How to Use ClickUp for Software Development

ClickUp gives software teams a single workspace to plan sprints, track issues, manage releases, and collaborate from idea to production. This step-by-step guide shows you how to set up a complete development workflow using features adapted from the official ClickUp software development tutorial.

Set Up a ClickUp Space for Development

Start by creating a dedicated Space so all your development work stays organized and visible.

1. Create a new Space and name it for your product or engineering org.

2. Choose a Space color and icon so teammates can identify it quickly.

3. Enable key ClickUp features such as Tasks, Docs, Whiteboards, and Goals for this Space.

4. Set permissions so product managers, engineers, QA, and stakeholders have the right access levels.

Inside this Space, you will create Folders and Lists that mirror your software lifecycle.

Design Your ClickUp Folder and List Structure

A clear structure makes it easier to navigate work and report on progress.

Core development Folders in ClickUp

Create Folders for the major parts of your workflow:

• Product Backlog – Ideas, epics, and future work.

• Current Sprint – Active sprint tasks and bugs.

• Releases – Versions, release tasks, and deployment checklists.

• Support & Bugs – Reported issues and hotfix work.

• Technical Debt – Refactors and long-term improvements.

Lists for each ClickUp Folder

Within each Folder, break work into Lists so items stay grouped and easy to filter:

• In the backlog Folder: Epics, Features, Enhancements, Research.

• In the sprint Folder: Sprint N Tasks, Sprint N Bugs, QA Testing.

• In the releases Folder: Release Preparation, Release N, Post-Release Tasks.

This layout lets you run daily work while still tracking long-term roadmap items in ClickUp.

Build Custom Statuses for Software Workflows in ClickUp

Statuses in ClickUp represent each step a task passes through from concept to completion.

Example agile workflow statuses

Configure statuses at the Folder or List level to match your agile process:

• Backlog – Collected but not prioritized.

• Ready for Dev – Refined and approved for development.

• In Progress – Currently being implemented.

• In Review – Code review or peer review in progress.

• In QA – Testing and validation.

• Blocked – Waiting on a dependency or decision.

• Done – Completed and accepted.

Use different status sets for backlog grooming, development, and release management so reporting in ClickUp matches how your team actually works.

Use ClickUp Views to Manage Sprints

Views help every role see the same tasks in the way that best supports their work.

Board views for agile teams in ClickUp

For sprint execution, create Board views grouped by Status and Assignee:

• Kanban by Status – Visualize work flowing from Backlog to Done.

• Developer Swimlanes – Group by assignee to balance workload.

• QA Focus Board – Filter to In QA items for testers.

List and Table views

Use List or Table views in ClickUp for more detailed planning and reporting:

• Show columns for Priority, Story Points, Sprint, and Release.

• Apply filters for specific components, tags, or milestones.

• Save views for Product, Engineering, or QA so each group can quickly access what they need.

Capture Product Requirements and Specs in ClickUp Docs

Docs keep product requirements, technical specs, and knowledge together with implementation work.

1. Create a Doc for each feature or epic with a clear overview, goals, and scope.

2. Add sections for user stories, acceptance criteria, and edge cases.

3. Link from the Doc to related tasks and epics in ClickUp so devs can jump directly to work items.

4. Mention teammates with comments to capture decisions and clarifications.

You can also keep architecture diagrams and API references in Docs linked to the relevant Lists or Folders.

Track Epics, User Stories, and Tasks in ClickUp

Use a consistent hierarchy so reporting stays accurate and easy to understand.

Recommended work item hierarchy

• Epics – Large initiatives tracked as high-level tasks.

• User Stories – Child tasks that represent user-facing value.

• Subtasks – Implementation steps, test cases, or design tasks.

Use task relationships in ClickUp to connect dependencies and related work:

• Dependencies – Mark tasks as “blocked by” or “blocking” others.

• Related – Link items that influence each other but are not strict dependencies.

• Duplicates – Tie together multiple reports of the same bug.

Plan and Run Sprints with ClickUp

Sprint planning in ClickUp centers around Lists, custom fields, and workload estimates.

Prepare the backlog

1. Refine tasks with clear descriptions and acceptance criteria.

2. Assign priorities (e.g., P0–P3) using a custom field.

3. Estimate effort with story points or time estimates.

4. Tag tasks with components or platforms such as frontend, backend, or mobile.

Create and manage sprints in ClickUp

1. Select a Sprint List and set the sprint dates.

2. Pull in tasks from the backlog based on capacity and priority.

3. Assign owners and confirm estimates during planning.

4. Use a Board view to manage daily standups and status updates.

5. During the sprint, track burndown with Dashboards to see if work is on target.

Manage Releases and Deployments in ClickUp

Release management becomes easier when all tasks and checklists live in one place.

Organize releases

• Create a List per release version (for example, v1.5.0).

• Link each feature task to its target release using a custom field.

• Add release tasks for documentation, migration scripts, and communication.

• Use a checklist within a release task for deployment steps and validation.

Monitor release readiness with ClickUp

Use a Dashboard to show:

• Count of open stories and bugs per release.

• Breakdown by status so you know what is still in development or QA.

• High-priority issues that must be resolved before deployment.

Collaborate Across Teams in ClickUp

Cross-functional collaboration is central to successful software delivery.

• Use comments in tasks for asynchronous discussions between PM, dev, and QA.

• Mention stakeholders to request feedback or sign-off.

• Attach design files, logs, and screenshots directly to tasks.

• Create shared Docs for retrospectives and post-incident reviews.

To further improve your tooling strategy, you can also review implementation best practices from specialized consultants such as Consultevo while still managing daily work inside ClickUp.

Report on Engineering Performance with ClickUp

Dashboards and reports help leaders understand progress and bottlenecks.

Key metrics to monitor

• Work in progress per team member.

• Number of open bugs by priority.

• Cycle time from Ready for Dev to Done.

• Velocity per sprint using story points completed.

Create multiple widgets in ClickUp Dashboards such as pie charts, bar charts, and lists filtered by status, assignee, or release so stakeholders can track the health of the roadmap at a glance.

Next Steps: Refine Your ClickUp Setup

Once your basic structure is running smoothly, continue refining your ClickUp workspace by:

• Automating recurring workflows like moving tasks to QA when a status changes.

• Standardizing templates for user stories, bugs, and release tasks.

• Adding forms so stakeholders can submit feature requests directly into your backlog.

• Iterating on views and Dashboards after each sprint retrospective.

By aligning your Spaces, Folders, Lists, statuses, and Docs with your actual engineering process, you can use ClickUp as a single source of truth for product planning, development, testing, and release management.

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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