clickup

name	clickup
description	Interact with ClickUp project management platform via REST API. Use when working with tasks, spaces, lists, assignees, or any ClickUp workflow automation. Handles pagination, subtasks, and common query patterns. Use for task management, reporting, automation, or any ClickUp-related queries.

ClickUp Skill

Interact with ClickUp's REST API for task management, reporting, and workflow automation.

Configuration

Before using this skill, ensure the following are configured in TOOLS.md:

• API Token: CLICKUP_API_KEY
• Team/Workspace ID: CLICKUP_TEAM_ID
• Space IDs (optional, for filtering)
• List IDs (optional, for creating tasks)

Quick Start

Using the Helper Script

The fastest way to query ClickUp:

# Set environment variables
export CLICKUP_API_KEY="pk_..."
export CLICKUP_TEAM_ID="90161392624"

# Get all open tasks
./scripts/clickup-query.sh tasks

# Get task counts (parent vs subtasks)
./scripts/clickup-query.sh task-count

# Get assignee breakdown
./scripts/clickup-query.sh assignees

# Get specific task
./scripts/clickup-query.sh task <task-id>

Direct API Calls

For custom queries or operations not covered by the helper script:

# Get all open tasks (with subtasks and pagination)
curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?include_closed=false&subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Critical Rules

1. ALWAYS Include Subtasks

Never query tasks without subtasks=true:

# ✅ CORRECT
?subtasks=true

# ❌ WRONG
(no subtasks parameter)

Why: Without this parameter, you miss potentially 70%+ of actual tasks. Parent tasks are just containers; real work happens in subtasks.

2. Handle Pagination

ClickUp API returns max 100 tasks per page. Always loop until last_page: true:

page=0
while true; do
    result=$(curl -s "...&page=$page" -H "Authorization: $CLICKUP_API_KEY")
    
    # Process tasks
    echo "$result" | jq '.tasks[]'
    
    # Check if done
    is_last=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.last_page')
    [ "$is_last" = "true" ] && break
    
    ((page++))
done

Why: Workspaces with 300+ tasks need 3-4 pages. Missing pages = incomplete data.

3. Distinguish Parent Tasks vs Subtasks

# Parent tasks have parent=null
jq '.tasks[] | select(.parent == null)'

# Subtasks have parent != null
jq '.tasks[] | select(.parent != null)'

Common Operations

Get Task Counts

# Using helper script (recommended)
./scripts/clickup-query.sh task-count

# Direct API with jq
curl -s "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}" | \
jq '{
    total: (.tasks | length),
    parents: ([.tasks[] | select(.parent == null)] | length),
    subtasks: ([.tasks[] | select(.parent != null)] | length)
}'

Get Assignee Breakdown

# Using helper script (recommended)
./scripts/clickup-query.sh assignees

# Direct API
curl -s "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}" | \
jq -r '.tasks[] | 
    if .assignees and (.assignees | length) > 0 
    then .assignees[0].username 
    else "Unassigned" 
    end' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn

Create a Task

curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/list/{list_id}/task" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Task Name",
    "description": "Description here",
    "assignees": [user_id],
    "status": "to do",
    "priority": 3
  }'

Update a Task

curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/task/{task_id}" \
  -X PUT \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Updated Name",
    "status": "in progress",
    "priority": 2
  }'

Get Specific Task

# Using helper script
./scripts/clickup-query.sh task {task_id}

# Direct API
curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/task/{task_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Advanced Queries

Filter by Space

curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?space_ids[]={space_id}&subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Filter by List

curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/list/{list_id}/task?subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Include Closed Tasks

curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?include_closed=true&subtasks=true" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Reference Documentation

For detailed API documentation, query patterns, and troubleshooting:

Read: references/api-guide.md

Covers:

• Full API endpoint reference
• Response structure details
• Common gotchas and solutions
• Rate limits and best practices
• Task object schema

Workflow Patterns

Daily Standup Report

# Get all open tasks grouped by assignee
./scripts/clickup-query.sh assignees

# Get specific team member's tasks (use user ID, not username!)
curl "https://api.clickup.com/api/v2/team/{team_id}/task?subtasks=true&assignees[]={user_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: {api_key}"

Task Audit

# Count tasks by status
./scripts/clickup-query.sh tasks | \
  jq -r '.tasks[].status.status' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn

# Find unassigned tasks
./scripts/clickup-query.sh tasks | \
  jq '.tasks[] | select(.assignees | length == 0)'

Priority Analysis

# Count by priority
./scripts/clickup-query.sh tasks | \
  jq -r '.tasks[] | .priority.priority // "none"' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn

Tips

• Helper script first: Use scripts/clickup-query.sh for common operations
• Direct API for custom: Use curl when you need specific filters or updates
• Always read api-guide.md: Contains full endpoint reference and troubleshooting
• Check TOOLS.md: For workspace-specific IDs and configuration
• Test with small queries: When unsure, test with | head -n 5 first
• Filter by user ID: Use assignees[]={user_id} parameter, not jq username matching

Troubleshooting

• Missing tasks? → Add subtasks=true
• Only 100 tasks returned? → Implement pagination loop
• 401 Unauthorized? → Check CLICKUP_API_KEY is set correctly
• Rate limit error? → Wait 1 minute (100 requests/min limit)
• Empty assignees array? → Task is unassigned (not an error)
• Assignee filter returns fewer tasks than expected? → Use user ID in assignees[] param, not jq text matching