Running a WordPress agency means keeping several projects moving at once. Your designers need clear briefs, your developers need approved layouts, and your clients need one place to leave feedback. When all of that lives in scattered emails and chat threads, work gets hard to follow, and things slip.
The good news is that you can bring everything under one roof. WP Project Manager pulls your projects, tasks, discussions, and files into your WordPress dashboard, so you can organize client work and hand out responsibilities from a single workspace.
In this blog post, we'll show you how to set up WP Project Manager for a WordPress agency step by step. You'll create a client project, add your team, plan the deliverables, give your client the right level of access, and test the whole setup before anyone relies on it. Let's get started!
Why Use WP Project Manager for a WordPress Agency?
An agency needs more than a simple to-do list. You need to know who owns each item, when it's due, and what the client has already approved. Miss any one of those, and a smooth project can turn stressful fast.
WP Project Manager gives you project and task management right inside WordPress. It comes with team roles, task lists, milestones, discussions, and file sharing, plus premium modules for time tracking, invoicing, and recurring work. So the whole picture stays in one place.
For an agency, these tools can support:
- Website projects: Design and development work for new builds and redesigns.
- Client reviews: Collecting content, feedback, and approvals.
- SEO and content campaigns: Planning and tracking marketing work.
- Website maintenance: Repeated care-plan tasks.
- Team coordination: Clear owners, deadlines, and internal processes.
Think of it as the control center for your delivery work. The plugin keeps everything organized, but your agency still needs clear rules for approvals, updates, and handovers.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you follow along, get these few things ready. None of them require coding, and most agencies already have them on hand.
| Requirement | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| A WordPress site you control | Hosts the agency workspace |
| WordPress administrator access | Lets you install and configure the plugin |
| WP Project Manager (free) | Adds projects, tasks, milestones, discussions, and files |
| WP Project Manager Pro, if needed | Adds premium modules such as Time Tracker and Recurring Task |
| Team and client email addresses | Used to create accounts and send notifications |
| A project brief and target dates | Gives your first project a clear scope |
Prerequisites
- WP Project Manager (Free)
- WP Project Manager Pro (only for the premium modules)
For this tutorial, we'll use a fictional agency called BrightDesk Studio. Its first project is GreenLeaf – Website Redesign.
You can install the workspace on your agency website or on a separate WordPress installation on a subdomain such as projects.youragency.com. A separate installation is handy when you want to keep the workspace apart from your public marketing site.
Note: You don't need to install WP Project Manager on every client website to manage those projects. One agency-controlled installation is enough.
Which WP Project Manager Plan Should an Agency Choose?
Start with the tools your team will actually use, not with the biggest plan on the page.
| Plan | Examples of Included Features | Suitable Starting Point |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Projects, tasks, Kanban Board, discussions, files, milestones, and AI project creation | Testing a basic team workflow |
| Personal | Everything in Free, plus Sub Task, Calendar, category permission, and advanced report filters | More detailed planning and reporting (1 site) |
| Professional | Everything in Personal, plus Time Tracker, Gantt Chart, and Invoice | Agencies tracking work hours and billing (5 sites) |
| Business | Everything in Professional, plus Recurring Task, Custom Field, WooCommerce Orders, Stripe, and BuddyPress Integration | Agencies with repeatable or specialized workflows (10 sites) |
These examples follow the current plan comparison, so check the full feature table before you buy. Hope you know that you don't need the Business plan just because you run an agency. The core setup in this tutorial works with the free plugin, and we'll point out each part that needs Pro.
How to Set Up WP Project Manager for a WordPress Agency: Step-by-Step Guide
Here is the example we'll build together:
| Project Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Agency | BrightDesk Studio |
| Client | GreenLeaf |
| Project | GreenLeaf – Website Redesign |
| Scope | Five-page WordPress website |
| Team | Project manager, designer, developer, and content writer |
| Client involvement | Supplies content, reviews designs, and approves the launch |
| Delivery stages | Discovery, design, build, review, launch, and handover |
Feel free to replace these details with a real project from your own agency as you go. Once the plugin is ready on your site, start following the tutorial explained below.
Step 01: Install and Activate WP Project Manager
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add Plugin. Search for Project Manager weDevs, find the plugin named Project Manager by weDevs, then click the Install Now button followed by Activate.
