How to Create a Product Brief in ClickUp
ClickUp makes it easier to organize product ideas, features, and launches with clear product briefs your entire team can use. This step-by-step guide shows you how to turn messy requirements into a single source of truth that keeps everyone aligned from discovery to launch.
The process below is based on the approach outlined in this ClickUp product brief article, adapted into a practical how-to you can follow in your own workspace.
What a Product Brief in ClickUp Should Include
Before you start building a doc, know what information your brief needs to capture. A strong product brief in ClickUp should answer four core questions:
- What are we building?
- Why are we building it?
- How will it work?
- How will we know it’s successful?
To cover those questions, make sure your brief includes at least these sections:
- Problem statement: What user or business problem are you solving?
- Background and context: Research, customer feedback, and insights.
- Goals and success metrics: Clear success criteria and KPIs.
- Scope and requirements: What’s in, what’s out, and why.
- Target users: Who this feature is for and key use cases.
- User stories or scenarios: How users will experience the solution.
- Design and UX direction: Notes, links to mockups, and flows.
- Dependencies and risks: Technical, legal, or resource constraints.
- Timeline: Milestones and launch expectations.
Step 1: Set Up a Product Brief Template in ClickUp
Start by creating a reusable product brief template so every initiative follows the same structure. Consistency helps product managers, designers, engineers, and stakeholders move faster with less confusion.
Create a ClickUp Doc for Your Template
- Open your product or project Space in ClickUp.
- Create a new Doc dedicated to product briefs.
- Add a clear title such as “Product Brief Template” so team members can find it quickly.
Inside the Doc, add all the core sections you want every brief to use. Use headings and bullet points so the content is scannable and easy to fill out.
Recommended ClickUp Template Structure
Use this as a starting outline for your template:
- Title: Clear, user-focused feature or project name
- Overview: One or two sentences that summarize the initiative
- Problem Statement
- Background & Research
- Goals & Success Metrics
- Target Users & Use Cases
- Scope (In / Out)
- User Stories & Scenarios
- Design & UX Notes
- Technical Requirements
- Dependencies & Risks
- Milestones & Timeline
- Open Questions
Save this Doc as a template in ClickUp so it can be reused for every new feature, epic, or product initiative.
Step 2: Capture the Problem and Context in ClickUp
With your template in place, your next job is to clearly communicate the problem and why it matters. This keeps the team from jumping straight to solutions.
Describe the Problem
In the Problem Statement section, write a short, focused description of the issue. Make it specific and framed around the user, not your internal process. For example:
- Who is experiencing the problem?
- What are they trying to do?
- What currently blocks them or causes friction?
A clear, user-centered problem statement makes it easier for engineers and designers in ClickUp to propose the most effective solution.
Add Research and Insights
In the Background & Research section of your ClickUp brief, summarize:
- Customer interviews and support tickets
- Product analytics and usage data
- Competitive benchmarks
- Internal stakeholder feedback
Link to original docs, dashboards, or recordings instead of duplicating everything. The brief should highlight what is most relevant so team members can drill deeper when they need more detail.
Step 3: Define Goals and Scope in ClickUp
Next, turn the problem into aligned goals and a realistic scope. This is where many teams either over-commit or misalign expectations, so be as specific as possible in your ClickUp brief.
Set Clear Goals and Metrics
In the Goals & Success Metrics section, define how you will measure success. Consider:
- Activation, adoption, or engagement metrics
- Time saved for users or internal teams
- Conversion, retention, or revenue impact
- Qualitative signals like NPS or feedback trends
Whenever possible, include a baseline and a target. For example, “Increase feature adoption from 25% to 40% within three months of launch.”
Clarify In-Scope and Out-of-Scope Work
In the Scope section of your ClickUp brief, list both what you will do and what you explicitly will not do. This helps manage expectations and prevents scope creep.
- In scope: Must-have capabilities for this release
- Out of scope: Future ideas, nice-to-haves, or separate projects
Clear scope makes engineering estimates more accurate and keeps the feature focused on its primary value.
Step 4: Detail User Stories and Experience in ClickUp
Once scope is set, describe how users will experience the solution from end to end. This part of the ClickUp brief keeps everyone aligned on what needs to be true for users to succeed.
Write User Stories
In the User Stories & Scenarios section, capture key flows using short statements, such as:
- As a <type of user>, I want <goal> so that <benefit>.
Group user stories by persona or major workflow, and focus on the highest-impact paths. This helps the team see which parts of the experience deserve the most attention.
Link Design and Technical Details
In the Design & UX and Technical Requirements sections, add:
- Links to wireframes or prototypes
- Information architecture and navigation notes
- APIs or systems involved
- Performance, security, or compliance requirements
Keeping design and technical references directly linked from your ClickUp brief gives engineers and designers a single jumping-off point for deeper detail.
Step 5: Map Dependencies, Risks, and Timeline in ClickUp
Finally, use your ClickUp brief to highlight anything that could delay or derail the project, and to outline when work will happen.
List Dependencies and Risks
In the Dependencies & Risks section, capture:
- Other teams or projects this work relies on
- Third-party tools or vendors
- Legal, compliance, or security reviews
- Technical or organizational constraints
For each risk, note the impact and likelihood, along with a mitigation plan. This helps stakeholders see trade-offs early and remove blockers.
Outline Milestones and Launch Plan
In the Milestones & Timeline section of your ClickUp brief, add key dates such as:
- Design completion
- Development start and code complete
- Testing and QA periods
- Beta or soft launch
- Full rollout and post-launch review
The brief should not replace your detailed project schedule, but it should summarize the plan so anyone can quickly understand when major steps will happen.
Improving Your ClickUp Product Brief Workflow
Once your first few briefs are live, continue refining your structure and process. Teams that revisit and simplify their templates often see better collaboration and faster execution.
Consider these practices:
- Use a short overview at the top for executives.
- Keep each section concise and link to deeper docs.
- Standardize naming so briefs are easy to search.
- Review and update briefs as requirements evolve.
If you want additional help building repeatable product processes around ClickUp, you can explore consulting resources such as Consultevo to design workflows that fit your team.
By structuring your product briefs in ClickUp with clear problems, goals, scope, and user stories, you give every stakeholder the context they need to build the right solution and ship it confidently.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.
“`
