How to Build a Powerful Content Planner in ClickUp

ClickUp makes it easy to move beyond simple visuals and create a complete content planning hub that connects ideas, tasks, assets, and publishing schedules in one place.

This step-by-step guide shows you how to recreate and improve on a Canva content planner using ClickUp’s views, custom fields, templates, and automation.

Why Switch from Canva Planner to ClickUp

Canva is excellent for designing graphics, but its planning options are limited once your content operation scales. A dedicated workspace like ClickUp gives you:

• Centralized tasks, briefs, and assets
• Flexible calendar and board views for your content pipeline
• Custom fields for channels, status, and owners
• Built-in collaboration, comments, and approvals
• Automation to cut repetitive work and reduce errors

By pairing your Canva designs with structured work management in ClickUp, your team can plan, create, and publish more consistently.

Step 1: Set Up a Content Workspace in ClickUp

Begin by creating a dedicated structure for your marketing and social content inside ClickUp.

1. Create a new Workspace or use your existing marketing workspace.

2. Add a Space named something like “Content Marketing” or “Social Media”.

3. Within that Space, create a Folder called “Content Calendar”.

4. Inside the folder, create a List for each major channel or category, for example:

   • Blog
   • Instagram
   • LinkedIn
   • YouTube
   • Email Campaigns

This basic structure lets you keep content organized by channel while still rolling up into one master calendar in ClickUp.

Step 2: Add Essential Content Fields in ClickUp

To mirror and improve on a Canva content planner, you need a clear set of properties for every piece of content. In ClickUp, you do this with custom fields.

Add the following custom fields to your content Lists:

• Content Type (Dropdown: Post, Reel, Story, Blog, Video, Email, Ad)
• Channel (Dropdown or Labels: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Blog, etc.)
• Campaign (Text or Dropdown to group related posts)
• Target Publish Date (Date)
• Publish Time (Time, if you schedule at specific hours)
• Status (Dropdown: Idea, Draft, In Review, Approved, Scheduled, Published)
• Owner (Assignee field or custom field if shared ownership)
• Design Link (URL field where you paste your Canva design link)
• Assets (Attachments for exported images, videos, or copy docs)

These fields turn every task in ClickUp into a complete content record that any teammate can understand at a glance.

Step 3: Create a Calendar View in ClickUp

A calendar is central to any visual planner. In ClickUp, you can see every post on a single calendar, regardless of channel.

1. Open your “Content Calendar” Folder.

2. Click Add View and choose Calendar.

3. Set the calendar to use Target Publish Date as the primary date.

4. Group or color tasks by Channel or Status for easy scanning.

5. Save the view and pin it so your team can access it quickly.

You can now drag and drop tasks on the calendar to adjust publishing dates, giving you the same visual clarity you’d expect from a Canva content planner, but with more control.

Step 4: Build a Content Pipeline Board in ClickUp

Beyond dates, you need to track progress from idea to published. Use a Kanban-style Board view in ClickUp to manage your pipeline.

1. In the same Folder, click Add View and choose Board.

2. Group by Status so columns show each stage: Idea, Draft, In Review, Approved, Scheduled, Published.

3. Optional: Create additional filters (e.g., only show one channel or one campaign).

Now you can move tasks across the board as work progresses, while the calendar view focuses on what goes live and when.

Step 5: Turn Content Tasks into ClickUp Templates

Frequent content types, like weekly social posts or recurring blog formats, benefit from reusable task templates in ClickUp.

1. Create a new task for a standard content item, for example “Instagram Static Post Template”.

2. Inside the task, add:

   • Checklist items (Brief, Draft copy, Design in Canva, Review, Final edits, Schedule, Publish, Report results)
   • A structured description including audience, goal, key message, CTA, and hashtags
   • Pre-filled custom fields (Channel = Instagram, Content Type = Post, etc.)

3. Click the task’s three-dot menu and select Save as Template.

4. Name the template clearly and choose where it should be available.

Next time you plan a similar item, apply the template and skip repetitive setup. This is a powerful advantage of ClickUp over a static Canva planner.

Step 6: Connect Canva Designs with ClickUp Tasks

You do not have to abandon Canva; instead, connect your designs to ClickUp so everything related to a piece of content lives in one place.

1. Design your asset in Canva as usual.

2. Copy the share link for the design or the specific asset.

3. Open the related task in ClickUp.

4. Paste the share link into the Design Link custom field or task description.

5. Optionally, export the final file and attach it directly to the task.

This gives writers, designers, and approvers a single source of truth without hunting for files across tools.

Step 7: Use ClickUp Automation for Content Workflow

Automation in ClickUp can replace manual updates that slow teams down. Configure simple rules that mirror your content process.

Examples of useful automation rules:

• When Status changes to Approved, automatically change Assignee to the scheduler or social media manager.
• When Target Publish Date arrives, create a follow-up task to pull performance metrics.
• When a task is moved to Published, update a custom field like “Reported” or “Live URL”.

Set up automation from the List or Space level so every new content task in ClickUp follows the same rules.

Step 8: Collaborate and Approve Content in ClickUp

Feedback and approvals can easily get lost when they live only inside design tools. Use ClickUp as your central place for discussion.

• Comments: Tag copywriters, designers, and stakeholders directly in task comments.
• Assigned Comments: Turn feedback into action items that must be resolved.
• Attachments: Upload draft screenshots or exported assets for review.
• Proofing (if available): Add comments directly on visuals and track revisions.

Keep final decisions, versions, and context documented in ClickUp so you always know what was approved and why.

Step 9: Track Content Performance with ClickUp

While analytics usually come from social platforms or other tools, you can summarize and organize performance data in ClickUp.

1. Add custom fields such as Impressions, Engagements, Clicks, and Conversion Notes.

2. After a post has run for a set time, update these metrics on the related task.

3. Create a Table View grouped by campaign or channel to see key results side by side.

4. Use filters to highlight top-performing content, then feed those insights back into your planning process.

This turns your ClickUp content planner into a feedback loop rather than a one-way schedule.

Bonus: Save Time with a Done-for-You ClickUp Setup

If you want expert help designing a complete content system built on ClickUp, consider working with experienced consultants. For strategy, implementation, and process optimization, explore the services at Consultevo.

Learn More About Replacing a Canva Planner

The approach in this guide is inspired by best practices for moving beyond a basic Canva content planner into a robust workspace. To see how traditional Canva planning compares, review the original discussion here: Canva Content Planner Overview.

By combining Canva’s design strengths with structured workflows, calendars, and automation in ClickUp, your content team can plan campaigns faster, collaborate more effectively, and keep every asset connected from idea to published post.

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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