload.
• Drag and drop tasks to reflect progress in real time.

Use List and Table Views for Detailed Tracking

List or table views in ClickUp make it easy to track dates, budgets, and responsibilities. Include columns for:

• Start Date and Due Date
• Estimate and Logged Time
• Owner and Collaborators
• Client Priority or SLA

Filter by client, channel, or status to quickly see at-risk work and upcoming deadlines.

Use Calendar and Timeline Views for Scheduling

Calendar and timeline views are ideal for capacity planning and campaign scheduling:

• Map campaign launches and milestones across weeks or months.
• Identify clashes between clients or teams.
• Adjust dates by dragging tasks on the timeline.

These views help ensure you are not overbooking resources and that dependencies remain clear.

Step 5: Control Time, Budget, and Scope in ClickUp

Agencies succeed when they protect margins. You can use ClickUp to track time, budget, and scope for each project.

Track Time and Effort

1. Enable time tracking on tasks.

2. Ask team members to log time directly in ClickUp while they work.

3. Use custom fields for Estimated Hours vs. Actual Hours.

4. Create dashboards to monitor utilization by person, team, and client.

Monitor Budget and Scope

Use custom fields to capture:

• Budgeted Revenue
• Budgeted Hours or Points
• Retainer vs. Project
• Change Requests

When a request goes beyond the agreed scope, duplicate the task or create a linked task in a Change Requests list. This keeps financial impact visible and makes it easy to discuss new fees with clients.

Step 6: Standardize Delivery with ClickUp Templates

Templates in ClickUp help your agency deliver consistent work, even as your team grows.

Create Project Templates

For each common service (e.g., SEO retainer, website build, ad campaign), build a template list or task that includes:

• All standard subtasks and checklists
• Key milestones and dependencies
• Custom fields for campaign details
• Pre-set views (board, calendar, Gantt)

Save the configuration as a template. Next time you sign a similar project, you can spin up a complete project in seconds inside ClickUp.

Create Recurring Task Templates

For recurring deliverables like monthly reports or weekly check-ins:

• Create a task with the full reporting checklist.
• Assign the correct owner and watchers.
• Set it to repeat monthly or weekly.

This ensures that routine work never falls through the cracks, and your agency maintains a reliable client experience.

Step 7: Automate Repetitive Work in ClickUp

Automation reduces manual updates and keeps your agency workflow moving smoothly.

Examples of Useful ClickUp Automations

• When status changes to Client Review, notify the account manager.
• When a form is submitted, assign the task to the intake owner.
• When due date is updated, reschedule dependent tasks.
• When task is moved to Done, log a final time entry reminder.

Start with a few simple automations, then expand as your team becomes more comfortable with ClickUp.

Step 8: Report on Client and Agency Performance

Transparent reporting builds trust with clients and gives leaders visibility into agency health.

Build Dashboards in ClickUp

Create dashboards for different audiences:

• Client dashboards showing progress, status breakdown, and upcoming milestones.
• Delivery dashboards for workload, overdue tasks, and sprint progress.
• Leadership dashboards tracking utilization, billable vs. non-billable work, and project profitability.

Use charts, tables, and time tracking widgets to surface the data that matters most.

Step 9: Continuously Improve Your ClickUp Setup

Your agency workflow will evolve as you grow. Treat your ClickUp workspace as a living system.

• Review your spaces, statuses, and templates quarterly.
• Ask team leads which views and dashboards they rely on most.
• Remove unused fields and views that create noise.
• Test improvements with one team before rolling out agency-wide.

If you want expert help optimizing your setup or integrating other tools with ClickUp, you can explore professional services from agencies like Consultevo.

Next Steps

Start by mapping your current workflow and building a basic client delivery space in ClickUp. Then add forms, templates, and automations step by step. Refer back to the original ClickUp agency project management guide for more context and examples as you refine your system.

With a well-designed workspace, ClickUp can become the operations hub that keeps your agency organized, efficient, and ready to scale.

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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