Once it's active, you'll see a new Project Manager item in your WordPress menu.
Add the Pro Plugin if Your Workflow Requires It
Download your Pro package from your weDevs account. Then go to Plugins > Add Plugin > Upload Plugin, upload the ZIP file, and install and activate it.
Keep the free plugin active alongside Pro. Then open Project Manager > License and activate the license key from your weDevs account. You can see that the free Project Manager plugin and Project Manager Pro are both active on our site.
Very Important: Project Manager Pro needs the free plugin to work, so keep both active. Before you invite your team, open the Project Manager dashboard once and make sure it loads without errors.
Step 02: Configure the Workspace Settings
Navigate to Project Manager > Settings and stay on the General tab. This is where you set the options that shape daily work, such as the file upload limit and your agency branding.
Set a Practical File Upload Limit
Find the File Upload Limit field and enter a size in megabytes that suits your documents and design files. For example, 20 MB is a reasonable starting point for briefs, PDFs, and compressed images.
Note: This is an example, not a rule. The plugin setting can't raise an upload limit that your hosting sets lower. For large videos or design archives, share an access-controlled link instead.
Add Your Agency Branding
Scroll down to Pro Settings and find the Company Logo option. Upload your agency logo, which WP Project Manager uses on invoices and reports. Then click the Save Changes button.
Note: Company Logo is one of the Pro settings, so you'll see it only when Project Manager Pro is active.
Check the Website Timezone
Now go to Settings > General in your WordPress dashboard and choose the Timezone your agency works in. If your clients work elsewhere, mention the timezone in your project brief so dates are never confusing. Save your changes before you continue.
Step 03: Create Accounts for Your Team
Go to Users > Add User and create an account for every person who will work in the workspace. Enter the Username and Email, and add the first and last name. For our example, we added these people:
| Person | Agency Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Maya Chowdhury | Project manager |
| Rafi Ahmed | Designer |
| Nila Sultana | WordPress developer |
| Hasan Mahmud | Content writer |
| Sara Karim | Client representative (GreenLeaf) |
Use each person's own email address. Avoid shared accounts, because they make responsibility and activity history much harder to follow.
Give team members and clients a low-privilege WordPress role, such as Subscriber, unless their work truly needs more. Then click the Add User button. Their project responsibilities are assigned separately inside WP Project Manager.
Very Important: A WordPress role and a project role are two different things. A client doesn't need WordPress Administrator access to review a project.
Step 04: Create Your First Client Project
Navigate to Project Manager > Projects and click the New Project button.
A Create New Project panel will open on the right. Enter GreenLeaf – Website Redesign as the Project Name. If you want a closer look at each field, weDevs has a handy guide on creating a project.
We recommend a consistent naming pattern, such as Client Name – Service or Deliverable. For example, GreenLeaf – Monthly Maintenance or NorthStar – SEO Campaign.
Group Similar Projects with Categories
Categories keep similar work grouped, but you need to create them first. Go to Project Manager > Categories, click the New Category button, and add categories such as Website Development, SEO and Content, and Maintenance.
Then come back to the Create New Project panel and select a Category for your project. For GreenLeaf, we chose Website Development.
Write the Project Scope
In the Description box, spell out the expected result. For example:
Redesign GreenLeaf's five-page website: Home, About, Services, Blog, and Contact. The project includes responsive layouts, content placement, contact form testing, and launch checks. GreenLeaf will provide final copy and approve the design before development begins.
Add key exclusions where it helps. If copywriting or hosting migration isn't part of the agreement, say so here.
Add Team Members and Set Their Roles
Scroll down to Team Members, search for each person, and add them to the project. Everyone you add appears in a table with a Role dropdown, where you can choose Manager, Co-Worker, or Client. For more background on team roles, this guide on adding users to a project is worth a read.
Here is how we assigned our example roles:
| Person | Project Role |
|---|---|
| Maya Chowdhury | Manager |
| Rafi Ahmed | Co-Worker |
| Nila Sultana | Co-Worker |
| Hasan Mahmud | Co-Worker |
| Sara Karim | Client |
Then click the Create Project button. Tick Notify co-workers via email first if you want your team to get an email right away.
Note: The person who creates the project is added as a Manager automatically. That's why you'll also see the admin account in the team list.
