How to Run Ad Hoc Meetings in ClickUp

Ad hoc meetings move fast, and without the right system they can turn into chaos. ClickUp gives you a flexible way to capture urgent requests, define clear outcomes, and follow up on action items so every unscheduled discussion still drives results.

This how-to guide walks you through a simple framework to plan, host, and track ad hoc meetings step by step using features already built into ClickUp.

What Is an Ad Hoc Meeting?

An ad hoc meeting is an unplanned or quickly scheduled meeting created to solve an immediate problem, share time-sensitive updates, or review urgent work.

These meetings often:

• Happen with little or no notice
• Include only the people directly involved
• Focus on one specific question or decision
• Run for a short time, then end as soon as the goal is met

Because they are spontaneous, ad hoc meetings need a simple structure to avoid confusion, duplicate work, or missed follow-up tasks.

Why Use ClickUp for Ad Hoc Meetings?

ClickUp brings your tasks, documents, and communication into one workspace. That makes it easier to turn quick conversations into trackable work without losing context.

Using ClickUp for ad hoc meetings helps you:

• Capture the purpose and agenda in a repeatable format
• Assign owners, due dates, and priorities on the spot
• Keep notes, decisions, and files in a single place
• Track follow-up tasks until they are completed

Instead of jumping between chat tools, email threads, and spreadsheets, you can manage the full life cycle of every ad hoc meeting from inside ClickUp.

Step 1: Create a Space or Folder for Ad Hoc Meetings in ClickUp

Start by organizing where your ad hoc meetings will live in ClickUp. Keeping them together makes it easier to search past discussions and reference previous decisions.

1. Open your workspace and create a new Space or Folder named something like “Ad Hoc Meetings” or “Quick Discussions”.

2. Add Lists within that area for different teams or topics. For example:

   • Product Ad Hoc
   • Engineering Ad Hoc
   • Customer Issues Ad Hoc

3. Set basic permissions so only relevant team members can view or edit sensitive content.

This simple structure in ClickUp keeps urgent discussions organized without adding extra overhead.

Step 2: Use a ClickUp Task to Plan Each Ad Hoc Meeting

Every ad hoc meeting should start as a single task in ClickUp. That task acts as the container for the meeting details, notes, and follow-up items.

1. In the right List, create a new task with a clear title, such as “Ad Hoc: Fix billing bug” or “Ad Hoc: Launch blocker review”.

2. Use custom fields to label the meeting, for example:

   • Meeting Type (Ad Hoc)
   • Team
   • Priority

3. Add a short description with the reason the meeting is needed and any time-sensitive context.

4. Set a due date to match the meeting time so it appears on your calendar view if you use one.

By treating each ad hoc meeting as a task in ClickUp, you immediately give it visibility, owners, and a clear home.

Sample Pre-Meeting Checklist in ClickUp

Before the call or in-person discussion, confirm these items inside the meeting task:

• Defined goal for the meeting
• List of required attendees only
• Key data or links attached
• Estimated duration

Keeping this checklist in a ClickUp task template makes it easy to reuse for every new ad hoc meeting.

Step 3: Build a Simple Agenda in a ClickUp Doc

Even fast meetings benefit from a lightweight agenda. A ClickUp Doc linked to your meeting task gives everyone a single real-time page to follow.

1. Open the meeting task and create or attach a Doc titled with the same name as the task.

2. Add a brief agenda, such as:

   • Purpose (one sentence)
   • Key questions to resolve
   • Constraints or deadlines

3. Include a section for decisions and a section for action items so you can capture them as the discussion unfolds.

4. Mention or tag attendees in the Doc or in the task comments so they can review the context before joining.

This lean structure keeps ad hoc meetings focused without requiring heavy planning.

ClickUp Agenda Template Structure

You can turn a meeting Doc into a template to speed up future ad hoc sessions. A typical template might include:

• Title: Ad Hoc Meeting – [Topic]
• Purpose: What we must decide or solve
• Agenda: 3–5 bullet points
• Notes: Freeform space for discussion
• Decisions: Bullet list
• Action Items: Table with owner and due date

Attaching this Doc template to a task template in ClickUp lets you spin up a new, structured ad hoc meeting in seconds.

