How to Replace Excel Timesheets With ClickUp

ClickUp makes it easy to move beyond manual Excel timesheets and build a simple, automated time tracking system for you and your team. This guide walks you through setting up workspaces, lists, tasks, and time entries so you can manage hours, billing, and reports in one place.

The steps below are inspired by the concepts in ClickUp's Excel timesheet templates guide, but focus on creating a repeatable workflow directly inside the platform.

Why Use ClickUp Instead of Excel Timesheets

Traditional spreadsheets work at first, but they quickly become hard to maintain. ClickUp replaces static Excel files with living tasks, time logs, and dashboards.

Key advantages include:

• Centralized tasks, time, and comments in one workspace
• Automated rollups instead of manual formulas
• Views for daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly hours
• Templates to standardize timesheets across teams

By mirroring the structure of common Excel timesheet templates inside ClickUp, you get familiar layouts with more automation and control.

Step 1: Plan Your Timesheet Structure in ClickUp

Before you create anything, clarify how you want your digital timesheet to work. The Excel-based guide suggests organizing time by time period, employee, and project. You can do the same in ClickUp.

Decide on:

• Time period: daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly
• Primary focus: employee-based, project-based, or client-based tracking
• Approval needs: who reviews and signs off on hours

These decisions determine how you set up spaces, folders, and lists later.

Step 2: Create a Time Tracking Space in ClickUp

Next, build a dedicated area for all timesheet activity.

1. Create a new Space named something like Time Tracking or Timesheets.

2. Inside the Space, add Folders to mirror different time periods, such as:

   • Weekly Timesheets
   • Biweekly Timesheets
   • Monthly Timesheets

3. Within each Folder, add Lists for specific teams, clients, or projects.

This layout echoes the weekly and monthly Excel timesheet templates but keeps everything dynamic in ClickUp.

Step 3: Build a Reusable ClickUp Timesheet Template

The original Excel article highlights many templates for different work scenarios. You can recreate that flexibility by building a single robust task template that behaves like a reusable timesheet card.

Create a ClickUp task as a timesheet record

1. Open your preferred List (for example, Weekly Timesheets > Marketing Team).

2. Create a new task called Weekly Timesheet – [Employee Name].

3. Add key Custom Fields to capture timesheet data, such as:

   • Employee Name
   • Role or Department
   • Client or Project
   • Billable / Non-billable (dropdown)
   • Hourly Rate
   • Total Hours (calculated field if available)

4. Use the task Description to store a simple table layout similar to an Excel sheet, with columns like Date, Start Time, End Time, and Notes.

Save the task as a ClickUp template

1. After configuring Custom Fields and description layout, open the task menu.

2. Select the option to Save as Template.

3. Name it something clear, for example Weekly Timesheet Template.

4. Share it with the entire workspace so every manager can use it.

This gives you a consistent digital equivalent of an Excel timesheet template across ClickUp lists.

Step 4: Turn On Time Tracking in ClickUp

Now enable the platform's built-in time tracking so you can log work directly on tasks.

1. Open your ClickUp workspace settings and confirm the Time Tracking feature is active.

2. In your Timesheets Space, open any task that should collect time.

3. Locate the time tracking area and start a timer when you begin work, or log time manually with start and stop values.

Each entry acts like a row in a traditional Excel timesheet, but it is attached to the right task and project automatically.

Step 5: Create Daily and Weekly ClickUp Timesheets

The source Excel guide covers daily and weekly layouts. You can set up similar flows with views and filters.

Daily timesheet workflow in ClickUp

1. Have team members open the Today or Daily Timesheet List.

2. Use the timesheet task template to create one task per day or per project, depending on your structure.

3. Log hours using the time tracking section for each task.

4. Use a List view grouped by Assignee to see each employee's hours for the day.

Weekly timesheet workflow in ClickUp

1. Create a List for each week (for example, Week of April 1).

2. Generate a task per team member from your Weekly Timesheet Template.

3. Encourage employees to log time on tasks throughout the week.

4. Use a Table view to display:

   • Employee Name
   • Total Hours
   • Billable Amount
   • Client or Project

This setup behaves much like the weekly Excel timesheet templates described in the original article while using native ClickUp tools.

Step 6: Track Overtime, PTO, and Breaks in ClickUp

The Excel template collection includes specialized layouts for overtime and PTO. You can reproduce these requirements using fields and statuses.

Configure fields for overtime and breaks

• Numeric custom fields for Overtime Hours, Break Minutes, and PTO Hours
• Dropdown fields to mark paid vs unpaid breaks
• Checkboxes to confirm approval of overtime or time off

When employees log time on a task, they can also fill in these fields so managers get a full picture of work and leave without resorting to separate Excel sheets.

Build approval flows in ClickUp

To replace signed Excel timesheets, make use of statuses and comments:

• Create statuses like Submitted, In Review, and Approved.
• Ask employees to move their timesheet task to Submitted at the end of a pay period.
• Have managers review logged time and fields, add comments, then move tasks to Approved.

This mirrors the approval process that often happens via emailed Excel files but keeps the history directly in ClickUp.

Step 7: Build Reporting Dashboards in ClickUp

Once your team is logging time, you can replace Excel summary reports with visual dashboards.

Create a time tracking dashboard

1. Go to the Dashboards section in ClickUp and create a new dashboard.

2. Add widgets such as:

   • Time Tracked by Assignee
   • Time Tracked by Project or Client
   • Billable vs Non-billable Hours
   • Total Hours per Week or Month

3. Filter the dashboard to include only your Timesheets Space or specific Lists.

These widgets replace the manual pivot tables and charts typically built in Excel timesheet workbooks.

Step 8: Export Data if You Still Need Excel

If you still require Excel for payroll or compliance, ClickUp lets you export task and time data.

1. Open the List or view that holds your timesheet records.

2. Use the Export option to download data as CSV or Excel.

3. Share the exported file with your accounting or HR tools.

This ensures you can follow the structures from the original Excel-based article while managing the day-to-day workflow inside ClickUp.

Get Expert Help Setting Up ClickUp Timesheets

Implementing a full time tracking system can impact payroll, billing, and project reporting. If you want expert support designing processes and automation, you can work with a specialized consultancy like Consultevo to tailor ClickUp to your organization.

By combining the familiar patterns of Excel timesheet templates with the automation and visibility of ClickUp, you create a scalable system that is easier to maintain, faster to report on, and more reliable for long-term growth.

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

“`