Customize the ClickUp Chat Sidebar
The Chat sidebar in ClickUp helps you manage conversations across your spaces, folders, and lists. By customizing this sidebar, you can quickly access the chat channels that matter most, hide what you do not need, and stay focused while collaborating with your team.
This guide explains how to open the Chat sidebar, manage visibility, pin channels, and organize everything so your workspace stays clean and efficient.
Open and view the ClickUp Chat sidebar
The Chat sidebar is available from the main sidebar on the left side of your ClickUp workspace. You can show or hide it whenever you need more room to work.
Steps to open the ClickUp Chat sidebar
- From any view in your workspace, locate the main left sidebar.
- Click the Chat icon or label to open the Chat sidebar panel.
- Review the list of chats organized by their location in your workspace, such as spaces, folders, and lists.
Once opened, the Chat sidebar displays all your eligible chat channels and makes it easy to move between them while staying in context.
Understand how chats appear in ClickUp
Not every conversation appears in the ClickUp Chat sidebar. Only specific types of chats are listed, so it is important to know what you will see there.
Chats that appear in the ClickUp Chat sidebar
- Chat views attached to spaces, folders, or lists.
- Legacy chat locations that are still supported in your workspace.
- Any chat that is marked as visible in the sidebar settings.
Chats that do not appear in the ClickUp Chat sidebar
- Direct one-to-one messages using other communication tools or integrations.
- Comments on tasks, docs, or whiteboards that are not configured as chat views.
- Archived locations where chat is no longer active.
If a channel is missing, confirm that it is set up as a chat view and that it has not been archived or removed from the visible list.
Show or hide chats in ClickUp
You can control which chats are displayed to keep the ClickUp Chat sidebar short and easy to scan. This is useful when you work in many spaces but only need quick access to a subset of conversations.
Hide a chat from the ClickUp sidebar
- Open the Chat sidebar.
- Find the chat you want to hide.
- Hover over the chat name to reveal options.
- Click the visibility or more options icon (often displayed as three dots).
- Select the option to Hide or remove it from the sidebar view.
Hiding a chat does not delete it. You can still access it from its parent space, folder, or list when needed.
Show a hidden chat again
- Navigate to the space, folder, or list that contains the chat view.
- Open the chat view from the top of that location.
- Use the view settings menu to enable visibility in the Chat sidebar.
- Return to the Chat sidebar to confirm that the conversation is now listed again.
Use these visibility options to maintain a streamlined list of channels and reduce noise.
Pin important chats in ClickUp
Pinning in ClickUp keeps your most important chats at the top of the Chat sidebar so you never lose track of critical conversations.
How to pin a ClickUp chat
- Open the Chat sidebar.
- Locate the channel you want to pin.
- Hover over the chat name to reveal additional icons.
- Click the Pin icon to pin the chat.
- Check that the chat has moved to the top of the list or into a pinned section.
Pinned chats remain fixed in their position even as new messages arrive in other channels.
Unpin a ClickUp chat
- Find the pinned chat at the top of the sidebar.
- Hover over the pinned chat name.
- Click the Pin icon again to unpin it.
- The chat will return to its normal place in the list based on workspace sorting rules.
Use pinned chats for key projects, team hubs, or company-wide announcement channels that you need to reference frequently.
Organize ClickUp chats by workspace structure
The Chat sidebar groups conversations by the same hierarchy you use in ClickUp: spaces, folders, and lists. Learning how this structure works will help you quickly locate any chat.
Chat organization by spaces
- Each space can include one or more chat views.
- Chats under a space appear grouped together in the sidebar.
- Use clear naming conventions so each space’s chat purpose is obvious.
Chat organization by folders and lists
- Folders can include list-specific chats for teams or projects.
- Each list can hold its own chat view tied to a specific workflow or client.
- These nested chats appear under their parent folder or list in the Chat sidebar.
When you keep names consistent across your ClickUp structure, it becomes much easier to scan the sidebar and jump into the right discussion instantly.
Filter and navigate ClickUp chats efficiently
Depending on your workspace size, you may have many active chat channels. The Chat sidebar gives you options to filter and navigate quickly so you spend less time searching.
Common ways to navigate the ClickUp Chat sidebar
- Scroll by workspace hierarchy: Scan chats under each space, folder, and list.
- Use search or quick find: Type part of a chat name to jump directly to it, if your workspace provides a search bar connected to views.
- Rely on pinned chats: Keep your daily conversations pinned so you rarely need to scroll.
Combine search, pinned chats, and a tidy workspace structure to minimize the number of clicks required to reach the conversation you want.
Best practices for managing ClickUp chats
To get the most value from the Chat sidebar, follow a few simple best practices that keep your collaboration clear and organized.
Use consistent naming in ClickUp chats
- Include the team or department name in the chat title.
- Add project or client names for easy identification.
- Avoid vague names like “general” when more specific labels are possible.
Review and clean up the Chat sidebar regularly
- Hide chats that are no longer active.
- Unpin channels after a project is complete.
- Archive or convert outdated chat views when your process changes.
Regular maintenance prevents the ClickUp Chat sidebar from becoming cluttered and helps new team members onboard faster.
Learn more about ClickUp chat features
If you need more details about how the Chat sidebar works or want to see the most current behavior and limitations, review the official documentation.
- Official help center section for customizing the Chat sidebar: Customize the Chat sidebar in ClickUp
For additional strategy, implementation support, or workflow design around ClickUp, you can also explore specialized consulting resources such as Consultevo for broader productivity and tool optimization guidance.
By tailoring the Chat sidebar to match how your team works, you can turn ClickUp into a focused communication hub where critical conversations stay visible and easy to reach.
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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