Run Sprints in ClickUp: Step-by-Step Guide
Running agile sprints in ClickUp helps your team plan, execute, and review work in a structured way so everyone understands priorities, timelines, and outcomes.
This how-to article walks you through every step of setting up and running a sprint, from planning and starting, to tracking progress and closing work when the sprint ends.
Before you run a ClickUp sprint
Before you start a sprint, make sure your workspace is ready and that your team understands how you will use ClickUp to manage the sprint.
- Confirm you have a Space dedicated to agile work.
- Ensure the Sprint ClickApp or sprint features are enabled where needed.
- Decide how you will estimate effort (story points, time estimates, or other fields).
- Agree on statuses that represent your delivery workflow.
Having these pieces in place will make it easier to manage sprints consistently and keep work organized.
Plan a sprint in ClickUp
Planning is where you decide what work enters the sprint and how much your team can complete. In ClickUp, sprint planning typically happens in a special sprint view or in a backlog list.
Prepare your ClickUp backlog
Your backlog should contain all potential tasks, clearly described and prioritized. This makes it easy to pull work into a sprint.
- Review existing tasks for clarity and acceptance criteria.
- Remove or archive outdated items.
- Group related tasks with tags or custom fields.
- Order work by priority so the most important items are at the top.
A clean backlog lets you quickly see what is ready to be scheduled into a sprint.
Select work for the ClickUp sprint
Next, choose the specific tasks that will be included in the sprint. Focus on realistic capacity, not just the number of tasks.
- Open your backlog view or board in ClickUp.
- Filter or group items by priority, status, or assignee.
- Discuss each candidate task with the team to confirm it is ready.
- Move selected tasks into the upcoming sprint, or assign them to a sprint list or sprint field.
During this step, make sure each task has a clear owner and that everyone understands the expected outcome.
Estimate work for the ClickUp sprint
Estimations help you manage capacity and forecast delivery. In ClickUp, you can estimate using story points, time estimates, or other custom measures.
- Open each task that is a candidate for the sprint.
- Add or review the estimate field you use (for example, Story Points).
- Confirm estimates as a team during planning.
- Adjust sprint scope if total estimates exceed your expected capacity.
Tracking estimates across sprints allows you to measure velocity and improve future planning.
Create and start a ClickUp sprint
Once your scope is defined, it is time to formally create and start the sprint in ClickUp so that all related work is grouped and timeboxed.
Create a new sprint
The specific options may vary depending on your workspace configuration, but the general flow is similar.
- Navigate to your agile Space or Folder in ClickUp.
- Open the sprint or backlog view where sprints are managed.
- Create a new sprint, giving it a meaningful name (for example, “Sprint 24” or “Sprint Q1-2”).
- Set the sprint start and end dates to define the timebox.
- Confirm the sprint capacity if your setup supports it.
Having clear dates and a recognizable naming convention helps your team quickly find and reference previous sprints.
Add tasks to the ClickUp sprint
Now link the planned tasks to the sprint you created.
- From your backlog or planning view, select the tasks chosen for this sprint.
- Assign them to the sprint using the sprint field, sprint folder, or sprint list.
- Confirm each task has an assignee and the right status to start (for example, “To Do”).
- Double-check that the total estimates fit your intended sprint capacity.
Once tasks are attached to the sprint, they will appear in sprint-specific views and reporting.
Start the ClickUp sprint
Starting the sprint activates the timebox and lets your team begin execution.
- Open the sprint management view in ClickUp.
- Locate the sprint you just created and populated.
- Click the option to start or begin the sprint.
- Confirm the dates and included tasks before finalizing.
After the sprint starts, avoid adding large amounts of unplanned work so you maintain a stable scope.
Manage work during a ClickUp sprint
During the sprint, you will update task statuses, monitor progress, and adjust assignments so the team can meet its goals.
Update task status and ownership
Keeping information current in ClickUp ensures that boards and reports match reality.
- Move tasks across statuses as work progresses (for example, from “In Progress” to “Review”).
- Reassign tasks if priorities shift or someone is blocked.
- Add comments with updates or questions instead of relying on external tools.
- Attach files and link dependencies to keep context in one place.
Daily updates mean your sprint views become a real-time reflection of work.
Track progress with ClickUp views
Use built-in views and dashboards to understand how the sprint is performing.
- Use a Board view to visualize work across statuses.
- Check list or table views for detailed fields like estimates and due dates.
- Review burndown or cumulative charts, if configured, to see remaining work.
- Create dashboards to track key metrics such as completed points or tasks per assignee.
Regularly reviewing progress helps you identify blockers early and avoid last-minute surprises.
Complete a ClickUp sprint
When the end date arrives, you will close the sprint and decide what happens to unfinished work.
Review sprint work before closing
Before you mark the sprint as complete, confirm that all information is accurate in ClickUp.
- Ensure completed tasks are in a Done or equivalent status.
- Identify any tasks that are still in progress or not started.
- Update estimates or time tracked if they are missing or incorrect.
- Add final comments or links so future viewers understand what was delivered.
This final cleanup makes reporting and retrospectives more reliable.
Close the ClickUp sprint and move remaining work
When you close the sprint, you decide how to handle tasks that are not finished.
- Open the sprint management view in ClickUp.
- Select the active sprint you want to close.
- Choose the option to complete or close the sprint.
- When prompted, choose where to move incomplete tasks, such as the next sprint or back to the backlog.
Consistent handling of remaining work helps you track scope changes and understand why some items were not finished.
Improve future ClickUp sprints
After each sprint, hold a retrospective and review data from ClickUp to guide improvements.
- Compare planned versus completed estimates to understand capacity.
- Check how often tasks changed scope or were added mid-sprint.
- Adjust workflow statuses, fields, or views based on feedback.
- Refine backlog grooming habits so future sprint planning is smoother.
Using real sprint data over time helps your team become more predictable and effective.
More resources for mastering ClickUp sprints
To go deeper into sprint configuration options, advanced reporting, and other agile practices, review the official documentation and expert guidance.
- Official sprint documentation: Run a sprint in ClickUp
- Implementation and optimization services: Consultevo agile and ClickUp consulting
By combining good agile practices with clear processes inside ClickUp, your team can plan realistic sprints, stay aligned during execution, and continuously improve delivery from one iteration to the next.
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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