ClickUp Timesheet How-To Guide

If you are tired of wrestling with Google Sheets timesheets, ClickUp gives you a clearer, more automated way to track time, manage projects, and keep every billable minute organized.

This how-to guide walks you step-by-step through replacing a manual spreadsheet with a streamlined time tracking system using ClickUp features inspired by the original Google Sheets timesheet template article.

Why Move From Google Sheets to ClickUp

Traditional time tracking in Google Sheets quickly becomes hard to manage as your team grows.

By shifting time tracking into ClickUp, you gain:

• Centralized tasks, time entries, and projects
• Real-time workload and utilization views
• Fewer manual updates and formulas
• Better reporting for billing and payroll

The goal is to recreate everything you liked about a spreadsheet timesheet while adding automation and structure.

Plan Your ClickUp Timesheet Workspace

Before building your new system, map out how you want to organize your work. Clear structure will make time tracking easy and consistent.

Define Your Core Time Tracking Needs

List what your old Google Sheets timesheet handled and what it missed. Common needs include:

• Daily start and end times
• Breaks and overtime
• Billable vs. non-billable hours
• Project or client codes
• Approval workflows

Use these requirements to shape your ClickUp setup.

Choose Your ClickUp Hierarchy

Decide how to structure your workspace for time tracking:

• Workspace: your company or organization
• Spaces: departments, clients, or major business units
• Folders: projects, contracts, or product lines
• Lists: specific initiatives or sprints
• Tasks: individual pieces of work where time will be logged

For a simple timesheet system, you can start with:

• One Space for “Operations” or “Timesheets”
• Folders for each client or internal team
• Lists for each project or time period

Set Up a ClickUp Timesheet List

Next, create a dedicated place to mimic your old Google Sheets timesheet while taking advantage of automation.

Create the Timesheet List

1. In ClickUp, open the Space where you want to manage timesheets.
2. Create a new Folder if needed (for example, “Timesheets”).
3. Add a new List named something like “Weekly Timesheets” or “Team Timesheets”.
4. Set the default view to List or Table for a spreadsheet-style layout.

This List will hold tasks that represent time entries or work items depending on your preference.

Add Custom Fields for Timesheet Data

Custom Fields help ClickUp mirror the columns you used in a Google Sheets template. Add fields such as:

• Date (Date field)
• Start Time and End Time (Text or Time fields)
• Total Hours (Number field)
• Billable? (Checkbox or Dropdown)
• Client / Project (Dropdown or Label)
• Task Type (Dropdown, e.g., Admin, Development, Meeting)
• Approval Status (Dropdown: Submitted, Approved, Rejected)

Arrange these columns in your List view to closely resemble your old spreadsheet layout so users feel at home quickly.

Enable ClickUp Time Tracking Features

Once the structure is in place, activate built-in time tracking to replace manual hourly formulas from Google Sheets.

Turn On Native Time Tracking

1. Open a task in your timesheet List.
2. Locate the time tracking section in the task window.
3. Click the timer icon to start or stop tracking in real time.
4. Alternatively, log time manually by entering a duration or date range.

Each time entry is now tied to a task, which eliminates the copy-paste work common in spreadsheets.

Standardize How Your Team Logs Time

To keep ClickUp timesheet data reliable, document simple rules:

• Always log time against the correct client or project List.
• Use consistent task naming, such as “Support – Client A – Email”.
• Fill in custom fields like Billable and Task Type for every entry.
• Set expectations for when time must be entered (for example, daily before end of day).

Clear standards make your reports accurate and comparable over time.

Create a Reusable ClickUp Timesheet Template

A template lets you spin up new timesheet periods or project logs without rebuilding the structure every week or month.

Design a Master Timesheet Task or List

Decide whether one task represents a whole timesheet period or whether each task represents a specific activity. Then:

1. Build a master List with all your custom fields in place.
2. Add sample tasks that reflect common activities (for example, “Meetings”, “Development”, “Administration”).
3. Set default values in custom fields where helpful, like default client or default billable setting.

Save the List as a ClickUp Template

1. Open your completed timesheet List.
2. Use the List settings menu to choose the option to save as a template.
3. Give the template a descriptive name such as “Weekly Timesheet – Standard”.
4. Choose which elements to include, such as tasks, custom fields, and views.

Now you can quickly create a new List from this template for each week, sprint, or project instead of rebuilding a Google Sheets file.

View and Report on Time in ClickUp

Reporting is where replacing Google Sheets really pays off. You can slice time data by team member, project, or client without rewriting formulas.

Use Built-In Time Views

Consider setting up these views for your timesheet List or Space:

• Time View: See time tracked across tasks on a calendar-like layout.
• List or Table View: Filter by date range, client, or billable status.
• Dashboard Widgets: Summaries of total hours by user, project, or status.

These views help you replace weekly spreadsheet summaries and give leaders a clearer overview in less time.

Export or Share Time Data

If your payroll, invoicing, or analytics still rely on external tools, you can:

• Export time data to CSV for import into accounting or billing software.
• Share specific views with stakeholders who only need read-only access.
• Combine multiple Lists into a higher-level reporting Space.

This keeps ClickUp as your single source of truth while still feeding the systems you already use.

Optimize Your ClickUp Timesheet Workflow

Once your basic setup is live, refine it so your team spends less time managing timesheets and more time doing meaningful work.

Automate Repetitive Timesheet Steps

Consider simple automations, such as:

• Changing Approval Status when a task moves to a specific column.
• Notifying managers when weekly hours exceed a threshold.
• Auto-assigning tasks based on client or project selections.

These automation rules can replicate and improve on conditional formatting or formulas you previously maintained in Google Sheets.

Review Data Quality Regularly

Schedule a recurring review to ensure your ClickUp timesheet remains accurate:

• Check for missing dates, clients, or billable flags.
• Confirm that weekly totals align with contracts and expectations.
• Gather feedback from team members about friction in the process.

Continuous improvement keeps your new system efficient and user-friendly.

Next Steps for Improving Your Setup

Transitioning from a spreadsheet to a structured time tracking workspace can feel like a lot at first, but the long-term gains in clarity and reporting are significant.

If you want expert help refining your ClickUp structure, improving automations, or integrating with billing tools, you can find additional guidance and consulting at Consultevo.

Use this guide as your foundation: build a clear hierarchy, configure a dedicated timesheet List, enable robust time tracking, and then grow your system with templates and reports. Over time, your new process will fully replace manual Google Sheets timesheets and give your team a modern, reliable way to log work.

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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