How to Use Wrike Step by Step — 2026 Tutorial

Quick Start

This guide covers every Wrike feature:

• Getting Started — Create your account and organize work
• How to Use Dashboards — Track live metrics and manage data at a glance
• How to Use Gantt Charts — Plan project timelines on a visual gantt chart
• How to Use Project Resource Planning — Balance workloads and timelog entries across teams
• How to Use Dynamic Request Forms — Turn request forms into ready-to-run projects
• How to Use Wrike AI — Automate tasks and draft content fast
• How to Use Automation — Trigger rules so routine work items run themselves
• How to Use Project Views — Switch view options like Table, Board, and calendar
• How to Use Proofing — Review files and collect comments in one place
• How to Use Kanban Boards — See tasks grouped by status on a board

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used Wrike for over two years and tested every feature here myself.

This tutorial on how to use Wrike comes from real hands-on work, not vendor screenshots.

Wrike is one of the most capable project management software platforms available today.

Most new users only touch a few core features and miss the rest.

You will learn the core concepts behind every tool in minutes.

This guide shows you how to use every key feature to organize work and track projects.

Step by step, with videos, screenshots, and practical tips.

Wrike Tutorial

This Wrike tutorial walks you through each feature step by step, from account setup to advanced practices that make you a power user.

Wrike

Plan projects, assign tasks, and collaborate in one workspace. Wrike brings dashboards, a gantt chart, and automation together for teams that handle complex work. Start free — no credit card required.

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Getting Started with Wrike

Before using any feature, finish this one-time setup on your computer.

It takes about three minutes.

Here is my personal experience getting started with the platform:

Now let us walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Wrike website and click “Get Started” to create your free account.

Enter your email, then set a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for a confirmation email.

Step 2: Access Your Workspace

Log in to open your Wrike workspace in any browser.

Wrike works on your computer, tablet, and phone, so you can access work anywhere.

Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the left panel and top menu.

Here is what the dashboard looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the main dashboard and your spaces.

Step 3: Build Your Structure

Create a space for each team or department to organize projects cleanly.

Add a folder inside each space, then create your first tasks.

How to Use Wrike Dashboards

Dashboards lets you track live metrics and manage data across every project in one view.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Dashboards Tab

Click Dashboards in the left panel to view your work items.

Step 2: Add Widgets

Add widgets for active, overdue, and upcoming tasks so nothing slips.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see a live board of tasks grouped by status.

Step 3: Share the Board

Share the dashboard with your teams to keep everyone aligned.

How to Use Wrike Gantt Charts

Gantt Charts lets you plan project timelines and set dependencies on a visual gantt chart.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Switch to Gantt View

Open a project and pick the gantt chart from the view options.

Step 2: Set Dates and Dependencies

Drag task bars to set dates, then link tasks that depend on each other.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your project timelines appear as connected bars across the calendar.

Step 3: Track Progress

Watch timelines shift automatically when dates change.

How to Use Wrike Project Resource Planning

Project Resource Planning lets you balance workloads and log timelog entries so no one is over-assigned.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Resource View

Go to the resource planning tools to see who is assigned what.

Step 2: Assign and Balance

Move tasks between users to spread work fairly across the group.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Each user shows a clear workload with no red overload flags.

Step 3: Log Time

Have your teams add timelog entries so budget and hours stay accurate.

How to Use Wrike Dynamic Request Forms

Dynamic Request Forms lets you turn request forms into ready-to-run projects with no manual setup.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a Form

Build request forms with the fields your team needs to start work.

Step 2: Add Logic

Set rules so answers route each request to the right folder.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A submitted form creates a task with all details filled in.

Step 3: Publish and Share

Share the form link so anyone can submit intake requests.

How to Use Wrike Wrike AI

Wrike AI lets you automate tasks, draft content, and predict project risk with built-in AI.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Wrike AI

Click the AI icon inside any task to start.

Step 2: Generate or Summarize

Ask it to draft content, summarize comments, or suggest subtasks.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: New subtasks or a content draft appear inside your task.

Step 3: Apply Suggestions

Accept the output to create tasks or update items instantly.

How to Use Wrike Automation

Automation lets you trigger rules so routine work runs itself without daily effort.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Automation

Go to the automation panel in your space settings.

Step 2: Build a Rule

Create a rule in a simple ‘when, then’ format to move tasks.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A test task moves or updates on its own when the trigger fires.

Step 3: Turn It On

Save the rule so it fires across your selected folders.

How to Use Wrike Project Views

Project Views lets you switch between view options to see work the way each team prefers.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Pick a View

Choose Table, Board, calendar, or gantt chart from the view menu.

Step 2: Apply Filters

Use filters to show only the tasks, dates, or statuses you want.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your work appears in the format you selected with filters applied.

Step 3: Save the View

Save your custom view settings so you can reload them later.

How to Use Wrike Proofing

Proofing lets you review files, mark up designs, and collect comments in one place.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Upload a File

Attach the files or designs your marketing team needs reviewed.

Step 2: Add Comments

Click directly on the file to leave precise comments and reviews.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: All feedback sits on the file instead of scattered emails.

Step 3: Approve

Mark the proof approved once every note is resolved.

How to Use Wrike Kanban Boards

Kanban Boards lets you see tasks grouped into columns by status and move them as work flows.

