ClickUp terms, explained simply

New to ClickUp? This glossary explains every term you're likely to encounter. If you see a word in ClickUp or in our messages that isn't on this list, just ask — we're happy to explain.

A

Assignee The person responsible for completing a task. A task can have one or more assignees. When a task is assigned to you, it appears in your personal task list and you'll receive notifications about it.

Attachment A file uploaded to a task — for example, an image, a PDF, or a document. Anyone with access to the task can view and download attachments. See How to attach files & screenshots.

@mention Typing @ followed by someone's name in a comment to tag them directly. They receive an instant notification. Use it when you need someone's attention. See Mentioning people to get their attention.

C

Checklist A list of smaller to-do items inside a task. Checklists are used to track the steps needed to complete a task. Each item can be checked off as it's done.

ClickApp An optional feature in ClickUp that can be turned on or off for your workspace — for example, time tracking, priorities, custom fields, or recurring tasks. Your workspace is set up with the ClickApps that suit your project.

Closed (status) A task status indicating that work is fully complete and no further action is needed. Different from Done — Closed typically means the task is archived.

Comment A message left on a task by any team member or client. Comments are the main way to communicate about a specific piece of work. They're timestamped and visible to everyone with task access. See How to comment on a task.

Custom Field An extra piece of information added to a task beyond the standard fields — for example, a priority score, a budget amount, or a URL. Your workspace may have custom fields set up for your project.

D

Dashboard A customizable page in ClickUp that shows an overview of your project — tasks, progress charts, upcoming deadlines, and more. Your project manager may share a dashboard with you as part of your client portal.

Dependency A relationship between two tasks where one must be completed before the other can start. For example, "design must be approved before development begins." We manage dependencies internally so you don't need to worry about them.

Description The main body of a task — a space for detailed notes, instructions, links, and context. When you submit a request, the description is where you write the details of what you need.

Due Date The date a task is expected to be complete. We set due dates based on project milestones and your brief. You'll receive a reminder notification when a due date is approaching.

F

Folder A way to group multiple Lists together inside a Space. For example, a "Website Redesign" folder might contain lists for Design, Development, and Content. Folders help organize large projects.

Follower / Watcher Someone who has opted in to receive notifications about a task, even if they're not assigned to it. You can follow (watch) any task to stay informed. See Managing your ClickUp notifications.

G

Guest A ClickUp user who has limited access — they can only see the specific tasks, lists, or spaces they've been invited to. Clients are often set up as guests so they see only their own project.

H

Home The personal dashboard you see when you first log in to ClickUp. It shows your assigned tasks, reminders, and recent activity in one place.

I

Inbox Your personal notification center in ClickUp. All activity that involves you — @mentions, status changes, comments on your tasks — appears here. It's different from your email inbox.

L

List A collection of tasks grouped together. Lists live inside Spaces (and optionally Folders). For example, your project might have a Requests list and a Live Work list. Each list has its own statuses and settings.

M

Member A full ClickUp user in a workspace, with access to most areas. Distinguished from a Guest, who has limited access. Your project team are members; you as a client are typically a Guest.

N

Notification An alert that something has happened in ClickUp. Notifications arrive in-app (the bell icon), by email, and as push notifications on your phone. See Managing your ClickUp notifications.

P

Priority An optional label on a task indicating how urgent or important it is — usually Urgent, High, Normal, or Low. We use priorities internally to manage our team's workload.

Private task / Private list A task or list that is only visible to specific people. Your project manager may use private tasks for internal planning that doesn't need to be shared with you.

R

Recurring Task A task that is automatically recreated on a schedule — for example, a monthly report review or a weekly check-in. You don't need to create these yourself; we set them up.

Reminder A personal alert that can be added to any task or created independently. Reminders are private to you and don't notify other team members.

S

Space The top level of organization in ClickUp. A Space usually represents a client, a department, or a major project. Your project lives inside a Space. Spaces contain Lists and Folders.

Status A label that shows where a task is in the workflow — for example, New Request, In Progress, Needs Approval, Approved, or Done. Statuses are customized per list. See Task statuses explained.

Subtask A smaller task that sits inside a parent task. Subtasks are useful for breaking a large piece of work into steps. You'll see them indented beneath the main task.

T

Tag A label that can be added to a task for filtering and searching. For example, tasks might be tagged with "content," "design," or "urgent."

Task The basic unit of work in ClickUp. Everything we work on for you is represented as a task. A task has a title, description, status, assignee(s), due date, and comments. See Understanding tasks.

Thread A reply chain within a comment. You can reply directly to a specific comment to keep a conversation together in its own thread rather than in the main comment stream.

V

View The way a List or Space is displayed. Common views include List (a plain list of tasks), Board (columns like a Kanban board), Calendar (tasks plotted by due date), and Table (a spreadsheet-style view). We choose the most appropriate view for your project.

W

Watcher / Watch See Follower / Watcher above.

Workspace Your entire ClickUp environment — all the Spaces, Folders, Lists, and tasks for your organization. When we invite you to ClickUp, you're joining our workspace (or a dedicated one set up for you).

Common questions

Related guides

• Understanding tasks
• Task statuses explained
• Navigating ClickUp as a client
• Your client portal explained
• ClickUp etiquette: working well together

Learn more

• ClickUp glossary — official documentation
• ClickUp help center