How to Run Retrospectives in ClickUp

Running structured retrospectives in ClickUp helps agile teams capture lessons learned, resolve issues quickly, and continuously improve sprint after sprint. This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up, running, and optimizing your retrospective workflow using features inspired by the tools and practices highlighted in the ClickUp retrospective tools overview.

Why Manage Retrospectives in ClickUp

Before you start building your process, it helps to understand why ClickUp is a strong hub for retrospective work.

Centralizes all sprint feedback, action items, and documentation
Connects retrospective tasks directly to your product backlog and sprints
Supports multiple retro formats (Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, Mad/Sad/Glad, and more)
Offers custom views, dashboards, and automations to streamline follow-through

Using one workspace reduces scattered notes and guarantees your team can track historical insights over time.

Step 1: Plan Your Retrospective in ClickUp

Start by defining when and how you will run retrospectives in ClickUp so your team has a consistent rhythm.

Set up a Retrospective Space in ClickUp

Create a new Space and name it something clear like “Agile Retrospectives.”
Add Folders for each team or product stream if you work with multiple squads.
Inside each Folder, create a List for each time frame, such as “Sprint 12 Retrospective” or “Monthly Retro – January.”

Structuring your workspace this way keeps past sessions organized and easy to review.

Define Your Retrospective Format

Choose a simple format that your team can repeat in ClickUp:

Start / Stop / Continue: Items you should begin, stop, or keep doing.
Mad / Sad / Glad: Emotional view of what happened during the sprint.
4Ls: Liked, Learned, Lacked, and Longed For.

Each of these formats can be mapped to custom fields, tags, or task statuses in ClickUp.

Step 2: Create a Retrospective Template in ClickUp

Using a template ensures every retrospective in ClickUp shares the same structure, making comparison and reporting easier.

Build a ClickUp List Template

Open your “Agile Retrospectives” Space and select a List you want to turn into a template.
Add Sections (or Groups) matching your format, such as “Start,” “Stop,” and “Continue.”
Create sample tasks under each Section as prompts, like “What slowed us down?” or “What worked really well?”
Include a task for “Retro Summary” and one for “Action Items Review.”
Save the List as a template so you can reuse it for every sprint or project review.

Design Custom Fields for Retrospective Insights

Custom fields in ClickUp help you categorize and analyze feedback.

Category (Dropdown): Process, Tools, Communication, Scope, Quality, etc.
Impact (Dropdown or number): High, Medium, Low.
Owner (User): Who is responsible for follow-up.
Due by (Date): Target date to complete the improvement.

Add these fields to your template so every feedback item is structured from the start.

Step 3: Collect Feedback in ClickUp Before the Meeting

To make the actual meeting smoother, gather feedback asynchronously in ClickUp ahead of time.

Use ClickUp Forms for Retro Submissions

Create a Form view on your Retrospective List.
Add fields for “What went well,” “What didn’t go well,” and “Ideas for improvement.”
Map each form field to task description or custom fields.
Share the form link in your team chat and calendar invite.

As team members fill out the form, ClickUp automatically creates tasks for each piece of feedback, already categorized and ready for discussion.

Tag and Group Feedback in ClickUp

Before the live session, quickly organize submissions:

Use tags for themes like “testing,” “handoff,” or “deployment.”
Group tasks by Impact or Category fields to highlight high-value topics.
Merge duplicates or link related items with task relationships.

This simple prep keeps the meeting focused on the most important issues.

Step 4: Run the Retrospective Meeting in ClickUp

Now you can run the session directly from your ClickUp List, using different views to guide the discussion.

Use Board or List Views in ClickUp

Switch between:

Board view to drag items between columns like Start/Stop/Continue or Mad/Sad/Glad.
List view to sort and filter by Impact, Category, or Owner.

As you talk through each item, update statuses, add comments, and mention teammates to capture additional context.

Vote and Prioritize in ClickUp

If your plan includes dot-voting or prioritization, ClickUp can support it with fields and reactions.

Use a number field for votes and let each team member add their count.
Sort by the votes field to surface the top issues.
Convert the most important feedback items into concrete action tasks.

This ensures your retrospective outcomes are actionable rather than just notes.

Step 5: Turn Feedback into Action in ClickUp

The value of a retrospective depends on follow-through. ClickUp makes it easy to turn insights into a clear improvement plan.

Create ClickUp Tasks for Action Items

For each agreed improvement, create or convert a task in your Retrospective List.
Assign an owner, due date, and Impact or Priority level.
Link the task to relevant sprint stories or epics so the context is always visible.
Add checklists that outline concrete steps to complete the improvement.

Move these action items into your team’s planning board or backlog to guarantee they are scheduled like any other work.

Automate Follow-Up in ClickUp

Automations help keep improvements from slipping through the cracks.

Send reminders when due dates are approaching.
Update statuses when subtasks or checklists are completed.
Notify the team when an action item is done so you can review impact at the next retro.

With the right rules, ClickUp can drive continuous accountability between retrospectives.

Step 6: Track Retro Metrics and Trends in ClickUp

Over time, you want to see whether retrospectives are actually improving your process. ClickUp views and dashboards help with that.

Build a ClickUp Dashboard for Retrospectives

Create a dashboard to monitor patterns across several sessions:

Use charts to show counts of issues by Category or team.
Track completion rate and average cycle time for improvement tasks.
Monitor how many action items remain open after each sprint.

These visuals reveal recurring bottlenecks and show whether completed actions are increasing team performance.

Review Past Retros in ClickUp Regularly

At the start of each new session, quickly review:

Previous retro summary tasks
Closed and still-open action items
Notes and attachments collected in prior cycles

By making this review part of your standard ClickUp routine, you close the feedback loop and avoid repeating the same conversations.

Step 7: Continuously Improve Your ClickUp Retro Workflow

Your first setup is only the beginning. Iterate on your process in ClickUp just like you iterate on your product.

Experiment with different retro formats and templates.
Refine custom fields to match the data you actually use.
Adjust automations to reduce manual work for your facilitator.
Gather feedback from your team on the ClickUp workflow itself and add improvements to your backlog.

Small adjustments over time will keep your retrospectives engaging and impactful.

Next Steps

To deepen your understanding of retrospective best practices and tools, review the examples in the official guide to retrospective tools. For additional help implementing ClickUp processes or optimizing your agile workflows, you can also consult specialists such as Consultevo.

With a well-designed retrospective framework inside ClickUp, your team can consistently capture insights, act on them, and build a culture of continuous improvement across every sprint and project.

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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