Here is how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Board View

Switch any project to the Board view to see status columns.

Step 2: Drag Cards

Move task cards between columns as their status changes.

Here is what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your tasks sit in columns that mirror your team’s process.

Step 3: Customize Columns

Edit columns so statuses match your real workflow.

Wrike Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After testing Wrike for over two years, here are my best tips.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Cross-tagging: Place one task in several projects so departments share work items without copies.
• Custom fields: Add custom items and custom fields to track budget, priority, or any metric.
• Wrike University: Enroll in a free course to learn best practices; teams see a 102% productivity boost after training.

Wrike Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Skipping the Space Structure

Mistake #2: Mismatched Task Statuses

Mistake #3: Emailing Instead of Commenting

Wrike Troubleshooting

Problem: Notifications Are Overwhelming

Cause: You are subscribed to too many tasks and projects.

Fix: Open notification settings and trim subscriptions to the work you own.

Problem: Tasks Are Missing From a View

Cause: A filter is hiding items you expect to see.

Fix: Clear the active filters, then reapply only the ones you need.

Problem: Dates Keep Shifting

Cause: Linked dependencies push connected dates on the gantt chart.

Fix: Review dependencies and unlink tasks that should stay fixed.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Wrike support or search the knowledge base.

What is Wrike?

Wrike is project management software that helps teams plan, track, and collaborate on work in one platform.

Think of it like a shared workspace where every task, file, and comment lives together.

Watch this quick review:

It supports more than 1.65 million users a year and has over 400 third-party integrations.

It includes these key features:

• Dashboards: Live views of active, overdue, and upcoming tasks and metrics.
• Gantt Charts: Visual timelines that map dependencies and dates.
• Project Views: Table, Board, calendar, and gantt chart view options.
• Automation: Rules, triggers, and actions that handle routine tasks.
• Request Forms: Dynamic intake forms that create projects on submit.
• Proofing: Online proofing tools for marketing and creative teams.

For a full review, see our Wrike review.

Ready to try it yourself? Start your free account below.

Wrike Pricing

Here is what Wrike costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — the Free plan is free forever, and paid plans offer a trial.

Money-back guarantee: Check current terms at checkout.

💰 Best Value: Business — it unlocks custom fields, automation, and dashboards most growing teams need.

Wrike vs Alternatives

How does Wrike compare? Here is the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Wrike — deep features for complex work and reporting.
• Best budget: ClickUp — a strong free tier and low paid pricing.
• Best for beginners: Monday — the simplest setup for new users.
• Best for marketing: Wrike — proofing and request forms built for creative teams.

🎯 Wrike Alternatives

Looking for Wrike alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 Notion: A flexible workspace that blends docs, wikis, and boards for teams that want writing and tasks together.
• 💰 ClickUp: A budget-friendly platform packing views, docs, and goals into one tool with a generous free plan.
• 🎨 Taskade: An AI-first tool that turns outlines into tasks fast, great for small teams and solo users.
• ⚡ Monday: A colorful, easy platform new users pick up quickly for simple project tracking and calendars.
• 🔒 Asana: A clean task manager focused on clear timelines and lightweight workflow for growing teams.
• 🧠 Smartsheet: A spreadsheet-style platform for teams that plan projects and budget in a familiar grid.
• 👶 Teamwork: A platform built for agencies to manage client work, timelog entries, and billing in one place.

For the full list, see our Wrike alternatives guide.

⚔️ Wrike Compared

Here is how Wrike stacks up against each competitor:

• Wrike vs Notion: Wrike wins on project management depth; Notion wins on flexible docs and notes.
• Wrike vs ClickUp: Both pack many features; Wrike feels steadier at scale, ClickUp costs less.
• Wrike vs Taskade: Wrike offers deeper reporting; Taskade is lighter and faster for small teams.
• Wrike vs Monday: Monday is easier to start; Wrike handles complex work and resource planning better.
• Wrike vs Asana: Asana is simpler; Wrike gives more view options, custom fields, and automation.
• Wrike vs Smartsheet: Smartsheet suits grid fans; Wrike gives richer dashboards and proofing tools.
• Wrike vs Teamwork: Teamwork targets agencies; Wrike scales across bigger, cross-team projects.

Start Using Wrike Now

You learned how to use every major Wrike feature:

• ✅ Dashboards
• ✅ Gantt Charts
• ✅ Project Resource Planning
• ✅ Dynamic Request Forms
• ✅ Wrike AI
• ✅ Automation
• ✅ Project Views
• ✅ Proofing
• ✅ Kanban Boards

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with Dashboards to track their tasks.

It takes less than five minutes to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wrike hard to learn?

Not for most new users. The basics take minutes, and you can enroll in free Wrike University courses to learn advanced practices at your own pace.

What is Wrike used for?

Wrike is project management software used to plan projects, assign tasks, track timelines, and collaborate on complex work across teams and departments in one workspace.

How do I get started with Wrike?

Create a free account, build a space for your team, add a folder per project, then create tasks. A short setup gets you organized fast.

Is Wrike better than Jira?

It depends on your work. Wrike suits marketing and cross-team projects, while Jira fits software teams. Wrike offers broader view options and request forms.

Does Wrike offer training?

Yes. Wrike Discovery courses finish in minutes, and live monthly webinars help you learn. Teams report a 102% productivity increase once a course is completed.