A content calendar template gives your team a reusable framework for planning what to publish, when, and where. Instead of rebuilding your calendar structure every quarter, you build it once and duplicate it.

In ClickUp, you can create a content calendar template using a List with Custom Fields, statuses, and Calendar view, then save it as a reusable template your team applies to each new planning cycle.

What you'll need

• Templates are available on every ClickUp plan.
• Calendar view is available on all plans.
• Custom Fields are available on all plans with limits varying by plan.
• Guests cannot use List templates.

What to include in your content calendar template

The value of a template is that the structure is decided once. Every planning cycle starts with the same fields, the same statuses, and the same views, already in place. These six elements cover what most content teams need:

A good template captures all of these so the team doesn't re-decide the structure each quarter. They apply the template and fill in the content.

How to build the content calendar template in ClickUp

The build has four steps. Work through them in order and the template saves everything at the end.

Step 1: Set up the List structure

Create a new List inside the Space where your content team works. Configure task statuses to reflect your editorial workflow. A workable starting set:

• Idea
• Drafting
• In Review
• Approved
• Scheduled
• Published

These can be renamed or extended at any time, so don't overthink the initial setup.

Step 2: Add Custom Fields

With the List open, add the fields from the table above. For Content Type and Channel, use Dropdown fields and enter the specific options your team uses.

A blog team might use Blog Post, Email Newsletter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. A video team's list will look different. Populate your actual options rather than generic placeholders so the template is usable from day one.

For Author, use a People field. For Campaign or Theme, use a Label field if a piece of content can belong to multiple campaigns simultaneously, or a Dropdown if it belongs to exactly one.

Step 3: Create a Calendar view

To create a Calendar view:

1. Click + View in the Views Bar.
2. Select Calendar.
3. In the upper-right corner, click Customize or the settings icon.
4. Click Fields and enable any fields that you want to display on task cards.

Switch the time scale to Month for planning or Week for active production periods by clicking the current time scale in the upper-left corner.

Step 4: Add starter tasks

Pre-populating the template with recurring content slots saves time when applying it each cycle. Weekly newsletters, monthly roundups, and regular social posts are good candidates. Create a task for each recurring slot and set it to repeat on the appropriate schedule.

When the template is applied, these recurring tasks carry over and generate instances automatically.

Save the template

With the List structure, Custom Fields, Statuses, Calendar view, and any starter tasks in place, save it as a reusable template:

1. In the Spaces Sidebar, hover over the List and click the ellipsis ... icon.
2. Hover over Templates and click Save as Template.
3. Give the template a name like "Content Calendar Q-Cycle", add a description, and set sharing options so the right team members can access it.
4. Click Save.

The template now lives in your Template Center and includes everything: Custom Fields, Statuses, views, and any tasks you added.

How to use the content calendar template

At the start of each new planning cycle, apply the saved template rather than rebuilding the List from scratch:

1. In the Spaces Sidebar, hover over the Folder where you want the new calendar List to live.
2. Click the plus icon and select Templates.
3. Search for your content calendar template and click it to preview.
4. Click Use Template.

The new List opens with all Custom Fields, Statuses, and views already configured. If you included starter tasks, they appear ready to schedule.

How to automate your content calendar with AI

Once the template is applied and the team starts using it, Automations reduce the manual handoffs that slow production down:

• When status changes to Approved, notify the person in the Author field so they can move to final formatting and scheduling.
• When a task's publish date arrives and status is not yet Scheduled, post a comment flagging it for review.
• When a task is created in the List, automatically assign it to the channel owner based on the value in the Channel field.

To set up any of these, click the Automate button or lightning bolt icon from the List and build your trigger, condition, and action. See Intro to Automations for a full walkthrough.

Start with a pre-built template: If you want a content calendar running today without building from scratch, ClickUp's Template Center includes pre-built content calendar templates with fields and views already configured.

Open the Template Center from your Workspace avatar, search for "content calendar," and apply one directly. You can customize it after applying. Browse content calendar templates.

FAQ

Common questions about creating and using content calendar templates in ClickUp.

Can I share my content calendar template with other teams?

Yes. When saving the template, set sharing options to make it available to your entire Workspace or specific members. Other teams can then find it in the Template Center and apply it to their own Folders or Lists. Templates can also be kept private if they're only for your team.

What is the difference between a content calendar and an editorial calendar?

The terms are used interchangeably by most teams. Editorial calendars typically focus on longer-term topic and theme planning. Content calendars track individual pieces through production to publication. A single ClickUp List handles both, with Campaign or Theme fields covering strategic planning and Statuses covering production tracking.

Does ClickUp have pre-built content calendar templates?

Yes. The ClickUp Template Center includes content calendar templates with pre-configured fields, statuses, and views. Search "content calendar" in the Template Center to browse available options. These are a good starting point if you want structure immediately and plan to customize from there.