Customize Time Estimates in ClickUp

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Customize Time Estimates in ClickUp

Accurate time planning in ClickUp helps your team schedule work, track capacity, and report on progress more effectively. This guide explains how to customize time estimates so they align with your workspace, including choosing estimate formats, setting ranges, and managing admin controls.

The information below is based on the official documentation available on the ClickUp help center, rewritten as a practical how-to tutorial.

Overview of Time Estimates in ClickUp

Time estimates in ClickUp let you predict how long tasks and subtasks should take. They are separate from time tracked and can be configured in multiple ways for better planning.

With customized settings, you can:

  • Choose how estimates are displayed.
  • Use time ranges instead of a single value.
  • Apply workspace-wide defaults.
  • Control who can add estimates for others.

Access Workspace Time Estimate Settings in ClickUp

To customize time estimates at the workspace level, you need admin access. These settings affect how estimates behave across all tasks unless overridden at a lower level.

Open the Time Estimates settings in ClickUp

  1. Sign in to your ClickUp workspace.
  2. Click your profile avatar in the lower-left corner.
  3. Select Settings from the menu.
  4. In the left sidebar, choose Time Tracking or Time Estimates (depending on your workspace layout).
  5. Open the Time Estimates configuration section.

Once you reach the Time Estimates section, you can adjust several options that impact how estimates are entered and shown on tasks.

Choose a Time Estimate Format in ClickUp

The format you select determines how estimates are displayed to users. This setting is applied workspace-wide.

Available formats

Depending on your plan and current configuration, you can typically choose from:

  • Hours only – Best for teams that estimate in total hours per task.
  • Hours and minutes – Ideal when you need more granular control.
  • Days or custom units – Helpful for long-running initiatives or high-level planning.

How to set the time estimate format

  1. In the Time Estimates settings, locate the Estimate Format or similar dropdown.
  2. Select your desired format (for example, Hours or Hours & Minutes).
  3. Save your changes so the new format is applied across ClickUp tasks.

After updating the format, all new time estimates will follow this style, and existing estimates will be displayed using the selected format.

Enable Time Estimate Ranges in ClickUp

Some teams prefer to estimate work as a range rather than a single number. Time estimate ranges in ClickUp allow you to specify a minimum and maximum duration.

Turn on time ranges

  1. From the Time Estimates settings page, look for an option labeled Use time estimate ranges or similar.
  2. Toggle the feature on.
  3. Save your settings.

Once enabled, tasks will support range-based estimates, such as 2–4 hours or 1–3 days, depending on your configured format.

Use ranges on a task

  1. Open any task where you want to set an estimate.
  2. Click the Time Estimate field or icon.
  3. Enter a minimum and maximum value in the supported format.
  4. Save the task.

These range estimates can then be used in reporting and workload views to understand best- and worst-case effort scenarios.

Manage Who Can Add Time Estimates in ClickUp

Workspace admins can decide whether people can add time estimates only for themselves or also for other users. This is useful for managers, project leads, or coordinators who help build out schedules.

Adjust permissions for time estimates

  1. Go to Workspace Settings in ClickUp.
  2. Open the Time Estimates configuration area.
  3. Find the option that controls who can add or modify estimates for others.
  4. Choose the desired permission level, such as:
    • Only self – Users can estimate only their own tasks or workload.
    • Managers and admins – Specific roles can add or edit estimates for any user.
  5. Save your changes.

Configuring these permissions ensures estimates remain consistent and prevents unauthorized changes.

Set Default Time Estimates Behavior in ClickUp

Beyond basic format and ranges, you can define default behaviors for time estimates in ClickUp. These defaults save time when creating new tasks and help keep your team’s approach consistent.

Common default options

  • Default on or off – Decide whether new tasks should start with an empty estimate or inherit a standard value.
  • Inherited settings – Allow Lists or Folders to inherit workspace-level estimate settings.
  • Custom overrides – Apply different time estimate rules for specific spaces or projects if your plan supports them.

How to configure defaults

  1. In the workspace Time Estimates page, look for Defaults or similar sections.
  2. Set your preferred baseline behavior, such as leaving estimates blank or enabling ranges by default.
  3. Optionally, open the settings for a particular Space, Folder, or List and override the workspace defaults if needed.
  4. Save your configurations.

With clear defaults, your team will spend less time configuring each task and more time executing the work.

Apply Time Estimates on Tasks in ClickUp

After setting up workspace options, you can start using estimates on everyday tasks and subtasks in ClickUp.

Add or edit a time estimate

  1. Open the task where you want to add an estimate.
  2. Locate the Time Estimate field in the task view.
  3. Click the field to open the estimate input panel.
  4. Enter the desired value, matching your workspace format (for example, 3h or 2h 30m).
  5. If ranges are enabled, input both minimum and maximum durations.
  6. Save or close the task to apply the estimate.

Estimates can usually be updated at any time, so your team can refine them as more information becomes available.

View estimates across your ClickUp workspace

Once estimates are configured, they can be surfaced in different views and reports, including:

  • List view – Add the time estimate column to see projected effort for each task.
  • Workload or capacity views – Compare estimated time against each person’s availability.
  • Dashboards – Build charts that summarize total estimated time per project, assignee, or status.

Best Practices for Time Estimates in ClickUp

To get the most from time estimates, align your process and workspace configuration.

  • Standardize formats – Choose one primary estimate format for the entire workspace.
  • Use ranges for uncertain work – Ranges can better express uncertainty on new or complex tasks.
  • Review estimates regularly – Compare time tracked to estimates to improve forecasting.
  • Limit who can modify others’ estimates – Clear permissions reduce confusion and keep data clean.

Where to Learn More About ClickUp Time Features

For deeper tutorials and implementation guidance beyond this article, you can work with specialists who optimize productivity workflows and documentation for platforms like ClickUp. One such resource is Consultevo, which focuses on improving systems, processes, and automation.

For the official and most up-to-date reference on customizing time estimates, always review the original article in the ClickUp knowledge base.

By carefully configuring time estimate formats, ranges, defaults, and permissions in ClickUp, you will create a more reliable planning system that supports accurate scheduling, balanced workloads, and better reporting across your entire workspace.

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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