Set Task Priorities in ClickUp

Using task priorities in ClickUp helps your team quickly understand what work needs attention first, keep projects on track, and avoid missed deadlines.

This guide explains how to enable priorities, apply them to tasks, customize options, and report on priority work so you can make the most of ClickUp for everyday task management.

Understand task priorities in ClickUp

Task priorities in ClickUp are visual labels that show the importance of a task. They add context to due dates and assignees so everyone can see which work matters most.

Default priority levels in ClickUp

Workspaces typically use four levels of task priority:

• Urgent: Critical work that must be handled immediately.
• High: Very important tasks that should be done soon.
• Normal: Standard priority work that fits into regular planning.
• Low: Nice-to-have tasks or work with flexible timing.

Each level is represented by a color and icon so people can identify priority at a glance in any ClickUp view.

Why use task priorities in ClickUp

Setting priorities supports better planning and communication by helping teams:

• Highlight the most important tasks across spaces and folders.
• Balance workloads by matching teammates to high-impact work.
• Filter and sort boards, lists, and reports by priority level.
• Align on what must be done now versus what can wait.

Enable task priorities in ClickUp

Before you start tagging tasks, make sure priorities are enabled for your workspace. This is managed from the settings area of ClickUp.

1. Open your workspace settings from the main sidebar.
2. Locate the settings section that controls task priorities.
3. Confirm that priorities are turned on for tasks.
4. Review the available levels and make any allowed adjustments.

Once enabled, the priority icon appears on task cards, task views, and in many locations across ClickUp so you can quickly set or change the level.

How to set a task priority in ClickUp

You can assign or change task priorities from several places inside ClickUp. The exact options depend on the view you are using, but the process follows the same pattern.

Set priority from the task view in ClickUp

To adjust priority while viewing the full task details:

1. Open the task you want to update.
2. Locate the priority field or priority icon in the task header area.
3. Click the current priority or the blank priority icon.
4. Select the desired level, such as Urgent, High, Normal, or Low.

The new label appears immediately on the task and in all ClickUp views that display the priority field.

Set priority from List view in ClickUp

List view makes it easy to scan and change multiple priorities in a single place.

1. Open the List view for your space, folder, or list.
2. Ensure the Priority column is visible in the table.
3. Click the priority icon in the row for the task you want to edit.
4. Choose the new priority level from the menu.

You can repeat this for multiple tasks to quickly organize all work in your ClickUp list by importance.

Set priority from Board view in ClickUp

When working in Board view, you can set task priorities directly on each card:

1. Open the Board view for your selected location.
2. Hover over a task card to show its quick actions.
3. Click the priority icon on the card.
4. Pick the appropriate level that matches the urgency and impact.

This method is useful for agile teams that prefer to manage ClickUp tasks visually on boards.

Change or remove a task priority in ClickUp

Priorities are flexible. As work evolves, you can change a priority or remove it entirely.

Change a task priority

To update a priority that is no longer accurate:

1. Open the task, list, or board where the task appears.
2. Click the existing priority icon.
3. Select a new level from the list of options.

The task updates instantly, and any filters or views based on priority will reflect the new value across ClickUp.

Remove a task priority

If you need to clear a priority from a task:

1. Click the priority icon on the task.
2. Choose the option to remove or clear the priority, if available.

Removing the label can be useful when a task is no longer active, or when priority is not relevant to a specific item in ClickUp.

Sort and filter by priority in ClickUp

Once priorities are in place, you can use them to organize your views and focus on the most impactful work.

Sort tasks by priority in ClickUp

Sorting tasks brings the most important items to the top of your view.

1. Open the List or Board view you want to organize.
2. Use the sort settings or column menu to select Priority as the sort field.
3. Choose ascending or descending order, depending on how you want to see urgency.

Sorting by priority is especially helpful in ClickUp when planning sprints, reviewing backlogs, or preparing daily focus lists.

Filter tasks by priority in ClickUp

Filtering allows you to concentrate on tasks with specific levels of importance.

1. Open any supported view in your workspace.
2. Click the filter controls for that view.
3. Select Priority as a filter field.
4. Choose the levels you want to include, such as Urgent and High only.

This filter shows only the tasks that match those levels so you can focus on key work inside ClickUp.

Best practices for using priorities in ClickUp

To get consistent results across your workspace, align your team on how to apply priorities in ClickUp.

• Define what each level means so everyone understands when to use Urgent, High, Normal, or Low.
• Limit Urgent tasks to true emergencies so the label keeps its meaning.
• Combine with due dates to avoid confusion between time sensitivity and importance.
• Review regularly and update priorities as project conditions change.

Using a shared standard keeps ClickUp task priorities clear and actionable.

Learn more about task priorities in ClickUp

For the full official documentation on task priority behavior, available options, and the latest feature details, review the product help center article: Set task priorities.

If you want expert help optimizing your workflows and organizing priorities in ClickUp across larger teams, you can also explore consulting services at Consultevo.

With clear standards, consistent usage, and the right configuration, task priorities in ClickUp give your team a simple, powerful way to stay aligned on what matters most.

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