How to Transition from ClickUp to SmartSuite

Part I: Hierarchies

ClickUp

A hierarchy is an ordered system that ranks things by importance or status. Both ClickUp and SmartSuite use hierarchies for organizing information. Let’s compare.

In ClickUp, the Workspace is at the very top level. You’ll see your Workspace name in the upper left corner of the screen. Nested below the Workspace are Spaces, and below that, Folders. Folders store data collections like Lists, and lists are made up of Tasks. Tasks are the “meat and potatoes” where all our valuable data is stored.

ClickUp Hierarchy

• Workspace
  • Spaces
    • Folders
      • Lists
        • Tasks

SmartSuite

If we jump over to SmartSuite, we can see how the hierarchy changes (timestamp 03:08).

SmartSuite also has a Workspace at the top of the hierarchy. The Workspace contains Solutions, and each Solution includes Apps (databases). Each App contains Records. Records can represent any number of things, from Tasks to Projects.

SmartSuite Hierarchy

• Workspace
  • Solutions
    • Apps
      • Records

Pro tip: Both ClickUp and SmartSuite allow users to set permissions at various levels. In ClickUp, these permissions stop at the List level. In SmartSuite, you can set permissions for each Record Field (timestamp 03:45). 

Part II: Translation

As you can see, there are similarities between the hierarchies. Before reorganizing our information in SmartSuite, we must migrate it from ClickUp. 

Pro tip: If you’ve only dabbled in ClickUp and haven’t spent much time inputting data, you can probably skip this step.

How to Transfer ClickUp Data to SmartSuite

This process isn’t too tricky. Layla briefly covers how to import your ClickUp data to SmartSuite (timestamp 04:10), or you can visit the SmartSuite support page for instructions. 

Note: Currently, you can only import data via CSV format.

Translating ClickUp to SmartSuite

These two platforms aren’t exactly apples to apples but share many similar features. In the video, Layla covers how specific features of ClickUp translate to SmartSuite. Sometimes, the names change, yet the core concepts remain the same (timestamp 05:50). 

Here’s an easy reference chart, but for a full explanation of each, please watch the video! 

ClickUp	SmartSuite	Key Difference
WorkSpace	Workspace	N/A
Spaces	Solutions	N/A
Folders	Apps	Apps replace the need for Folders in SmartSuite
Lists	Apps	Lists are created inside SmartSuite Records
Views	Views	N/A
Tasks	Records	SmartSuite Records can contain Tasks, Sub-Items, and other data
Custom Fields	Fields	All Record Fields can be customized using Field Settings in SmartSuite
Activity	Activity	Toggle between Activity and Communications in SmartSuite to view comments
Subtasks	Sub-Items	N/A
Checklists	Checklists	N/A
Home	My Work	N/A
Pulse	Member Directory	N/A
Clip	N/A	A Clip feature isn’t baked into SmartSuite but can be added using Ply
Dashboard	Dashboard	Create a custom SmartSuite Dashboard using Views
Whiteboard	Views	You can embed tools like Figma into a SmartSuite Dashboard
Docs	SmartDocs	Create fully formatted documents inside SmartSuite records with a SmartDocs Field
Goals	Templates	SmartSuite’s template library has goal tracking Solutions ready to customize and implement

ClickUp: Lost in Translation

What we covered above is intuitive once you dive into using SmartSuite, but not every ClickUp feature has a simple translation. And some, like Dashboards, share a name but work a bit differently. In the video, Layla discusses a few mistakes she made when transitioning to using SmartSuite that were soon corrected once she learned the nuances of the program. (timestamp 14:05).

Dashboards: If you’re a typical ClickUp user, you probably create a lot of Dashboards. So you may think it makes sense to do the same thing when you migrate to SmartSuite. Wrong! Because SmartSuite Records are more powerful than ClickUp Tasks, you’ll find that many of the Dashboards needed in ClickUp are unnecessary in SmartSuite.

Exporting: ClickUp requires screenshots or exporting data to share information with external sources, but in SmartSuite, you can share public views, send Records via email, and access a Document Designer where you can generate beautiful shareable documents based on your SmartSuite data.

Profiles: If you use a Member Directory in ClickUp for Human Resources, there’s no need to migrate it to SmartSuite. SmartSuite Profiles are very powerful, and Profile Fields cover even more data than ClickUp’s Directory.

Automations: In ClickUp, you need to create Automations for nearly everything. SmartSuite offers built-in automations that don’t require a particular setup, such as using Default Values in Field Settings, which auto-populates Fields in all newly created Records. Using these settings, you can implement default statuses, assignees, due dates, etc., so you won’t need to set up as many custom Automations in SmartSuite.

Relationships & Linked Records: If you’re used to double-tracking data in ClickUp, you’ll love Linked Records in SmartSuite, which allows you to group, sort, and report on related data. You can also use Linked Records to create custom Dashboards.

Support: For peer support, you’ll find the ClickUp community on Facebook Groups. Alternatively, SmartSuite’s user community has its own in-house platform where you can join and subscribe to specific forums and topics, making accessing information and relationship-building easier.

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And that about covers the basics of transitioning from ClickUp to SmartSuite!

Remember: your business processes don’t care which platform you use, so choose the one that resonates with your style. Work management software is only a tool to help you keep things organized and on track.

If you and your team could use support on your SmartSuite journey, be sure to sign up for our one-day mini course, How to SmartSuite. Master the SmartSuite basics and watch productivity skyrocket! 🚀