# Set a task's priority
> Give a task P1 to P4 to say how much it matters. Priority decides what Today shows first, where a task sits in the matrix and how the planner orders work.
Source: https://priortasks.com/docs/tasks/priorities/
Last updated: 2026-11-05
Every task has a priority from P1 to P4. New tasks start at P4, which means no priority. You only need to mark the ones that matter.
| Priority | Name | In the matrix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **P1** | Urgent | Important |
| **P2** | High | Important |
| **P3** | Medium | Not important |
| **P4** | Low | Not important. The default. |
In lists, a P1 shows as a coral square with an exclamation mark. P2, P3 and P4 show as three, two and one lit bars. On Today, a small flag with the priority appears for P1 to P3 and stays hidden for P4.
## Set a priority
- In the new task sheet, use the **Priority** field, or type `p1` to `p4` in the title. `urgent`, `asap` and `!!!` mean P1, `important` and `!!` mean P2, and `high priority` and `low priority` set P2 and P4, and `not urgent` or `not important` set P4. See [Create a task](https://priortasks.com/docs/tasks/create-a-task/).
- In the side panel of a task, use the **Priority** menu.
- In a row's menu, choose **Priority**. See [Task actions](https://priortasks.com/docs/tasks/task-actions/).
- Move to a row and press 1, 2, 3 or 4. With several rows selected, it sets them all. See [Keyboard shortcuts](https://priortasks.com/docs/getting-started/keyboard-shortcuts/).
- On the **Priority** board of All tasks (**Kanban**, then **Group by** priority), drag a card to another column.
## What priority changes
- **Today.** A higher priority ranks a task higher among your current priorities. See [Use the Today page](https://priortasks.com/docs/getting-started/today-page/).
- **The Priority lens.** P1 and P2 count as important. Together with a due date within two days, that places a task in one of four quadrants. See [The Eisenhower matrix](https://priortasks.com/docs/tasks/eisenhower-matrix/).
- **Filters and sorting.** On All tasks, **Filters → Priority** keeps one level, and **Sort → Priority** puts P1 first, then the earliest due date.
- **Planning.** Automatic time blocking plans higher priorities earlier. See [Time blocking](https://priortasks.com/docs/planning/time-blocking/).
- **Game mode.** Tasks that count as important earn more XP.
## Good to know
- There are no separate importance and urgency switches any more. Prior works both out from the priority and the due date, so changing either moves the task in the matrix.
- In Scrum and Scrumban projects, cards show story points where the priority sits. See [Story points](https://priortasks.com/docs/agile/story-points/).
- Habits have no priority. They keep their own settings.
- When you import from Todoist, its priorities carry over, with its highest as P1. See [Import your data](https://priortasks.com/docs/getting-started/import-your-data/).