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Resource Planning in ClickUp

How to Do Resource Planning in ClickUp Step by Step

ClickUp gives teams a central place to plan resources, schedule work, and balance capacity across projects so you can deliver on time without burnout.

This how-to guide walks you through building a practical resource planning workflow using features inspired by the templates on the ClickUp resource planning templates page.

Why Use ClickUp for Resource Planning

Before setting up your workspace, it helps to understand how resource planning tools in ClickUp fit together.

  • Organize projects, tasks, and teams in one platform
  • See who is overloaded or underutilized in real time
  • Match skills and availability to upcoming work
  • Standardize planning with reusable templates
  • Forecast timelines and capacity with visual views

With the right structure, you can go from scattered spreadsheets to a single, repeatable system.

Step 1: Set Up Your ClickUp Space for Resource Planning

Start by creating a clear hierarchy for projects and resources inside ClickUp.

  1. Create a Space
    Set up a dedicated Space named something like “Operations & Resource Planning.” This keeps planning separate from ad-hoc work while still connected.

  2. Add Folders for Major Workstreams
    Examples:

    • Client Projects
    • Internal Initiatives
    • Product Development
    • Marketing Campaigns
  3. Create Lists for Active Projects
    Inside each Folder, build one List per project or program. These Lists will hold the tasks you allocate to team members during planning.

Optional: Add a dedicated List called “Resource Pool” to store tasks linked to team availability, training, or shared duties.

Step 2: Build a ClickUp Resource Planning Template List

To standardize planning, create a List you will use as a template for future projects.

  1. Create a new List called “Resource Planning Template.”

  2. Add core Custom Fields to every task, such as:

    • Role / Skill Required
    • Estimated Hours
    • Priority
    • Billable vs Non-Billable
    • Project Phase
  3. Create standard task types for typical work items:

    • Discovery & Planning
    • Design
    • Development
    • QA & Testing
    • Launch & Handover
  4. Save as a List template so you can apply this structure to any new project in ClickUp.

Using a template ensures your workload, time estimates, and reporting stay consistent from one project to the next.

Step 3: Add Tasks and Assign Resources in ClickUp

Once your template is ready, you can start planning resources for a specific project.

  1. Apply your List template to a new project List inside the correct Folder.

  2. Break work into tasks and subtasks that reflect real deliverables and milestones.

  3. Estimate the effort for each task:

    • Add a time estimate (e.g., 4 hours, 2 days)
    • Fill the Estimated Hours Custom Field
  4. Assign an owner based on skills and role. You can also add watchers for stakeholders who need visibility.

  5. Set start and due dates to define the time window when each resource is needed.

These details drive every capacity and workload view you will use later in ClickUp.

Step 4: Use ClickUp Views to See Workload and Capacity

Resource planning becomes much easier when you visualize workloads. ClickUp provides several views that help you understand where resources are stretched.

ClickUp Workload View for Team Capacity

Workload View shows how tasks and hours are distributed across your people.

  1. Open your project or Folder and add a new Workload View.

  2. Group by Assignee to see each team member’s load.

  3. Configure capacity:

    • Set daily or weekly capacity for each person
    • Base capacity on working hours, role, or contract type
  4. Use color or filters to highlight:

    • Overloaded team members
    • Underutilized resources
    • High-priority work

Adjust task estimates, assignees, or dates in ClickUp until workloads are balanced.

ClickUp Timeline and Gantt Views for Scheduling

Timeline and Gantt Views help you schedule resources across weeks and months.

  1. Add a Timeline View to see when each team member is busy.

  2. Add a Gantt View at the Folder or Space level to visualize dependencies and project phases.

  3. Drag and drop tasks to resolve conflicts, shift start dates, or extend durations.

  4. Use filters by status, assignee, or priority to focus on critical resources.

Combining Workload, Timeline, and Gantt Views in ClickUp gives you a complete picture of who is doing what and when.

Step 5: Use ClickUp Dashboards for Resource Reporting

Dashboards turn your resource plan into live reporting that leaders can trust.

  1. Create a new Dashboard named “Resource Planning Overview.”

  2. Add widgets focused on resource management, for example:

    • Workload by Assignee
    • Tasks by Status and Priority
    • Time Estimates vs Logged Time
    • Projects by Phase
  3. Filter the Dashboard by Space, Folder, or List to focus on specific teams or portfolios.

  4. Share the Dashboard with stakeholders so they have self-serve visibility into capacity.

With these insights, you can refine your planning process and improve future forecasts in ClickUp.

Step 6: Reuse ClickUp Templates to Standardize Planning

Templates keep your resource planning process repeatable and fast.

  1. Save task templates for recurring work, such as onboarding, sprints, or campaigns.

  2. Save List templates that include Custom Fields, Views, and automations tailored to each type of project.

  3. Apply templates whenever you start a new project in ClickUp so every team follows the same planning framework.

The templates highlighted on the official resource planning templates page can guide how you structure your own versions inside your workspace.

Best Practices for Resource Planning in ClickUp

To keep your plans accurate and realistic, use these ongoing practices.

  • Review workloads weekly to adjust for changes in priorities or scope.
  • Encourage time logging so actuals can improve future estimates.
  • Keep skills and roles up to date in task fields for better matching.
  • Use statuses consistently so Dashboards and Views remain reliable.
  • Automate routine steps like assigning reviewers or updating statuses.

Over time, your ClickUp setup will become a central source of truth for project and resource decisions.

Where to Learn More and Get Help

If you want to deepen your resource planning process or integrate it with broader operations, consider expert guidance and additional learning.

By combining structured templates, powerful views, and consistent processes, ClickUp can evolve into a complete resource planning hub for your entire organization.

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

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