How to Manage Projects in ClickUp

ClickUp is a flexible project management platform that helps you plan, organize, and track work of any size, from simple to-do lists to complex cross-team initiatives.

This how-to guide walks you through the essential steps to set up and manage projects so your team always knows what to do, who owns it, and when it’s due.

Step 1: Understand the ClickUp Hierarchy

Before you build a workspace, it helps to understand how work is organized. The hierarchy lets you scale from personal tasks to entire portfolios.

• Workspace: Your company or main organization.
• Spaces: High-level groups for departments or work categories.
• Folders: Collections of related Lists, often for projects or programs.
• Lists: Specific projects, backlogs, or workflows.
• Tasks and Subtasks: The actionable work items your team completes.

Decide how you want to map your real-world structure into this hierarchy before you start building.

Step 2: Create Spaces for Your Projects in ClickUp

Spaces are ideal for grouping similar work, such as departments or major workstreams.

1. From your Workspace sidebar, select the option to create a Space.
2. Name the Space based on a team or function, such as Marketing, Product, or Operations.
3. Choose a color and icon so everyone can recognize it quickly.
4. Adjust Space-level settings like task statuses or features as needed.

You can create multiple Spaces to reflect how your organization plans and delivers projects.

Step 3: Build Folders and Lists for Each ClickUp Project

Once you have Spaces, organize work into Folders and Lists so each project is easy to find and manage.

Set up Folders for project groups

1. Within a Space, select New Folder.
2. Name the Folder after a broad initiative, client, or program.
3. Use Folders to group related projects, such as product releases or marketing campaigns.

Create Lists for individual ClickUp projects

1. Open the Folder where you want your project to live.
2. Select New List and enter the project name.
3. Add a brief description so your team understands the project goal.
4. Configure default statuses and custom fields if your project requires them.

Each List now acts as the home for tasks, milestones, and deliverables for that specific project.

Step 4: Add and Structure Tasks in ClickUp

Tasks are the core of project work. Create clear, actionable tasks so team members know exactly what to do.

Create tasks and subtasks

1. Open your project List.
2. Select New Task to add an item.
3. Give each task a concise, action-oriented name.
4. Add subtasks for multi-step items or work that involves multiple people.

Assign owners, dates, and details

• Assign each task to a single owner whenever possible.
• Set start and due dates to build a realistic schedule.
• Use descriptions to add context, links, or acceptance criteria.
• Attach files or use the task comment section for ongoing collaboration.

Well-structured tasks keep your project on track and make it easy to understand progress at a glance.

Step 5: Choose the Right ClickUp Views

The platform offers multiple views so you can visualize your projects in the way that works best for your team.

List and Board views

• List view: Great for detailed task management, prioritization, and filtering.
• Board view: Ideal for Kanban-style workflows, moving tasks across status columns.

Calendar and Gantt views

• Calendar view: See tasks by due date to plan daily and weekly work.
• Gantt view: Map tasks on a timeline, visualize dependencies, and adjust schedules.

Configure multiple views within the same project so different stakeholders can monitor the work in the format they prefer.

Step 6: Use ClickUp Docs for Project Planning

Docs let you keep plans, briefs, and knowledge directly alongside your tasks.

1. Create a new Doc inside your project’s Space or Folder.
2. Outline project goals, scope, and key milestones.
3. Link tasks directly from the Doc so requirements and action items stay connected.
4. Collaborate in real time with comments, editing, and sharing controls.

Keeping documentation in the same workspace as your tasks reduces confusion and helps onboard new teammates quickly.

Step 7: Track Progress with Dashboards in ClickUp

Dashboards give you a summary of performance, workload, and status across multiple projects.

1. Create a Dashboard from the main navigation.
2. Add widgets to display metrics like task status, assignee workload, or time tracked.
3. Include charts or tables filtered by Space, Folder, or List for specific reporting needs.
4. Share the Dashboard with stakeholders so they can see real-time updates.

Dashboards help leaders and project managers quickly spot bottlenecks and adjust plans.

Step 8: Automate Repetitive Project Work in ClickUp

Automations reduce manual steps so your team can focus on meaningful work.

1. Open the project List where you want to add an automation.
2. Access the Automations settings.
3. Choose a template or define a custom rule using triggers and actions.
4. Examples include changing assignees when status changes, or sending notifications when due dates are updated.

Start with a few simple rules and refine them as you see how they affect your workflow.

Step 9: Collaborate with Your Team in ClickUp

Strong collaboration keeps projects moving and reduces miscommunication.

• Use task comments to ask questions, share updates, and mention teammates.
• Assign comments when you need a specific person to take action.
• Use watchers so key people are notified about important tasks.
• Share views, Docs, and Dashboards with stakeholders who need visibility.

Keeping communication inside the platform ensures that decisions and context stay attached to the work.

Step 10: Review and Optimize Your ClickUp Projects

Project management is an ongoing process. Regular reviews help you improve how you use the platform.

1. Run weekly or sprint reviews using List, Board, or Gantt views.
2. Check Dashboards for overdue tasks or overloaded team members.
3. Refine statuses, custom fields, and automations based on team feedback.
4. Archive completed projects so your Workspace stays clean and organized.

Continual optimization ensures your setup scales as your work and team grow.

Learn More and Get Expert Help

For additional details on managing projects, explore the official guide on the ClickUp project management help page.

If you need strategic support designing or optimizing your workspace, workflows, or reporting, you can work with consultants who specialize in implementation and process design, such as Consultevo.

By following these steps, you can configure a clear, scalable system that keeps every project visible, organized, and aligned with your team’s goals.

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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