After you create the project, open its Overview tab and scroll down to Team Members. You'll see everyone with their role, and you can change a role here at any time.
Step 05: Configure Client and Team Permissions
Project membership is only the starting point. You also need to check what each role can actually do.
Open the project's Settings tab and select Capabilities. Here you control what co-workers and clients can create and view in this project, section by section: Discussion, Task List, Task, Milestone, Files, Google Drive, and Google Meet. For the finer details, check this guide on how to configure permission settings in WP Project Manager.
For our example, we turned off Create for clients on Task List and Milestone, so only our team plans the project structure. Then we clicked the Save Changes button.
Use this policy guide as you decide. The first four rows match the controls on the Capabilities screen. The last two are agency rules you agree on as a team:
| Action | Agency Team | Client |
|---|---|---|
| Create discussions and comments | Yes | Yes |
| Create task lists and milestones | Yes | No |
| Create tasks | According to responsibility | Only when your process requires it |
| View private items | Yes | No |
| Delete project content | Restricted | Restricted |
| Manage project settings | Project manager | No |
If you keep internal notes in the same project, mark them Private and keep View Private turned off for clients.
Test with a Separate Client Account
Now sign in as your test client in another browser or a private window. Check that the account can see only its own project, leave feedback, and open shared files. Unrelated client projects should stay out of reach.
You can see that Sara, our client, sees only the GreenLeaf project, even though BrightDesk Studio also runs a NorthStar project. Always run this test before you share any real client information.
Step 06: Organize the Project into Task Lists
Open the project's Task Lists tab and click the New List button. Enter a name and an optional description, then click the Add List button. Tick Private if a list is meant for your team only.
For our website project, we created these six lists:
| Task List | Example Work |
|---|---|
| 01. Discovery and Content | Confirm scope, collect brand assets, and request page copy |
| 02. Design | Create wireframes, design the homepage, and collect approval |
| 03. WordPress Development | Build page layouts, add content, and configure forms |
| 04. Quality Checks | Test mobile layouts, links, forms, and accessibility basics |
| 05. Client Review and Launch | Resolve feedback, get approval, and launch |
| 06. Handover | Provide training, documentation, and maintenance details |
You'll also notice an Inbox list. WP Project Manager creates it automatically for every project, and it holds tasks that don't belong to a list yet.
Organizing your lists around delivery stages like these helps the whole team see how the project moves toward launch. If ongoing support has a different scope and schedule, create a separate maintenance project for it.
Step 07: Add Tasks, Owners, and Deadlines
Expand a task list and click the + (Add task) icon on its header. Type the task name, then click the Add Task button.
Start with something specific, such as Build the homepage from the approved design. Avoid broad titles like "Website work". A useful task title tells the assigned person exactly what result you expect.
Describe the Expected Result
Click the task title to open its details. Then click the + Add button under Description and add clear instructions, such as:
Build the homepage using the approved design. Include the hero section, services, testimonials, and contact call to action. Check desktop, tablet, and mobile layouts, then share the staging URL for review.
It also helps to add acceptance criteria, so everyone agrees on what "done" means:
- All approved sections are included.
- Buttons lead to the correct destinations.
- Mobile content doesn't overflow.
- Placeholder text and images have been replaced.
- The page is ready for internal review.
Assign the Task and Set Dates
In the Attributes section, click Add assignee and select Nila Sultana, our developer. Then click Add dates, set the Start and Due dates, and click Save.
Give each task one person who owns the result. Others can help, but ownership should stay clear.
Note: Allow time for review and revisions, so a task's due date shouldn't automatically match the final client delivery date. If your plan includes Sub Task, use subtasks to split larger work into smaller parts. And if you don't see the Start field, turn on Task Start Date under Pro Settings in Project Manager > Settings > General.
Step 08: Add Milestones for Approvals and Delivery
Open the project's Milestones tab and click the New Milestone button.
In the Create Milestone popup, enter a Title, a short Description, and a Target Date. Then click the Create Milestone button.
For GreenLeaf, we added these five checkpoints:
| Milestone | Completion Condition |
|---|---|
| Content Ready | Required copy and brand assets received |
| Design Approved | Client approval recorded for the agreed layouts |
| Website Ready for Review | Staging site passes internal checks |
| Launch Approved | Client approves the launch version |
| Handover Complete | Training and agreed documents delivered |
Use milestones for meaningful checkpoints rather than every small activity. You can link tasks to a milestone from each task's Milestone attribute. Mark a milestone complete only after its approval or delivery condition has truly been met.
