ClickUp Skill

ClickUp API wrapper as a CLI skill for AI agents and standalone use. Replaces the ClickUp MCP with a fraction of the token cost.

Why This Instead of the ClickUp MCP?

The ClickUp MCP registers ~50 tools (~17k tokens) in every agent session, consuming a huge chunk of the initial context window whether you need ClickUp or not. That means less room for your actual prompts, files, and instructions.

This skill defers to a lightweight Python CLI that consumes only ~70 tokens (the skill descriptor), loaded on demand when you actually invoke ClickUp operations.

Aspect	MCP	Skill (this)
Token cost per session	~17k (fixed, always loaded)	~70 (on demand)
Context savings	—	~17k tokens freed
Monthly savings (500 sessions)	—	~8.5M tokens
Dependency	Node.js + MCP server	Python 3 + stdlib only
Startup latency	MCP handshake on init	Zero (lazy)

Bottom line: Each MCP tool burns ~300 tokens just for its description. Registering 50 of them devours ~17k tokens from your usable context before you've said a word. This skill gives you the same ClickUp API access at 0.4% of the token cost, preserving context for what matters — your instructions and data.

Coverage Status

The CLI wraps the ClickUp REST API v2. Here's what's implemented vs. the original MCP:

Category	MCP Tools	CLI Commands
Tasks	create, get, update, delete, filter, move	task get/create/update/delete/list/search/move
Comments	create, get, get_threaded	comment list/add
Time Tracking	start, stop, get_current, get_entries, get_task_entries, get_task_time_in_status, get_bulk_time_in_status, add	time start/stop/status/entries/add/report
Tags	add, remove	tag add/remove
Dependencies	add, remove	dependency add/remove
Custom Fields	get	custom-fields
Hierarchy	workspace, space, folder, list	workspace, hierarchy, space, folder, list get/create/fields
Users	find_member, get_members	user info/find, workspace members
Task Links	add, remove	—
Task Lists	add_to_list, remove_from_list	—
Reminders	create, search, update	—
Chat	get_channels, get_messages, get_replies, send	—
Documents	create, create_page, get_pages, list_pages, update_page	—
Folders/Lists	update, create_folder, create_list, create_list_in_folder	list create
Attachments	attach_file	—
Time Entry	get (single)	—

Operations marked as — are not yet implemented.

First-Time Setup

Set these environment variables in your shell profile (e.g. ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export CLICKUP_API_KEY="pk_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
export CLICKUP_TEAM_ID="YOUR_TEAM_ID"  # required for time tracking and search

Then reload:

source ~/.zshrc

Finding your ClickUp Team ID

python3 scripts/clickup.py workspace spaces

Usage

See SKILL.md for the full command reference.

Quick examples:

python3 scripts/clickup.py task get 86c9k6jxf
python3 scripts/clickup.py task list 901522906120
python3 scripts/clickup.py time status
python3 scripts/clickup.py time start 86c9k6jxf
python3 scripts/clickup.py hierarchy --team 12345