How to Manage Agile Epics in ClickUp

ClickUp helps Agile teams turn big, complex ideas into organized, trackable epics that stay aligned with sprints, releases, and stakeholder expectations. This how-to guide walks you through building and managing effective epics from the ground up.

Using the right structure, views, and templates, you can transform scattered requirements into a clear backlog and delivery roadmap your whole team understands.

What Is an Agile Epic in ClickUp?

An epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into smaller tasks and stories. In ClickUp, an epic becomes the backbone of your backlog, linking strategy to execution.

Typical epics might include:

• New product features or modules
• Major UX or interface overhauls
• Infrastructure or platform migrations
• Large research and discovery efforts

Each epic contains many related tasks, subtasks, and dependencies that need to be tracked as one coherent initiative.

Step 1: Plan Your Epic Structure in ClickUp

Before creating anything, decide how epics will fit into your workspace hierarchy. ClickUp is flexible, so pick the pattern that matches your team size and complexity.

Common Epic Patterns in ClickUp

Teams often use one of these setups:

• Epic as a List: Each List represents one epic, and tasks in that List are stories or work items.
• Epic as a Task: Each epic is a single task with related tasks linked via relationships or subtasks.
• Epic as a Folder: Each Folder represents a large initiative, and each List inside is a sub-epic or phase.

Choose one structure and document it for your team to keep everything consistent.

Key Custom Fields for ClickUp Epics

Custom fields are vital to tracking and reporting. Helpful fields for epic management include:

• Epic Owner: Person responsible for outcomes.
• Epic Status: Idea, Discovery, In Progress, Blocked, Done.
• Target Release / Sprint: When the epic will land.
• Business Value: High, Medium, Low, or a numeric score.
• Effort: Story points or t-shirt sizes.

Set these at the Space, Folder, or List level so every new epic and story shares the same structure.

Step 2: Create Your First Epic in ClickUp

Once the structure is clear, you can create your first epic and add the core details that make it actionable.

Creating an Epic as a List in ClickUp

1. Open the relevant Space for your product or team.
2. Create a new Folder called “Epics” or “Product Initiatives” if you do not have one.
3. Click + New List and name it after your epic (for example, “Mobile Onboarding Revamp”).
4. Apply your epic template or custom fields so they are available for every task in this List.
5. Add a List description describing the epic’s goal, scope, and success metrics.

This approach keeps your epic and its related stories together while still letting you move tasks into sprint Lists via views and filters.

Creating an Epic as a Task in ClickUp

1. Open the backlog or roadmap List where you track initiatives.
2. Click + New Task and name it with a clear epic title.
3. Use custom fields to mark it as Epic Type and set owner, value, and target release.
4. Use Task description to outline problem statement, scope, and acceptance criteria.
5. Add related tasks as subtasks or via Relationships > Tasks.

This setup works best if you prefer a single backlog List with multiple epics visible side by side.

Step 3: Break the Epic into Tasks in ClickUp

After defining the epic, break it down into smaller tasks that can fit into sprints and releases.

How to Decompose an Epic in ClickUp

1. List major functional areas or user journeys in the epic description.
2. Create tasks for each journey or component.
3. Use subtasks or checklists for small, tactical work items.
4. Link cross-team work using Relationships > Docs, Tasks, or Lists.
5. Tag tasks with labels like frontend, backend, or design.

Ensure each task has a clear owner, estimate, and definition of done so it can move cleanly through your ClickUp workflow.

Step 4: Use ClickUp Views to Track Epic Progress

Different views make it easier to monitor epic status and spot risks early.

Board View for ClickUp Epics

Board view shows work by status, making it simple to see how stories are flowing.

• Group tasks by Status to visualize the Kanban workflow.
• Filter by List or Epic to focus on a single initiative.
• Use swimlanes with custom fields like Epic Owner or Team.

This helps your Agile team review progress quickly during standups.

List and Table Views in ClickUp

List and Table views give a detail-oriented snapshot of epic progress.

• Show custom fields such as Business Value, Effort, and Target Release.
• Sort by Status or Priority to tackle the most important items first.
• Bulk-edit fields when priorities or timelines change.

These views are especially useful for product managers and project leads who need precise control.

Gantt View for ClickUp Release Planning

Gantt view lets you see timelines and dependencies at a glance.

• Set start and due dates on tasks and subtasks.
• Link dependencies to highlight critical paths within an epic.
• Adjust bars to respond to delays or scope changes.

Using Gantt charts ensures your epic stays aligned with release targets and cross-team deliverables.

Step 5: Document Requirements with ClickUp Docs

Clear documentation keeps everyone aligned as the epic evolves.

Building an Epic Brief in ClickUp Docs

1. Create a new Doc in the same Space or Folder as your epic.
2. Outline key sections: problem, goals, scope, user stories, risks, and metrics.
3. Use headers, tables, and callouts to make content scannable.
4. Link the Doc to the epic List or task using Relationships.
5. Mention teammates with @ to request input or approvals.

Because Docs stay synced with your epic, you always have a single source of truth for requirements and decisions.

Step 6: Manage Sprints and Releases in ClickUp

Once tasks are ready, connect your epic to sprints and releases to keep delivery organized.

Assign Stories from ClickUp Epics to Sprints

1. Create sprint Lists or use the Sprints feature.
2. Drag tasks from your epic List into sprint Lists, or change a custom field like Sprint.
3. Ensure each story has a point estimate to support capacity planning.
4. Use filters to view only tasks from a specific epic within a sprint.

This keeps sprint boards clean while still tying back to the higher-level epic.

Track Releases with ClickUp Goals

Goals let you connect epic progress to measurable outcomes.

1. Create a new Goal for the release or epic.
2. Add Targets tied to task completion, numeric metrics, or milestones.
3. Link specific tasks or Lists that represent the epic work.
4. Review Goal progress regularly with stakeholders.

ClickUp Goals make it easier to communicate how close the epic is to completion, beyond just counting tasks.

Step 7: Report on Epic Performance in ClickUp

Analytics and dashboards give you visibility into how effectively your team is delivering on epics.

Dashboards for ClickUp Epic Management

Create a dashboard dedicated to epics in your product area.

• Use Burnup or Burndown charts for completed work.
• Add Task List widgets filtered by epic or Folder.
• Include Pie or Bar charts showing work by status, assignee, or priority.

Share the dashboard with stakeholders so they can track progress without asking for one-off reports.

ClickUp Epic Templates and Next Steps

Templates accelerate setup so your team can focus on delivering value instead of rebuilding processes each time.

The source guide at ClickUp Agile epic templates explains multiple ready-made approaches, including marketing, product, and engineering use cases. Use those examples to refine your own standard template for epics, tasks, and Docs.

If you need help designing a scalable Agile system, you can work with specialists such as Consultevo, who focus on building ClickUp implementations that match real-world delivery workflows.

By defining a clear structure, using views and Docs effectively, and standardizing on epic templates, your team can use ClickUp to manage Agile epics with clarity, predictability, and confidence.

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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