Master Kanban in ClickUp
ClickUp makes it simple to move beyond basic Microsoft Teams boards and build a complete Kanban workflow that scales with your projects, teams, and clients.
This step-by-step guide shows you how to recreate and upgrade a Teams Kanban board using ClickUp views, tasks, and agile features so you can manage work in one powerful workspace.
Why Switch from Microsoft Teams Boards to ClickUp
Microsoft Teams is great for communication, but its board features are limited for serious project management. By shifting your Kanban process to ClickUp, you keep conversations in Teams while gaining advanced planning and tracking tools.
Key reasons teams move their Kanban boards into ClickUp include:
- Centralized work management instead of scattered boards and chats
- Customizable statuses, fields, and workflows
- Deeper reporting and workload visibility
- Rich task details with checklists, comments, and attachments
- Scalability for agile, marketing, operations, and more
With the right setup, you can run your Kanban system in ClickUp while still collaborating in Teams.
Set Up Your Workspace in ClickUp
Before you rebuild your Kanban board, you need a clear structure for where everything will live in ClickUp.
1. Create a Space for Your Team
A Space in ClickUp is a high-level container for related work, such as a department, project portfolio, or client group.
- Log in to your ClickUp account.
- Select + New Space from the sidebar.
- Name the Space after your team, product, or project line.
- Choose a color and icon that your team will recognize.
- Adjust Space-level settings such as task statuses, tags, and permissions.
This gives your Kanban workflow a dedicated home instead of mixing it with unrelated tasks.
2. Add a Folder or List for Kanban Work
Inside your Space, organize your Kanban tasks with Folders and Lists.
- Create a Folder for a major initiative (for example, “Product Development” or “Marketing Campaigns”).
- Inside that Folder, create a List that will act as the core Kanban board (for example, “Feature Pipeline” or “Content Production”).
- Keep the List focused on a single workflow so the Kanban board stays clear.
Every task that appears on your Kanban board will live in this List in ClickUp.
Build Your Kanban Workflow in ClickUp
3. Configure Kanban Statuses
Statuses represent the columns on your Kanban board. Instead of being locked into generic stages, ClickUp lets you customize them to match your real process.
- Open your Kanban List and select Settings > Statuses.
- Replace default statuses with your workflow, such as:
- Backlog
- Ready
- In Progress
- In Review
- Blocked
- Done
- Choose colors that visually separate different stages.
- Save the status configuration at the Space or Folder level if you want to reuse it.
These statuses will now appear as your Kanban columns in ClickUp.
4. Use Board View for a Kanban Layout in ClickUp
Board view is where your Kanban workflow comes to life.
- In your List, click + View.
- Select Board and choose who can see this view.
- Make sure tasks are grouped by Status.
- Pin the Board view so it is the default layout for the team.
Now you have a drag-and-drop Kanban board in ClickUp that mirrors (and improves) the one you may have used in Microsoft Teams.
Create and Organize Kanban Tasks in ClickUp
5. Add Tasks to Your Kanban Board
Each sticky note or card from your old Teams board becomes a task in ClickUp.
- In Board view, click + Task under the appropriate status column.
- Give the task a clear, action-oriented name.
- Add a description summarizing the work.
- Assign an owner so every task has a responsible person.
- Set a due date if timing matters.
Repeat this for all existing items from your Teams Kanban board until your ClickUp board fully represents current work.
6. Use Custom Fields to Track Key Details
While Teams boards are limited in what you can track per card, ClickUp tasks can include Custom Fields that bring structure to your Kanban data.
Common Custom Fields for Kanban workflows include:
- Priority (dropdown: Low, Normal, High, Urgent)
- Story points or effort estimates (number)
- Type (bug, feature, task, improvement)
- Owner team or squad (dropdown)
- Release version or campaign name (text or dropdown)
To add Custom Fields in ClickUp:
- Open any task in the List.
- Click + Add Custom Field.
- Choose the right field type and name it.
- Apply it to the whole List so it appears on every task.
These fields make your Kanban board more informative and improve reporting later.
Run Daily Work on Your ClickUp Kanban Board
7. Move Tasks Across ClickUp Columns
Once your tasks and fields are in place, manage daily work visually.
- Drag tasks between status columns to reflect progress.
- Use filters to see only tasks assigned to you or your squad.
- Sort by priority, due date, or Custom Fields to highlight what matters.
Because ClickUp updates in real time, everyone sees the same Kanban board, wherever they work.
8. Collaborate with Comments and Attachments
Instead of splitting conversations between Teams chats and lightweight card comments, centralize details inside each ClickUp task.
- Use task comments to ask questions and provide updates.
- Mention teammates with @ to notify them.
- Attach files, screenshots, or specs directly to the task.
- Add checklists for sub-steps inside a card.
This keeps your Kanban board clean while preserving full context for every piece of work.
Optimize Agile Workflows in ClickUp
9. Use Sprints and Backlogs
If you run agile projects, you can go beyond a simple Kanban board by adding sprint structure in ClickUp.
- Create a Backlog List for ideas and unprioritized work.
- Create separate Lists or Sprint folders for time-boxed work periods.
- Move tasks from Backlog to active sprint Lists during planning.
- Use Board views in each List to visualize work in progress.
This setup keeps discovery and delivery organized while using the same familiar Kanban layout.
10. Track Flow and Performance
Unlike basic Teams boards, ClickUp gives you multiple ways to understand how work moves across your Kanban system.
- Use Dashboards to monitor tasks by status, assignee, or priority.
- Review cycle times and bottlenecks by looking at how long tasks stay in each column.
- Filter completed tasks to analyze what types of work dominate your board.
With this data, you can refine statuses, limits, and priorities to keep your Kanban process efficient.
Integrate ClickUp with Microsoft Teams
You do not have to abandon Microsoft Teams to adopt a stronger Kanban workflow. Instead, integrate Teams with ClickUp to combine communication and execution.
- Connect your workspace so notifications from ClickUp appear in Teams channels.
- Share task links in chat to jump directly to the right card.
- Use Teams for quick discussions and ClickUp for the source of truth about work.
This hybrid approach lets you keep familiar conversations in place while relying on ClickUp for serious task and project control.
Learn More About Kanban with ClickUp
To see how traditional Teams boards compare to a modern Kanban solution, review the detailed guide on the official blog: Microsoft Teams Kanban Board. It explains common limitations in Teams and how a dedicated platform supports agile workflows.
For additional strategy support around implementation, change management, and process design, you can also explore resources from partners such as Consultevo, which focuses on optimizing work management systems.
Start Managing Work with ClickUp Today
By recreating your Microsoft Teams Kanban board in ClickUp, you unlock a unified workspace for planning, tracking, and improving every workflow. Define clear statuses, use Board views, enrich tasks with Custom Fields, and integrate with existing communication tools so your team can see the full picture of work at a glance.
Set up your first Kanban List, invite your team, and let ClickUp become the central hub for your projects, sprints, and day-to-day execution.
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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