ClickUp retainer tracking: add a public client balance URL to your ClickUp workflow.
ClickUp is the project management tool many agency and studio teams use for task management, time tracking, and workload planning. It’s excellent for coordinating internal work. What ClickUp doesn’t do is give retainer clients a self-service way to see how many hours they’ve consumed this cycle. When a client asks “how many hours do I have left?” there’s no ClickUp URL that answers their question without logging them into your workspace. HourTab adds that layer: export your ClickUp time-tracked hours as CSV, paste into HourTab, and each client gets a public balance URL they can bookmark and check at any time.
Free forever for your first retainer · no credit card.
Why ClickUp alone doesn’t solve the retainer question
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ClickUp Guest access is a full workspace view.
Adding a client as a Guest in ClickUp gives them visibility into the tasks, projects, and lists you share with them. For a retainer client who just wants to see their hours balance, that’s far more information than they need — and a security consideration for other tasks in the same workspace. HourTab is a separate, scoped tool: one URL per retainer, showing only that client’s balance and work log.
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ClickUp’s time tracking is internal-facing.
ClickUp’s time tracking features — tracked hours per task, time estimates, workload view — are designed for team coordination and internal billing, not for sharing with clients. There’s no “client balance” widget or “share retainer hours” button. HourTab fills that specific gap with a dedicated client-visible balance URL.
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Clients don’t want to learn ClickUp.
ClickUp has a powerful but complex interface. Even with a limited Guest view, a client who opens ClickUp to check their hours has to navigate the workspace, find the right project, and interpret time-tracking data. HourTab’s client URL shows one number, one progress bar, and one work log. No learning curve. No ClickUp account. Just the answer to their question.
How it works with ClickUp
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Set up the retainer in HourTab. Enter client name, monthly hour allocation, and cycle reset date. Takes two minutes.
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Export from ClickUp. In ClickUp, go to Reporting → Time Tracked. Filter by Space or List for the retainer client, set the date range to the current cycle, and export as CSV. Paste into HourTab.
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Share the balance URL. Each retainer gets a unique public link. Add it to the onboarding email or the retainer agreement. Clients check their own balance; you stop fielding the question mid-project.
Requires ClickUp Unlimited or above for time tracking export. Works with Toggl or Harvest as an alternative time source on lower ClickUp plans.
“We use ClickUp for everything internally. But our clients shouldn’t have to learn ClickUp just to check their hours.”
— Digital agency ops lead on 8 client retainers
HourTab gives your clients a clean balance URL without any ClickUp access — internal and client-facing stay completely separate.
Frequently asked questions
Can clients see anything other than their own balance?
No. Each HourTab URL shows exactly one retainer: that client’s monthly allocation, hours consumed, hours remaining, and the work log entries. Nothing from your ClickUp workspace, no other clients, no billing rates.
Does this work with ClickUp’s free plan?
ClickUp Free doesn’t include time tracking export. You’ll need ClickUp Unlimited or above. Alternatively, use a connected time tracker (Toggl, Harvest, Clockify) and export from there.
How do I export time data from ClickUp?
Go to Reporting → Time Tracked in ClickUp. Apply filters for the client’s Space/Folder/List and set the date range. Click Export → CSV. The export includes task name, date, and duration.
What if tasks span multiple clients in the same ClickUp Space?
Filter the ClickUp export by the specific List or Tag associated with the retainer client. Import only that client’s hours into their HourTab retainer.
Can I use HourTab alongside ClickUp’s existing client reporting?
Yes. ClickUp’s reporting stays in place for internal use. HourTab is the client-facing output: a clean balance URL that requires no ClickUp access.