How to add task dependencies in ClickUp

Learn what a task dependency is and how to add them in the ClickUp project management platform.

ClickUp is a service that allows you to plan, track and manage just about any type of work. With this platform, you have all the tools you need to manage projects of any size and scope.

With ClickUp, you work with a hierarchy that looks like this: Teams | Spaces | Projects | Lists | Tasks | Subtasks. Within that hierarchy, ClickUp has plenty of tools and features that can empower you to do just about anything.

There’s one particular feature that you should definitely be using: task dependencies. Task dependencies allow users to create a task and then assign it dependencies. Once those dependencies are assigned, the main task cannot be completed until the dependencies are finished.

SEE: Hiring kit: Project manager (TechRepublic Premium)

Say you have Task X that cannot be completed until Tasks Y and Z are finished. For that, you would add Tasks Y and Z as dependencies of X. Once Y and Z are completed, you can then complete X. It’s similar to a software dependency, wherein a Software X cannot be installed until Software Y and Z are installed first.

When creating a Task Dependency with ClickUp, you can select from three different types:

• Waiting On: Tasks that must be completed before this task.
• Blocking: Tasks that can’t start until this task is complete.
• Tasks: Tasks that relate to each other but aren’t actually dependent on one another.

What you’ll need to add a task dependency in ClickUp

To make this work, you’ll need a valid ClickUp account and a project to work on. You’ll also want to have some tasks created within the project.

How to add a task dependency in ClickUp

Log in to your ClickUp account and navigate to the project you want to work with. At the bottom right corner, you’ll see the Task button (Figure A).

Figure A

Click that to reveal the New Task pop-up window (Figure B).

Figure B

At the bottom left of the window, you’ll see five circle icons in a row. The icon directly to the left of the “eye” is for Task Dependencies. Click that icon to reveal yet another pop-up, where you can select the type of dependency you want (Figure C).

Figure C

Let’s say you want to create a Waiting On task. For that, click Add Waiting On Task, and then, in the resulting window (Figure D), select the tasks that will be added as dependencies.

Figure D

Once you’ve added the necessary dependencies, click Done. You should then see those tasks listed as “Waiting On” in the task creation window (Figure E).

Figure E

Complete the configuration of this task and then click Create Task at the bottom right. Your new task has been added that includes Task Dependencies directly affecting how this task is to be completed.

This feature can be very useful, especially when you’re dealing with more complex projects with a lot of moving parts. Start using Task Dependencies now and take your project management to the next level.

Subscribe to TechRepublic’s How To Make Tech Work on YouTube for all the latest tech advice for business pros from Jack Wallen.