How to Get Started With ClickUp

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform that can replace simple task apps like Things 3 while giving you powerful tools for projects, teams, and personal goals. This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to set up your account, build a workspace, and organize tasks so you can be productive from day one.

Why Switch to ClickUp From Basic Task Apps

Traditional to-do apps are great for simple lists, but they often struggle when you need structure, collaboration, and reporting. By learning how to use ClickUp correctly, you can centralize your tasks, docs, and workflows in one place instead of juggling multiple tools.

Compared to basic checklist apps, ClickUp offers:

Multiple views for the same tasks (List, Board, Calendar, and more)
Robust hierarchy to organize everything from life goals to complex projects
Collaboration features for teams, clients, and stakeholders
Advanced automation, dependencies, and custom fields

If you are moving from Things 3 or evaluating alternatives, you can explore the original comparison and feature overview here: Things 3 alternatives.

Understanding the ClickUp Hierarchy

Before you create tasks, it helps to understand how the ClickUp hierarchy works. This structure keeps everything organized as your workload grows.

Core Levels in ClickUp

From top to bottom, these are the main levels in ClickUp:

Workspace – Your main environment, usually one per company or personal life.
Spaces – Big categories such as Marketing, Personal, Client Work, or School.
Folders – Optional containers inside a Space, useful for grouping projects.
Lists – Collections of related tasks, such as Campaigns, Essays, or Home Projects.
Tasks & Subtasks – Individual action items and smaller steps.

This hierarchy is what lets ClickUp grow with you. You can start simple with one Space and a few Lists, then expand into multiple teams, clients, and departments when you are ready.

Step 1: Create Your ClickUp Account

Starting with ClickUp takes only a few minutes.

Go to the ClickUp website and sign up with your email, Google, or Microsoft account.
Confirm your email address if prompted.
Answer the onboarding questions to tell the platform how you plan to use it (personal, business, education, etc.).

During onboarding, you can also invite teammates. If you are just testing ClickUp for personal productivity, you can skip this step and add collaborators later.

Step 2: Build Your First ClickUp Workspace

After sign-up, you will be asked to name your Workspace. This is the top level in ClickUp and usually reflects your company or personal brand.

Recommended Workspace Settings

Workspace name: Use your business name or your own name.
Logo and color: Add a logo and choose colors to visually distinguish your account.
Default features: Keep essentials like tasks, docs, and dashboards on. You can enable more advanced modules later.

If you ever manage multiple businesses or separate personal and professional life, you can create additional Workspaces inside ClickUp and switch between them easily.

Step 3: Create Spaces in ClickUp for Key Areas

Spaces are your main categories. They function like departments or major areas of life.

How to Set Up Spaces in ClickUp

From the left sidebar, click + New Space.
Choose a name such as Personal, Operations, Clients, Marketing, or School.
Select a color and icon to help you recognize the Space at a glance.
Pick which ClickUp features you want active in that Space (sprints, tags, custom fields, etc.).
Decide who can access the Space if you are working with a team.

For a personal setup, one Space named “Personal” might contain Lists for Health, Finance, Home, and Learning. For a business setup, you might have separate Spaces for Sales, Product, and Support.

Step 4: Organize Folders and Lists in ClickUp

Folders and Lists help you break a Space into manageable pieces.

Best Practices for ClickUp Folders

Folders are optional, but they provide an extra level of organization when your Space grows. For example:

In a Clients Space, create one Folder per client.
In a Marketing Space, create Folders like Campaigns, Content, and Research.
In a Personal Space, create Folders for Home, Health, and Projects.

Creating Lists in ClickUp

Open a Space or Folder.
Click + New List.
Name the List after a project, area, or time period (for example: “Q1 Campaigns,” “Home Renovation,” or “Weekly Tasks”).
Set a default view (List or Board is a great place to start in ClickUp).

Lists become the containers for your individual tasks and are where you will probably spend most of your time.

Step 5: Add and Manage Tasks in ClickUp

Tasks are the core building blocks in ClickUp. Each task can hold details, comments, and subtasks.

Creating Tasks Efficiently

Go to the List where you want to add work.
Click + New Task at the top or bottom of the List.
Give the task a clear, actionable title like “Draft blog outline” instead of “Blog.”
Set a due date and assignee if needed.
Add a description with important context, links, or checklists.

You can then break large tasks into subtasks and assign or schedule them individually. This is especially useful when you are moving from simple checklists to a deeper project structure inside ClickUp.

Using Custom Fields in ClickUp

Custom fields help you track extra data such as budget, priority, channel, or client. To add them:

Open a List view.
Click on the + icon in the header row.
Select the field type (dropdown, number, date, etc.).
Name the field and configure options.

Custom fields transform ClickUp from a basic to-do list into a flexible project management system tailored to your workflow.

Step 6: Choose the Best Views in ClickUp

One of the strengths of ClickUp is that you can see the same tasks in different ways without duplicating them.

Key Views to Start With

List View – A detailed, spreadsheet-like view ideal for day-to-day task management.
Board View – A Kanban-style board perfect for agile workflows and visual thinkers.
Calendar View – See tasks by date to better manage deadlines and time blocks.
Box View – Great for managers tracking workload across teammates.

To add a view in ClickUp, open a Space, Folder, or List and click + View at the top. You can then choose the type of view and set filters, sorting, and grouping options.

Step 7: Use Templates and Automations in ClickUp

Once your basic structure is working, save time by building templates and automations.

Creating Templates in ClickUp

Open a List, task, or Space that you want to reuse.
Click the three-dot menu.
Select Save as Template.
Give the template a name and choose what details to include (assignees, dates, custom fields, etc.).

You can now instantly spin up standardized workflows for recurring projects, client onboarding, or content campaigns.

Setting Up Automations in ClickUp

Automations save time by handling repetitive steps for you. To get started:

Open a Space, Folder, or List.
Click Automations in the top bar.
Choose from prebuilt recipes like “When status changes to Done, set due date to today,” or build your own.
Test the automation on a sample task to make sure it behaves correctly.

Even a few simple automations can dramatically reduce manual updates across your ClickUp workflow.

Step 8: Collaborate and Share in ClickUp

When you are ready to bring others into your workspace, ClickUp gives you granular control over collaboration.

Inviting Teammates

Click your avatar and go to People or Members.
Invite teammates by email.
Assign them roles and permissions based on what they should access.

You can then @mention people in comments, assign tasks, and share specific views or dashboards instead of exposing your entire account.

Using Comments and Docs in ClickUp

ClickUp Docs and comments turn your tasks into communication hubs:

Use comments to discuss progress, ask questions, and attach files.
Create Docs for project briefs, SOPs, and meeting notes linked directly to related tasks.
Share Docs and views with external stakeholders using public links.

Optimize Your Setup and Learn More

As you become more comfortable with ClickUp, you can refine your setup using dashboards, time tracking, goals, and integrations with your favorite tools.

If you need help designing a scalable workflow or migrating from another platform, you can work with specialists experienced in productivity systems and AI-supported processes. A consulting partner like Consultevo can help you architect an efficient ClickUp implementation for teams and complex projects.

To see how this platform compares to other productivity tools and Things 3 alternatives, review the detailed breakdown on the original ClickUp blog article. Use the steps in this guide as your blueprint, then customize ClickUp so it fits your unique work style and long-term goals.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

“`