Step 09: Keep Files and Feedback with the Work
Use Discussions for project-wide decisions and task comments for feedback on a specific item. That way, the context stays right next to the work it belongs to. If you're new to this area, here's a quick guide on working with project discussions.
To start a discussion, open the Discussions tab and click the + New button. Enter a title, write your message, link it to a milestone if you like, and attach any files. Then click the Add Message button.
Your client and team can reply in the comments. For example, Sara approved the homepage design right inside the discussion, and the approved PDF stays attached to it.
Here is where we keep each kind of information:
| Information | Suggested Location |
|---|---|
| Agreed project scope | Project description or kickoff discussion |
| Brand guidelines | Project Files tab |
| Homepage feedback | Homepage task comments |
| Design approval | Design review discussion or task |
| Launch approval | Launch review discussion or task |
| Handover instructions | Handover task and linked document |
Use clear file names such as greenleaf-homepage-approved-v2.pdf, so the approved version is easy to spot. If a decision happens in a meeting or chat, summarize it in the relevant discussion: note what was agreed and who approved it.
Step 10: Configure and Test Email Notifications
Go to Project Manager > Settings and open the Email tab. You'll find four options here:
- From Email: The sender address for all notifications. Use an address your website is actually set up to send from.
- Email Type: Choose HTML Mail or Plain Text.
- Link to Backend: Turn it on if your team works in the WordPress dashboard, so email links open the WP admin area. If you use a frontend project page (set under Settings > Pages), leave it off and test where the links land.
- Send via BCC: Adds all recipients as BCC instead of TO.
Then click the Save Changes button.
Next, assign a test task to a team member and ask them to check the notification. Make sure the email arrives and its link opens a project they can access.
Very Important: For reliable delivery, set up authenticated sending (SMTP) through your hosting or email service. Changing the sender address alone doesn't guarantee delivery.
Step 11: Enable the Agency Tools You Need
Go to Project Manager > Modules and turn on the premium modules your plan supports. Start with the features that solve a problem you have right now, not everything at once.
Note: Modules come with WP Project Manager Pro. Time Tracker is included in the Professional and Business plans, and Recurring Task is in Business.
Track Work with Time Tracker
Once Time Tracker is on, open a task assigned to the person doing the work. That person will see a Track Time row in the task attributes. You can learn more in the Time Tracker documentation.
They can click the play button to run a live timer, or click + Add time to log time directly. Just set the Date and the Total Time in hours and minutes, then click Add.
Use recorded time to understand project effort and prepare invoices where it applies. Agree on your billing rules before treating every recorded minute as billable.
Create Repeated Work with Recurring Task
For a maintenance project, open a task such as Set up the maintenance plan. Find the Recurring attribute and click Add recurrence.
Choose Weekly from the Repeat dropdown and set Every to 1. Then pick the Start On date, select M (Monday) under On days, and choose when it Ends: Never, On date, or After a number of times. Finally, click the Save button.
Note: This creates recurring work items for your team. It doesn't update plugins, run backups, or perform maintenance automatically. Those still need the right tools and a real process.
Learn how to set up recurring tasks with WP Project Manager.
Step 12: Test the Full Workflow Before Inviting Clients
Before you rely on the workspace for live delivery, run a small trial with the project manager, one co-worker, and a test client.
| Test | Expected Result |
|---|---|
| Manager creates and assigns a task | The assigned team member can open it |
| Co-worker adds a progress comment | Project members can read it |
| Client opens the project | Only the right project information is visible |
| Client opens a shared file | The intended file is available |
| Client follows a notification link | It opens a page the client can access |
| Team completes a task | The task shows as completed |
| Assigned worker records time | A saved time entry appears on the task |
| A scheduled recurrence becomes due | A new task is generated as intended |
Then open the project's Overview tab. It shows the project progress along with counts for task lists, tasks, completed tasks, discussions, milestones, and files, so you can quickly confirm everything is in place.
Fix any access or notification issues before the workspace carries real client work. Once the trial works, send each participant a short guide that explains where to find tasks, how to comment, and how your agency records approvals.
