davepoon/clickup-automation

ClickUp Automation via Rube MCP

Automate ClickUp project management workflows including task creation and updates, workspace hierarchy navigation, comments, and team member management through Composio's ClickUp toolkit.

Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/clickup

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active ClickUp connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit clickup
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit clickup
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete ClickUp OAuth
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Create and Manage Tasks

When to use: User wants to create tasks, subtasks, update task properties, or list tasks in a ClickUp list.

Tool sequence:

1. CLICKUP_GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES - Get workspace/team IDs [Prerequisite]
2. CLICKUP_GET_SPACES - List spaces in the workspace [Prerequisite]
3. CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERS - List folders in a space [Prerequisite]
4. CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERLESS_LISTS - Get lists not inside folders [Optional]
5. CLICKUP_GET_LIST - Validate list and check available statuses [Prerequisite]
6. CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK - Create a task in the target list [Required]
7. CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK (with parent) - Create subtask under a parent task [Optional]
8. CLICKUP_UPDATE_TASK - Modify task status, assignees, dates, priority [Optional]
9. CLICKUP_GET_TASK - Retrieve full task details [Optional]
10. CLICKUP_GET_TASKS - List all tasks in a list with filters [Optional]
11. CLICKUP_DELETE_TASK - Permanently remove a task [Optional]

Key parameters for CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK:

• list_id: Target list ID (integer, required)
• name: Task name (string, required)
• description: Detailed task description
• status: Must exactly match (case-sensitive) a status name configured in the target list
• priority: 1 (Urgent), 2 (High), 3 (Normal), 4 (Low)
• assignees: Array of user IDs (integers)
• due_date: Unix timestamp in milliseconds
• parent: Parent task ID string for creating subtasks
• tags: Array of tag name strings
• time_estimate: Estimated time in milliseconds

Pitfalls:

• status is case-sensitive and must match an existing status in the list; use CLICKUP_GET_LIST to check available statuses
• due_date and start_date are Unix timestamps in milliseconds, not seconds
• Subtask parent must be a task (not another subtask) in the same list
• notify_all triggers watcher notifications; set to false for bulk operations
• Retries can create duplicates; track created task IDs to avoid re-creation
• custom_item_id for milestones (ID 1) is subject to workspace plan quotas

2. Navigate Workspace Hierarchy

When to use: User wants to browse or manage the ClickUp workspace structure (Workspaces > Spaces > Folders > Lists).

Tool sequence:

1. CLICKUP_GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES - List all accessible workspaces [Required]
2. CLICKUP_GET_SPACES - List spaces within a workspace [Required]
3. CLICKUP_GET_SPACE - Get details for a specific space [Optional]
4. CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERS - List folders in a space [Required]
5. CLICKUP_GET_FOLDER - Get details for a specific folder [Optional]
6. CLICKUP_CREATE_FOLDER - Create a new folder in a space [Optional]
7. CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERLESS_LISTS - List lists not inside any folder [Required]
8. CLICKUP_GET_LIST - Get list details including statuses and custom fields [Optional]

Key parameters:

• team_id: Workspace ID from GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES (required for spaces)
• space_id: Space ID (required for folders and folderless lists)
• folder_id: Folder ID (required for GET_FOLDER)
• list_id: List ID (required for GET_LIST)
• archived: Boolean filter for archived/active items

Pitfalls:

• ClickUp hierarchy is: Workspace (Team) > Space > Folder > List > Task
• Lists can exist directly under Spaces (folderless) or inside Folders
• Must use CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERLESS_LISTS to find lists not inside folders; CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERS only returns folders
• team_id in ClickUp API refers to the Workspace ID, not a user group

3. Add Comments to Tasks

When to use: User wants to add comments, review existing comments, or manage comment threads on tasks.

Tool sequence:

1. CLICKUP_GET_TASK - Verify task exists and get task_id [Prerequisite]
2. CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK_COMMENT - Add a new comment to the task [Required]
3. CLICKUP_GET_TASK_COMMENTS - List existing comments on the task [Optional]
4. CLICKUP_UPDATE_COMMENT - Edit comment text, assignee, or resolution status [Optional]

Key parameters for CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK_COMMENT:

• task_id: Task ID string (required)
• comment_text: Comment content with ClickUp formatting support (required)
• assignee: User ID to assign the comment to (required)
• notify_all: true/false for watcher notifications (required)

Key parameters for CLICKUP_GET_TASK_COMMENTS:

• task_id: Task ID string (required)
• start / start_id: Pagination for older comments (max 25 per page)

Pitfalls:

• CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK_COMMENT requires all four fields: task_id, comment_text, assignee, and notify_all
• assignee on a comment assigns the comment (not the task) to that user
• Comments are paginated at 25 per page; use start (Unix ms) and start_id for older pages
• CLICKUP_UPDATE_COMMENT requires all four fields: comment_id, comment_text, assignee, resolved

4. Manage Team Members and Assignments

When to use: User wants to view workspace members, check seat utilization, or look up user details.

