ClickUp Progress Bars Guide

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How to Make a Progress Bar in Google Sheets for ClickUp Projects

ClickUp users often manage complex projects that need simple, visual status tracking. A progress bar in Google Sheets is an easy way to see how close you are to completing tasks, milestones, or entire projects, and then mirror that visibility inside ClickUp dashboards and reports.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to build a progress bar in Google Sheets and use it alongside your ClickUp workflows for better clarity and planning.

Why Use Google Sheets Progress Bars with ClickUp?

Even with powerful tools in ClickUp, spreadsheets remain helpful for quick calculations, dashboards, and ad hoc reporting. A visual progress bar lets you:

  • See task or project completion at a glance
  • Summarize long task lists into simple percentages
  • Share status snapshots with stakeholders
  • Test different scenarios before updating ClickUp directly

By pairing Sheets with ClickUp, you keep your main project workspace clean while still having flexible models and visual summaries.

Step 1: Set Up Your Data for the Progress Bar

Start with a basic table in Google Sheets that represents the work you want to track. For example, you might map tasks exported from ClickUp or a simple checklist.

  1. Open a new Google Sheet.

  2. Create the following columns:

    • Task (or Milestone)
    • Status or Completed?
    • Percent Complete (for detailed tracking)

  3. Enter a few sample rows, such as tasks or subtasks from your ClickUp list.

You can track completion in different ways, but two common approaches work well with progress bars:

  • Simple checkboxes (done vs. not done)
  • Numeric percentages for partial completion

Step 2: Calculate Overall Progress

To build a progress bar, you need a single percentage that represents total progress. You can calculate this based on completed tasks or detailed percentages.

Option A: Based on Completed Tasks

If you track completion with a Completed? column using checkboxes or YES/NO values, you can calculate progress like this:

  1. In a new cell, enter a label such as Overall Progress.

  2. In the cell next to it, use a formula similar to:

    =COUNTIF(B2:B11,"=TRUE")/COUNTA(A2:A11)

Adjust the ranges to match your sheet. Format the result as a percentage. This gives you a quick summary you can align with task groups in ClickUp.

Option B: Based on Percent Complete Values

If each task has its own percentage in a Percent Complete column, you can use an average:

  1. In a new cell labeled Overall Progress, enter a formula such as:

    =AVERAGE(C2:C11)

  2. Format the cell as a percentage.

This method is useful when your ClickUp tasks vary in size and effort, and you want more precise progress tracking.

Step 3: Create a Simple Text-Based Progress Bar

A text-based progress bar uses repeated characters to visually show progress. This is quick to set up and works well in summary tabs you review before updating ClickUp status fields.

  1. Choose a cell where you want your progress bar to appear.

  2. Assume your overall percentage is in cell D2. Use a formula like:

    =REPT("█",ROUND(D2*20)) & REPT("░",20-ROUND(D2*20))

  3. Adjust the number 20 to control bar length.

This formula repeats a solid block character for the completed portion and a light block for the remaining portion, giving you a quick visual that complements ClickUp dashboards.

Step 4: Build a Progress Bar with Conditional Formatting

For a more polished look, you can use conditional formatting to turn a cell or range into a bar that grows as progress increases.

Set Up the Base Cell

  1. Select a cell to hold the percentage, for example E2.

  2. Link it to your overall progress cell with a formula like:

    =D2

  3. Format E2 as a percentage and widen the column.

Apply Conditional Formatting

  1. Select the progress cell (for example, E2).

  2. Go to Format > Conditional formatting.

  3. Under Format cells if, choose Color scale or Single color depending on your preference.

  4. For a simple solid bar, choose Single color and set:

    • Format cells if: Greater than or equal to 0
    • Fill color: Choose a progress color (for example, green).

  5. Reduce the font color to match the fill or make it white, and increase the column width so the fill looks like a bar.

As your percentage changes, the fill expands, giving you a clean progress indicator you can compare against ClickUp task lists, sprints, or goals.

Step 5: Use Data Bars for Automatic Visual Progress

Google Sheets can simulate progress bars using built-in data bars inside conditional formatting, which work well for portfolios and reports you reference when managing ClickUp workspaces.

  1. Place your overall percentage in a range of cells if you want multiple bars, such as D2:D6.

  2. Select that range.

  3. Open Format > Conditional formatting.

  4. Go to the Color scale tab.

  5. Set the minimum to 0 and maximum to 1, or base them on your data.

  6. Choose a single color gradient from light to dark.

Each cell will show a color bar whose length matches the percentage value, similar to visual indicators in ClickUp dashboards.

Step 6: Format and Label Your Progress Bar

To make your progress bar easier to interpret for teammates who also work in ClickUp:

  • Add a clear label such as Project Progress or Sprint Completion.
  • Display the numeric percentage next to the bar.
  • Use consistent colors that match your ClickUp status colors (for example, green for done, yellow for in progress).
  • Group related bars into a dedicated summary sheet for management views.

Consistent labeling makes it simple to translate what you see in Sheets into status changes and comments within ClickUp.

Connecting Your Google Sheets Progress Bar to ClickUp

Once your progress bar is working, you can align it with items in ClickUp to keep everything in sync.

Practical Ways to Use Sheets with ClickUp

  • Summarize large task lists, then update a single ClickUp task or milestone with the combined percentage.
  • Use different sheets to model best-case and worst-case timelines before adjusting ClickUp due dates.
  • Share a read-only progress dashboard link alongside your ClickUp project for executive reporting.

You can also look into automation or integration tools that move data between Sheets and ClickUp for more advanced workflows.

Additional Resources

To explore more advanced options and visual ideas, review the original tutorial that inspired this guide on the ClickUp blog: How to Make a Progress Bar in Google Sheets.

For expert help connecting analytics, content, and project tracking between Google Sheets and ClickUp, you can also visit Consultevo for consulting and implementation support.

By combining a clear Google Sheets progress bar with structured task management in ClickUp, your team gains a simple, visual way to track work, report status, and keep every project moving forward.

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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