How to Use Priority in ClickUp Effectively
Priority in ClickUp helps you and your team quickly understand what work matters most, so you can organize tasks, manage workload, and hit deadlines with confidence.
This how-to guide walks you through everything you need to know about setting, managing, and viewing Priority across your spaces, folders, lists, tasks, and subtasks.
What Priority in ClickUp Does
Priority in ClickUp adds a clear visual indicator to tasks so you can decide what to work on first. Color-coded flags and labels let you and your team scan views and instantly spot urgent or important work.
You can use Priority to:
- Highlight critical tasks that must be done soon
- Differentiate between important and nice-to-have work
- Align teams around top priorities each day or week
- Filter and sort tasks based on Priority level
Priority is available on most task-based views, which makes it a powerful part of any productivity workflow in ClickUp.
Default Priority Levels in ClickUp
By default, ClickUp includes four Priority levels that cover most use cases. Each level has a label and color so you can recognize it at a glance.
Urgent Priority in ClickUp
Use the Urgent level for work that must be addressed immediately or within a very short timeframe. These tasks usually have strict deadlines or major impact.
- Color: Often red
- When to use: Critical bugs, legal deadlines, launch blockers
- Best practice: Keep the number of Urgent items as low as possible
High Priority in ClickUp
Use the High level for work that is important and time-sensitive, but not an immediate emergency.
- Color: Often orange
- When to use: Key project deliverables, upcoming milestones
- Best practice: Review High items during daily planning sessions
Normal Priority in ClickUp
Normal is the default level that fits most standard work. Tasks at this level still matter, but do not compete with Urgent or High items.
- Color: Often blue or standard flag
- When to use: Everyday work, routine tasks, non-critical improvements
- Best practice: Keep most tasks at Normal to avoid Priority inflation
Low Priority in ClickUp
Use the Low level for tasks that are nice to have, non-critical, or can be delayed without impact.
- Color: Often gray or light-toned
- When to use: Ideas, backlog items, long-term improvements
- Best practice: Review Low tasks periodically to decide whether to promote or close them
How to Set Priority on Tasks in ClickUp
Setting Priority on a task is quick and can be done from multiple views in ClickUp. Follow these steps to assign or change Priority on any task.
Step-by-step: Set Priority from a Task
- Open the task where you want to set Priority.
- Look for the Priority flag or label on the task header or in the sidebar.
- Click the current Priority (or the empty flag if none is set).
- Select one of the four levels: Urgent, High, Normal, or Low.
- Close the task or continue editing; the new Priority is saved automatically.
You can change the Priority at any time as work evolves.
Set Priority From List and Board Views in ClickUp
You can also quickly manage Priority from List and Board views in ClickUp without opening each task.
- Open the relevant List or Board view.
- Locate the Priority column or flag on each task.
- Click the Priority field for a task.
- Choose the appropriate Priority level from the menu.
This is useful when reviewing multiple items during planning or triage sessions.
View and Filter Tasks by Priority in ClickUp
ClickUp makes it easy to focus on tasks by Priority, so you can plan your day and coordinate with your team.
Sort Tasks by Priority in ClickUp
- Open a List or Table view where you have multiple tasks.
- Click the column header for Priority, or open the sort menu.
- Select Sort by Priority so tasks appear in order from highest to lowest.
Sorting helps you quickly spot tasks that should be handled first.
Filter Tasks by Priority in ClickUp
- Open any view that supports filters (for example, List or Board view).
- Click the filter icon or filter bar.
- Add a filter condition for Priority.
- Choose one or more Priority levels to display.
Use filters to see only Urgent and High tasks, or to review all Low items for cleanup.
Best Practices for Priority Management in ClickUp
To get the most from Priority in ClickUp, align your team on how and when to use each level. Consistency keeps your workspace easy to scan and understand.
Set a Shared Priority Policy in ClickUp
- Define what Urgent, High, Normal, and Low mean for your organization.
- Document examples for each level in a ClickUp Doc or team handbook.
- Review these guidelines in onboarding or team meetings.
Use Priority with Other ClickUp Features
Combine Priority with additional features in ClickUp to improve clarity and planning.
- Statuses: See what is in progress and blocked alongside Priority.
- Assignees: Pair Priority with owners so urgent work is clearly assigned.
- Due dates: Align time-based expectations with Priority levels.
- Custom views: Create dedicated My Priorities views for each team.
Avoid Priority Overuse in ClickUp
If everything is marked Urgent or High, Priority loses meaning. To avoid this:
- Limit the number of Urgent tasks each person can have at once.
- Use Normal for the majority of tasks.
- Regularly review High and Urgent items to confirm they still qualify.
Where to Learn More About Priority in ClickUp
For deeper reference material directly from the platform, visit the official Priority section of the ClickUp Help Center: Priority in the ClickUp Help Center.
If you need help designing workflows, templates, or automation around Priority and other features in ClickUp, you can also explore expert implementation resources at Consultevo.
Start Organizing Work with Priority in ClickUp
Priority in ClickUp gives your team a fast way to see what matters most. By using consistent Priority levels, sorting and filtering views, and combining Priority with statuses, assignees, and due dates, you can keep work organized and ensure critical tasks are never overlooked.
Review your current workflows, decide how your team will use each Priority level, and start applying these settings to tasks today to improve focus and execution.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.
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