Tool sequence:

1. CLICKUP_GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES - List workspaces and get team_id [Required]
2. CLICKUP_GET_WORKSPACE_SEATS - Check seat utilization (members vs guests) [Required]
3. CLICKUP_GET_TEAMS - List user groups within the workspace [Optional]
4. CLICKUP_GET_USER - Get details for a specific user (Enterprise only) [Optional]
5. CLICKUP_GET_CUSTOM_ROLES - List custom permission roles [Optional]

Key parameters:

• team_id: Workspace ID (required for all team operations)
• user_id: Specific user ID for GET_USER
• group_ids: Comma-separated group IDs to filter teams

Pitfalls:

• CLICKUP_GET_WORKSPACE_SEATS returns seat counts, not member details; distinguish members from guests
• CLICKUP_GET_TEAMS returns user groups, not workspace members; empty groups does not mean no members
• CLICKUP_GET_USER is only available on ClickUp Enterprise Plan
• Must repeat workspace seat queries for each workspace in multi-workspace setups

5. Filter and Query Tasks

When to use: User wants to find tasks with specific filters (status, assignee, dates, tags, custom fields).

Tool sequence:

1. CLICKUP_GET_TASKS - Filter tasks in a list with multiple criteria [Required]
2. CLICKUP_GET_TASK - Get full details for individual tasks [Optional]

Key parameters for CLICKUP_GET_TASKS:

• list_id: List ID (integer, required)
• statuses: Array of status strings to filter by
• assignees: Array of user ID strings
• tags: Array of tag name strings
• due_date_gt / due_date_lt: Unix timestamp in ms for date range
• include_closed: Boolean to include closed tasks
• subtasks: Boolean to include subtasks
• order_by: "id", "created", "updated", or "due_date"
• page: Page number starting at 0 (max 100 tasks per page)

Pitfalls:

• Only tasks whose home list matches list_id are returned; tasks in sublists are not included
• Date filters use Unix timestamps in milliseconds
• Status strings must match exactly; use URL encoding for spaces (e.g., "to%20do")
• Page numbering starts at 0; each page returns up to 100 tasks
• custom_fields filter accepts an array of JSON strings, not objects

Common Patterns

ID Resolution

Always resolve names to IDs through the hierarchy:

• Workspace name -> team_id: CLICKUP_GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES and match by name
• Space name -> space_id: CLICKUP_GET_SPACES with team_id
• Folder name -> folder_id: CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERS with space_id
• List name -> list_id: Navigate folders or use CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERLESS_LISTS
• Task name -> task_id: CLICKUP_GET_TASKS with list_id and match by name

Pagination

• CLICKUP_GET_TASKS: Page-based with page starting at 0, max 100 tasks per page
• CLICKUP_GET_TASK_COMMENTS: Uses start (Unix ms) and start_id for cursor-based paging, max 25 per page
• Continue fetching until response returns fewer items than the page size

Known Pitfalls

ID Formats

• Workspace/Team IDs are large integers
• Space, folder, and list IDs are integers
• Task IDs are alphanumeric strings (e.g., "9hz", "abc123")
• User IDs are integers
• Comment IDs are integers

Rate Limits

• ClickUp enforces rate limits; bulk task creation can trigger 429 responses
• Honor Retry-After header when present
• Set notify_all=false for bulk operations to reduce notification load

Parameter Quirks

• team_id in the API means Workspace ID, not a user group
• status on tasks is case-sensitive and list-specific
• Dates are Unix timestamps in milliseconds (multiply seconds by 1000)
• priority is an integer 1-4 (1=Urgent, 4=Low), not a string
• CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK_COMMENT marks assignee and notify_all as required
• To clear a task description, pass a single space " " to CLICKUP_UPDATE_TASK

Hierarchy Rules

• Subtask parent must not itself be a subtask
• Subtask parent must be in the same list
• Lists can be folderless (directly in a Space) or inside a Folder
• Subitem boards are not supported by CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK

Quick Reference

| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params | |------|-----------|------------| | List workspaces | CLICKUP_GET_AUTHORIZED_TEAMS_WORKSPACES | (none) | | List spaces | CLICKUP_GET_SPACES | team_id | | Get space details | CLICKUP_GET_SPACE | space_id | | List folders | CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERS | space_id | | Get folder details | CLICKUP_GET_FOLDER | folder_id | | Create folder | CLICKUP_CREATE_FOLDER | space_id, name | | Folderless lists | CLICKUP_GET_FOLDERLESS_LISTS | space_id | | Get list details | CLICKUP_GET_LIST | list_id | | Create task | CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK | list_id, name, status, assignees | | Update task | CLICKUP_UPDATE_TASK | task_id, status, priority | | Get task | CLICKUP_GET_TASK | task_id, include_subtasks | | List tasks | CLICKUP_GET_TASKS | list_id, statuses, page | | Delete task | CLICKUP_DELETE_TASK | task_id | | Add comment | CLICKUP_CREATE_TASK_COMMENT | task_id, comment_text, assignee | | List comments | CLICKUP_GET_TASK_COMMENTS | task_id, start, start_id | | Update comment | CLICKUP_UPDATE_COMMENT | comment_id, comment_text, resolved | | Workspace seats | CLICKUP_GET_WORKSPACE_SEATS | team_id | | List user groups | CLICKUP_GET_TEAMS | team_id | | Get user details | CLICKUP_GET_USER | team_id, user_id | | Custom roles | CLICKUP_GET_CUSTOM_ROLES | team_id |

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