How to Use ClickUp Utility-Based AI

ClickUp now makes it possible to bring utility-based AI agents directly into your work, so you can automate complex decisions, prioritize tasks, and scale your team’s output without losing control.

This how-to guide walks you step-by-step through using utility-based agents inspired by the ClickUp utility-based AI article, and shows you how to apply the same ideas inside your workspace.

What Is a Utility-Based Agent in ClickUp?

A utility-based agent is an AI system that evaluates several possible actions and chooses the one that maximizes a defined “utility” score, such as impact, revenue, or customer value.

Instead of following a fixed script, the agent:

• Observes the current state (your tasks, status, deadlines, and context)
• Evaluates options using a scoring function
• Selects the action with the highest expected utility
• Repeats this loop as new information arrives

In the context of ClickUp, this means you can combine task data, priorities, and timelines with AI to help your team decide what to work on next.

Step 1: Define Your Utility Function in ClickUp

Before you automate anything, you need a clear definition of what “best” means to your team. In practical ClickUp terms, that means translating business goals into measurable fields.

Choose Your Utility Criteria in ClickUp

Common criteria for a utility-based agent include:

• Business impact or revenue potential
• Urgency or due date proximity
• Customer importance or account tier
• Effort or complexity level
• Risk reduction or compliance value

To represent these in ClickUp, set up or review the following fields on tasks:

• Custom fields for Impact, Effort, or Priority Score
• Standard fields like Due Date, Status, and Assignee
• Tags for categories such as “Critical”, “Nice-to-have”, or “Experiment”

Assign Weights to Utility Factors

Next, decide how important each factor is for your team. A simple way is to assign each factor a weight from 1 to 5.

1. List all relevant factors (Impact, Urgency, Effort, etc.).
2. Give each factor a weight (for example, Impact = 5, Urgency = 4, Effort = 3).
3. Define how each factor is captured in ClickUp fields.
4. Draft a simple scoring rule, such as: Utility Score = (Impact × 5) + (Urgency × 4) − (Effort × 3).

Record this rule in your team documentation or a pinned ClickUp Doc so everyone understands how the agent or automation makes decisions.

Step 2: Structure Your Workspace for Utility-Based AI

A utility-based decision system only works if the underlying data in ClickUp is consistent and reliable.

Standardize Task Data in ClickUp

To prepare your workspace:

• Create templates for recurring work with all relevant custom fields.
• Make key fields required so tasks cannot be created without them.
• Use consistent value ranges (for example, Impact from 1 to 5, Effort from 1 to 5).
• Train your team to keep statuses, due dates, and estimates up to date.

Organize Lists and Views for AI Decisions

Utility-based AI agents work best when tasks are grouped logically. In ClickUp, you can:

• Set up Lists for each workflow stage or product area.
• Create views (Table, List, or Board) that show all tasks with Utility-related fields.
• Filter out completed or archived tasks so the agent focuses on what matters now.

This structure makes it easier to plug your data into AI decision-making processes or external agents.

Step 3: Create a Utility-Based Prioritization Workflow in ClickUp

Once your data is structured, you can build a prioritization workflow that mirrors the behavior of a utility-based agent.

Build a Utility Score Field in ClickUp

Use a formula custom field to calculate a composite score. For example:

• Impact: number field (1–5)
• Urgency: number field (1–5)
• Effort: number field (1–5)
• Utility Score (formula): (Impact * 5) + (Urgency * 4) – (Effort * 3)

Steps to configure this in ClickUp:

1. Open a List where you manage prioritized tasks.
2. Add custom number fields: Impact, Urgency, Effort.
3. Add a Formula field called “Utility Score”.
4. Enter your scoring formula based on your utility weights.

Now each task has a live utility score that updates whenever any underlying field changes.

Create a Utility-Based View in ClickUp

To act like a utility-based agent, sort your work queue by this score:

1. Create a new view (List or Table).
2. Ensure the Utility Score field is visible.
3. Sort tasks by Utility Score in descending order.
4. Optionally group tasks by owner, team, or sprint.

This view now behaves like a decision surface: the top tasks are objectively the most valuable based on your defined utility.

Step 4: Use AI and Automations Around ClickUp Utility

While the details of coding full agents are covered in the original AI article, you can still move toward utility-based automation inside your workspace.

Leverage AI to Improve Utility Inputs in ClickUp

You can use AI to help evaluate or suggest values for Impact, Urgency, or Effort. For example:

• Generate summaries of long task descriptions so stakeholders can quickly rate impact.
• Use AI to draft risk assessments that feed into custom fields.
• Ask AI to suggest priority tags based on customer segment or revenue notes.

These AI-assisted steps make your utility scores more accurate over time.

Trigger Automations from Utility Scores in ClickUp

With a stable scoring model in place, you can add rules such as:

• When Utility Score exceeds a threshold, notify a team lead.
• When Utility Score drops (for example, due date pushed), move the task to a lower-priority List.
• When a high-utility task is completed, automatically surface the next highest task to the assignee.

These automations approximate the behavior of a utility-based agent constantly scanning for the best next action.

Step 5: Iterate and Improve Your ClickUp Utility Model

A utility-based system is never finished. It improves as you learn how well the model reflects real-world outcomes.

Review Outcomes Regularly in ClickUp

On a recurring basis:

• Review completed high-utility tasks and confirm whether they delivered expected value.
• Adjust weights if certain factors (like Effort) are over- or under-emphasized.
• Refine definitions of Impact and Urgency so teams rate work consistently.

Keep track of changes in a shared Doc so the entire team understands how the ClickUp scoring model evolves.

Scale Utility-Based Processes Beyond ClickUp

Once your decision logic is stable, you can connect other tools, services, or external agents to your workspace using integrations or APIs. This lets you feed ClickUp utility scores into more advanced AI systems or orchestration tools.

If you need strategic help designing these systems, a consulting partner like Consultevo can help you align AI decision-making with your business goals and your existing ClickUp setup.

Best Practices for Utility-Based AI in ClickUp

To keep your utility-based workflow effective and transparent, follow these guidelines:

• Start simple: begin with just two or three factors, such as Impact, Effort, and Due Date.
• Keep it explainable: everyone should understand how the Utility Score is calculated.
• Avoid constant tweaking: change weights deliberately, not impulsively.
• Measure results: compare high-utility tasks against real outcomes.
• Maintain data hygiene: require complete fields for all important tasks.

By applying these principles, you stay aligned with the underlying concepts described in the original ClickUp utility-based AI article while building a practical, maintainable system.

Putting ClickUp Utility-Based AI into Action

With a clear utility function, standardized task fields, and priority views based on Utility Score, you effectively turn your workspace into a guided decision engine. Instead of guessing what to work on next, your team can rely on a transparent scoring model directly inside ClickUp.

Over time, you can extend this foundation with more advanced AI agents, richer data sources, and deeper automations, all while staying grounded in the same utility-based principles outlined in the ClickUp AI guide.

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

“`