How to Use ClickUp for Project Intake

ClickUp makes it easy to capture, review, and approve every incoming project request in one organized workspace. This how-to guide walks you through building a clear project intake process from scratch so your team never loses track of important ideas or requests.

The steps below are based on best practices from the ClickUp project intake tutorial and show you how to go from scattered requests to a simple, repeatable workflow.

What Is a Project Intake Workflow in ClickUp?

A project intake workflow is the structured path every new request follows from submission to approval. In ClickUp, this usually means:

• Using a standardized form to collect details
• Capturing responses as tasks in a List or Folder
• Reviewing and prioritizing tasks in a clear view
• Approving or rejecting requests with consistent criteria

By setting this up once in ClickUp, you give requesters an easy way to submit work and give your team a single source of truth for all incoming projects.

Step 1: Create a Project Intake Space in ClickUp

Start by creating a dedicated area in ClickUp for all project intake activities.

1. In your workspace, create a new Space and name it something like Project Intake or Request Management.

2. Add a Folder inside this Space named Project Requests.

3. Create a List such as New Requests to hold all incoming tasks.

Keeping intake tasks together in ClickUp makes it easier to search, filter, report, and hand off approved projects to delivery teams.

Step 2: Build a ClickUp Form for Project Requests

The fastest way to standardize requests in ClickUp is with a Form view that automatically creates tasks.

Set up a Form view in ClickUp

1. Open your New Requests List.

2. Click + View and choose Form.

3. Give your Form a clear name such as Project Intake Form.

This Form will live inside ClickUp but can be shared via a public link or embedded on your intranet or website.

Choose essential Form fields

Use the options in ClickUp to drag and drop the fields you need. At minimum, add:

• Short text for project name
• Long text for project description or problem statement
• Dropdown for department or requester type
• Dropdown or labels for project category
• Date for desired start or due date
• Numeric field for budget or estimated effort (optional)

Each Form submission becomes a structured task in ClickUp, which keeps your intake process consistent and easy to filter.

Step 3: Configure Custom Fields in ClickUp

Custom Fields help you capture the detailed information you need to evaluate each request. In ClickUp, you can add Custom Fields to the List that powers your Form.

Add evaluation fields

Consider adding Custom Fields such as:

• Impact score (number, e.g., 1–5)
• Effort score (number, e.g., 1–5)
• Priority (dropdown: Low, Medium, High, Critical)
• Strategic alignment (dropdown or labels)
• Requester department (dropdown)

These fields can be filled automatically via the Form or manually by an intake manager in ClickUp.

Map Form questions to Custom Fields

For each Form question, choose an existing Custom Field or create a new one. This ensures that every answer is stored in a consistent column inside your ClickUp List, which makes sorting, filtering, and reporting straightforward.

Step 4: Design Project Intake Statuses in ClickUp

Statuses represent the stages a request moves through. In ClickUp, you can customize statuses at the List level.

Suggested project intake statuses

• Submitted: New request created from the Form
• Under review: Intake team is clarifying details and scoring
• Pending approval: Awaiting decision-maker sign-off
• Approved: Request accepted and ready to plan
• Deferred: Good idea, but not right now
• Rejected: Does not meet criteria

In ClickUp, update statuses to visualize the flow in List, Board, or Calendar views. A Kanban Board view is especially helpful for dragging requests across stages.

Step 5: Create Views to Manage Intake in ClickUp

Different views in ClickUp help stakeholders see the same intake data from various angles.

Recommended views for your intake List

• List view: Default table for all requests, with Custom Fields visible as columns.
• Board view: Grouped by status to manage work in a Kanban style.
• Calendar view: Map requests to requested start or due dates.
• Form view: Public entry point for new requests.

Use filters and sorting in ClickUp to highlight high-priority items, requests from specific departments, or tasks awaiting approval.

Step 6: Automate Your Project Intake in ClickUp

Automation reduces manual work and ensures each request follows your rules. ClickUp includes easy, no-code Automations that trigger actions when conditions are met.

Example automations for project intake

• Notify reviewers: When a task status changes to Submitted, automatically assign it to an intake manager and send a notification.
• Move to approval: When Custom Fields like impact and effort are filled, change status to Pending approval.
• Alert decision-makers: When status becomes Pending approval, add approvers as watchers or assignees.
• Route approved work: When status changes to Approved, move the task to a project delivery List or Space in ClickUp.

By linking intake tasks to downstream project plans in ClickUp, your request workflow stays connected to actual execution.

Step 7: Share and Maintain Your ClickUp Intake Process

Once your intake workflow is ready, share it broadly so everyone uses the same entry point.

Share the Form link

• Copy the public Form URL in ClickUp.
• Share it via email, chat tools, or your intranet.
• Embed it on a team page so stakeholders can submit requests anytime.

Document intake guidelines

Create a task or Doc in ClickUp that explains:

• Who should use the intake Form
• What details are required
• Typical review and approval timelines
• How requesters will be notified of decisions

Update this documentation as your process improves, and pin it in your ClickUp Space for easy access.

Step 8: Review and Improve Your ClickUp Intake Workflow

After running your process for a few weeks, use reporting tools in ClickUp to refine it.

Analyze performance

• Track how many requests you receive each week or month.
• Measure average time from Submitted to Approved or Rejected.
• Identify bottlenecks where tasks sit in one status too long.

Adjust Custom Fields, statuses, or automations in ClickUp to address any recurring issues and keep the workflow lean.

Additional Resources for ClickUp Project Intake

To go deeper into best practices, explore the original tutorial on project intake software from the ClickUp blog: ClickUp project intake software guide.

If you want expert help building scalable workflows, automation, and AI-ready documentation around your ClickUp setup, you can also work with specialists like Consultevo to design a tailored intake system.

By following these steps and continuously improving your workflow in ClickUp, you will turn scattered requests into a streamlined, transparent intake pipeline that supports better prioritization and more predictable project delivery.

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

“`