How to Set Task Priority in Planfix with a Custom Field
To set task priority in Planfix the way your team already thinks about urgency, add your own priority field to tasks instead of working with a fixed scale. There are several ways to prioritize tasks in Planfix, from manual sorting to the standard urgent marker, and a custom list of priority levels is the one you define yourself. This two-minute video walks through the whole setup, from creating the field to grouping your planner by it.
What you’ll learn: how to set task priority in Planfix
- Create a prioritization field in Account management, under custom task fields.
- Pick the List field type and add the priority levels your team needs.
- Set permissions for the field: who can see the priority and who can change it.
- Add the field to the object your tasks are created in, so it appears in every task.
- Show the priority on planner cards, then sort and group your tasks by it.
How to set task priority in Planfix, step by step
Step 1. Create the priority field
Go to Account management → Custom fields → Task fields to create a custom task field, and give it a name; the video calls it Prioritization. Choose the List field type, which stores a set of values your team later picks from a drop-down. While creating the field, you can also choose which set of custom fields it belongs to.
Step 2. Add your priority levels and permissions
Add the priority levels you want to work with as values of the field. Keep the scale short enough that nobody has to think twice about which level a task belongs to, whether that is high, medium and low or a numbered 1-2-3 system. Then set the permissions for the field: who can view it and who can edit it, so the agreed priority of a task is not changed by someone who shouldn’t. That finishes the field itself.
Step 3. Add the field to your tasks
A new field exists in the account, but it does not show up in tasks until you add it to the object they are created in. Open the object card, click edit, add the field to the form and save. Fields can be dragged around the form, so you can place the priority where people will notice it. If you prefer, you can also create a custom field directly while creating or editing an object.
Step 4. Show the priority on planner cards
Next, bring the priority into your board. Open the settings of the planner list, the column your tasks appear in, go to the card section and add the prioritization field. Cards in Planfix planner lists can display both standard and custom task fields, along with the font, size and position you choose for each one, so the priority is visible without opening a single task.
Step 5. Sort and group tasks by priority
In the same list settings, set the sorting by number so that new tasks appear at the bottom, then group the list by the prioritization field. The planner now arranges the list into one group per priority level. All that is left is to go through your current tasks once and give each one the right level; from then on, the board keeps itself in order.
Example: a separate list for each priority level
Grouping is not the only way to show the scale. Because a planner list selects tasks by its own parameters, you can build a separate list for each value of the field and line them up side by side, which is how the video ends up with custom task priorities as columns. Either layout gives the team a clear, structured overview of what to take first.
Both layouts also let you re-rank work by moving a card. A task dragged into a group takes on that group’s parameters, so dropping it into another priority group changes the value in its field. Nobody has to open the task to say that something became urgent.
Who it’s for
- Team leads: rank the team’s queue yourself, so everyone opens the day knowing which task comes first.
- Support and operations: keep a busy intake sorted, with the newest requests arriving at the bottom of the list.
- Shared services such as design or legal: let the managers who send work set its priority, then work down the board.
- Anyone with a long personal list: replace a flat list of dozens of tasks with a few groups you can actually plan around.
FAQ
Does Planfix have built-in task priority levels?
Yes. Tasks have two standard priority levels, normal and urgent, and manual sorting lets you fine-tune the order by hand. A custom List field is for the times you need a scale of your own.
Can I change a task’s priority by dragging it?
Yes, once the list is grouped by the priority field. A task dragged into a group changes so it has that group’s parameters, which means the new priority is written into the task.
Can I use the priority field in filters and reports?
Yes. Custom fields work like regular fields: you can use them in task filters and display them in reports, so tasks can be sorted and grouped by priority anywhere in Planfix, not only in the planner.
Set up one priority scale this week
One field with three levels, shown on the cards and grouped in the planner, is enough to stop guessing what to do next. Planfix task management software supports several priority systems at once, and if you want a ready-made layout for yours, see how to build an Eisenhower Matrix board on the same kind of field. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