Step 4: Run the Ad Hoc Meeting and Capture Notes in ClickUp

During the meeting, your goal is to keep the conversation anchored to the purpose and record enough detail so no one relies on memory afterward.

1. Open the ClickUp Doc and share your screen if needed so everyone sees the same page.

2. Quickly restate the purpose and expected outcome at the top of the Doc.

3. Capture key points and decisions as short bullet notes rather than long paragraphs.

4. Convert important notes into tasks directly from the Doc or from the meeting task comments.

5. Use assignees and due dates immediately so owners leave the meeting knowing what they are responsible for.

The combination of Docs, tasks, and comments in ClickUp keeps all discussion artifacts connected to the original meeting.

Best Practices While Meeting in ClickUp

• Keep attendees limited to decision-makers and direct contributors.
• Timebox the meeting and display a timer if possible.
• Park unrelated topics in a separate section for future sessions.
• Summarize decisions before ending the call and verify agreement.

These habits help you avoid turning quick ad hoc meetings into sprawling status calls.

Step 5: Turn Decisions into Action With ClickUp Tasks

After the conversation ends, follow-up work is what determines whether the ad hoc meeting was truly useful. ClickUp makes this transition from talk to execution straightforward.

1. Review the Action Items section in your Doc or the notes stored in the meeting task.

2. Create separate tasks or subtasks for each deliverable, using clear titles such as “Deploy hotfix” or “Draft customer email”.

3. Assign each task to a specific owner with realistic due dates.

4. Link these tasks back to the original meeting task for traceability.

5. Use a dedicated view, such as a List or Board view, to monitor all tasks that originated from ad hoc meetings.

This approach keeps all ad hoc outcomes visible in ClickUp and prevents important work from disappearing after the call ends.

Step 6: Use ClickUp Views and Automation to Track Ad Hoc Work

When you use ad hoc meetings regularly, it helps to see patterns in what is discussed and which items take longer to resolve.

You can configure ClickUp views and automation to streamline this process:

• List View: Track all ad hoc meeting tasks with filters for status, team, or priority.
• Calendar View: See when ad hoc meetings happened and how often they occur.
• Board View: Move meetings or follow-up tasks across stages such as Planned, In Progress, and Completed.
• Automations: Automatically apply tags, set assignees, or move tasks when you mark a meeting complete.

These tools help you keep control of spontaneous work and prevent it from overwhelming planned initiatives.

Example Workflow for Ad Hoc Meetings in ClickUp

To put everything together, here is a simple end-to-end workflow you can adapt:

1. Request: A problem appears and someone creates a new ad hoc meeting task in the correct List in ClickUp.
2. Prepare: The organizer attaches a meeting Doc using a template and adds the purpose, agenda, and required attendees.
3. Meet: The team meets, updates notes in real time, and logs decisions while sharing the Doc.
4. Assign: Action items are converted to tasks or subtasks, each with a clear owner and due date.
5. Track: Follow-up tasks are monitored in a dedicated view until all items are completed.
6. Review: The meeting task is closed, but remains searchable for future reference.

By repeating this workflow, your organization can handle urgent conversations quickly without sacrificing documentation or accountability.

Optimize Your ClickUp Setup Over Time

As your team runs more ad hoc meetings, refine your ClickUp setup to better match your real workflows.

• Standardize naming conventions for meeting tasks.
• Use templates for recurring topics, such as incidents or launch blockers.
• Adjust custom fields to track useful metrics like root cause or effort level.
• Archive older Lists periodically to keep the workspace tidy.

Continuous small improvements help you maintain a clear and efficient system that supports fast-moving work.

Learn More and Next Steps

You can explore the original article about ad hoc meetings on the ClickUp blog here: Ad Hoc Meetings Guide. For broader process and tool optimization support, you can also visit Consultevo to learn about consulting services that complement your workspace setup.

With a simple structure, clear templates, and consistent follow-through inside ClickUp, your ad hoc meetings can stay short, focused, and reliably productive.

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

“`