How to Run Async Meetings in ClickUp
Async meetings in ClickUp help teams share updates, make decisions, and stay aligned without adding more live calls to already packed calendars. By shifting recurring meetings into structured, written updates, you can protect focus time while still keeping everyone informed.
This how-to guide shows you step-by-step how to turn live meetings into async workflows using tools and practices inspired by the original async meeting framework from the ClickUp async meeting article.
What Is an Async Meeting in ClickUp?
An async meeting is a structured, written update that replaces a scheduled live meeting. Instead of everyone joining a call, each person contributes their update in their own time, following a shared template in ClickUp.
The goal is not to eliminate all meetings. Instead, you replace meetings that are purely about sharing information with concise, written documentation everyone can read when it best fits their schedule.
When to Use Async Meetings with ClickUp
Before you build a process in ClickUp, decide which meetings are good candidates for async. Look for recurring meetings that:
- Exist mostly for status updates or announcements
- Regularly run out of time for everyone to speak
- Frequently get canceled or rescheduled
- Are held just to make sure “everyone is on the same page”
Async formats work especially well for:
- Weekly status or standup meetings
- Team-wide updates across multiple time zones
- Cross-functional project updates
- Leadership updates and business reviews
Prepare Your ClickUp Workspace for Async Meetings
Before you run your first async meeting in ClickUp, set up a clear structure so every update looks and feels consistent.
Create a Dedicated Space or Folder in ClickUp
Organize async meetings in one place so team members always know where to add and find updates. You can:
- Create a dedicated Space called “Async Meetings”
- Or add a Folder within an existing Space, such as “Team Operations” or “Leadership”
Inside that area, each List can represent a specific recurring async meeting. For example:
- Weekly Marketing Async
- Product & Engineering Async Sync
- Company-Wide Updates
Build a Reusable Async Meeting Template in ClickUp
To keep updates consistent over time, create a template that everyone can follow. In ClickUp, you can build this template using a task description, custom fields, or a doc, depending on your team’s preferences.
A simple async meeting template might include sections like:
- Wins & highlights: What went well this week?
- Priorities: What are you focused on next?
- Blockers: Where are you stuck or waiting on others?
- Decisions needed: What input do you need from the team?
- Metrics: Any key numbers or trends to share?
Save this structure as a template in ClickUp so you can reuse it for each new async meeting cycle.
Step-by-Step: Running an Async Meeting in ClickUp
Once your structure is ready, follow these steps to replace a live meeting with an async version in ClickUp.
Step 1: Define the Cadence and Participants
Decide how often the async meeting will occur and who needs to contribute. Common cadences include weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
Clarify:
- Who must post updates every cycle
- Who only needs to read and react
- Who owns the async meeting process
Step 2: Create the Async Meeting Task or Doc in ClickUp
At the start of each cycle:
- Create a new task or doc in the appropriate List.
- Apply your saved async meeting template.
- Name it with the meeting title and date range, such as “Marketing Async – Week of March 10.”
Using one task or doc per cycle helps you maintain a clean historical record of updates over time.
Step 3: Assign Owners and Set Due Dates
Assign the async meeting task to the owner who will coordinate the process. Then clearly set:
- A due date for contributors to submit updates
- A time window for reviewing comments and decisions
You can also mention individuals in the description using @mentions to remind specific people to add their updates in ClickUp.
Step 4: Share the Async Meeting Template with the Team
Post a short message explaining:
- The purpose of the async meeting
- How and where to add updates in ClickUp
- When updates are due
- Expectations for responding to comments or questions
Make it clear that the async document is the meeting, not just pre-work. Treat participation and reading as mandatory the same way attendance would be for a live meeting.
Step 5: Collect Updates in ClickUp
Each participant fills in their section using the template. To keep updates effective:
- Keep entries short and scannable
- Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
- Highlight only the most important points
- Link to relevant tasks, docs, or dashboards in ClickUp
Encourage team members to add context where needed, but avoid turning the async update into a full report.
Step 6: Review, Comment, and Make Decisions
Once updates are in:
- The meeting owner reviews all entries.
- They use comments and @mentions in ClickUp to ask clarifying questions.
- They highlight decisions made and next steps in a clear summary section.
If a discussion becomes complex or sensitive, you can schedule a short live call just for those directly involved, keeping the rest of the team async.
Step 7: Close the Loop and Archive
At the end of the async window:
- Add a short summary at the top of the task or doc: key decisions, risks, and next steps.
- Update any linked tasks or projects in ClickUp based on the outcomes.
- Change the task status to show the async meeting is complete.
This creates a searchable archive of past async meetings that anyone can revisit later.
Best Practices for Async Meetings in ClickUp
To keep async meetings effective over time, follow these practices inspired by the ClickUp async framework.
Write for Speed and Clarity
Encourage participants to write like they are speaking to a busy colleague. That means:
- Leading with the most important information
- Using headings and bullets
- Avoiding jargon where possible
Be Explicit About Expectations in ClickUp
Clarify how the async meeting fits into your team’s workflow:
- Is reading and responding part of the workday?
- When are people expected to be done?
- How will decisions be communicated?
Document these norms in a recurring ClickUp task or doc so new team members can easily follow them.
Use ClickUp to Connect Work, Not Just Notes
Async meetings are more valuable when updates connect directly to active work. Use ClickUp features to:
- Link to relevant tasks for deeper detail
- Attach files or dashboards showing progress and metrics
- Update task statuses as decisions are made
Review and Refine Your Async Format
After a few cycles, ask the team:
- Which sections of the template are most useful?
- What feels repetitive or unnecessary?
- Are there decisions that still require live meetings?
Adjust the template in ClickUp so the format stays lean and focused on outcomes.
Scaling Async Meetings Beyond One Team in ClickUp
Once a single team has a reliable async cadence, you can adapt the same structure across departments. To scale effectively:
- Create a standard async template for the entire organization
- Set naming conventions for tasks or docs to make archives easy to search
- Align on which topics belong in async meetings vs. live calls
If you want support designing streamlined async processes, workflow specialists such as Consultevo can help you implement ClickUp in a way that reinforces clear, documented communication.
Start Your Next Async Meeting in ClickUp
Async meetings help you reduce calendar overload, protect focus time, and build a written record of decisions. With a simple template, a regular cadence, and clear expectations, ClickUp becomes a central place for efficient, flexible communication.
Use the steps in this guide to choose one recurring meeting to convert to an async format in ClickUp, and iterate from there based on your team’s feedback and results.
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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