Thus, you can set up WP Project Manager for a WordPress agency without writing a single line of code.
A Simple Daily Workflow for Your Agency
The setup only becomes useful when everyone follows the same habits. Here is a simple rhythm that keeps projects moving without extra stress.
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Start of the day | Team members review their assigned work and deadlines in My Tasks |
| Before starting work | Open the task brief and start the timer if you track time |
| When blocked | Add a comment explaining the issue and the decision you need |
| When ready for review | Share the work link and ask a named reviewer |
| After review | Record feedback or approval in the related task or discussion |
| End of the day | Update task progress and stop any running timers |
| Weekly | The project manager reviews overdue work and upcoming milestones |
Treat "ready for review" and "approved" as two different points in your process. If you use the Kanban Board, name its columns to match how your team actually works.
How to Prepare a Reusable Agency Project Structure
Once your first workflow runs smoothly, make a clean starting structure for future projects. Keep the reusable task lists, task titles, and instructions, but strip out client-specific files, comments, names, and approvals.
With WP Project Manager Pro, you have two ways to do this:
- Templates: Go to Project Manager > Templates to manage reusable project blueprints. When you create a new project, pick a template from the From Template button or the Template (Optional) field.
- Duplicate: Open the Project actions menu (⋯) on a project card and choose Duplicate to copy an existing project.
If you duplicate a project, review the copied content before adding a new client. Always check:
- Project members and their roles.
- Task and milestone dates.
- Client names and links.
- Attached files and private information.
- Recurring rules and billing details.
A reusable structure should save planning time without dragging old client information into new work.
Common Setup Problems and How to Fix Them
Even with a careful setup, a few small issues come up again and again. Take a look at them below, along with a quick fix for each.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A user is missing from Team Members | Their WordPress account hasn't been created yet | Add the account under Users > Add User, then search again |
| A client can't open a project | They aren't a project member, or their role is wrong | Check Team Members on the project Overview tab |
| A client sees more than intended | Client capabilities are too broad | Review Settings > Capabilities and test again |
| A task has no clear owner | Nobody was assigned | Add an assignee and state the expected result |
| Track Time is missing | Module is off, the plan doesn't include it, or the user isn't assigned | Check all three conditions |
| Company Logo or Templates are missing | Project Manager Pro isn't active or licensed | Activate Pro and its license |
| Notification emails don't arrive | Email sending isn't configured | Set up SMTP and test a real notification |
| Email links open the wrong area | Link to Backend doesn't match your workspace | Change the setting and test again |
| Copied projects contain old information | Reused content wasn't cleaned | Review members, files, dates, and client references |
FAQs on Setting Up WP Project Manager for a WordPress Agency
In this section, we have answered some frequently asked questions about using WP Project Manager in an agency.
Can a small agency start with the free version?
Yes. You can begin with projects, tasks, milestones, discussions, files, and the Kanban Board. Upgrade when you need a specific Pro feature, such as Time Tracker, Sub Task, or Recurring Task.
Do I need to install the plugin on every client website?
No. You can manage all your client projects from one agency-controlled WordPress site. Extra licenses only matter when you install the plugin on separate websites.
Can clients access their own projects?
Yes. Add the client to the project with the Client role and review the Capabilities settings. Then test access with a client account before sharing real information.
Which plan includes time tracking?
The current pricing table includes Time Tracker in the Professional and Business plans. Recurring Task is in Business.
Can WP Project Manager perform website maintenance automatically?
No. Recurring tasks create reminders and work items, but they don't run backups, updates, or security checks. Those still need the right maintenance tools and processes.
Can I reuse the same structure for future clients?
Yes. With WP Project Manager Pro, you can use project templates or Duplicate an existing project. Review the copied content before inviting a new client.
Final Thoughts!
Congratulations! You now know how to set up WP Project Manager for a WordPress agency. A useful workspace gives every task a clear owner, a deadline, and a place for feedback, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Start with one client project and make sure your team understands how to use it. Once that works, add the tools that match your service model. Time tracking helps you understand effort, milestones organize your approvals, and recurring tasks keep regular responsibilities visible. We recommend you explore WP Project Manager and build your first project around the way your agency actually delivers work.
If you have any questions, mention them in the comment box below. We'll get back to you very soon. Thanks for being with us till the end.