How to Automatically Set a Todoist Task's Priority When It's Created

Todoist lets you set a task’s priority right as you create it. Type `p1` to `p4` into the quick-add box and the task picks up that priority the moment it’s added. That works well enough when you remember to do it, but it’s still a manual decision on every single task. And, if you forget, your only option is to go back and change the priority by hand afterwards.

The deeper problem is that priority often depends on context you already know. Everything in your “Work” project might be a P2, and everything tagged `@urgent` might be a P1. But Todoist has no way to apply that for you, so you end up making the same call over and over, task after task. That’s a small amount of cognitive load each time, and it adds up fast across a busy list.

So, in this post we’re going to look at how to take that decision off your plate using Doify. By the end of it, you’ll have a rule that sets a task’s priority automatically the moment it’s created, based on the project it lands in or a label it carries.

Why Todoist Can’t Set a Task’s Priority Automatically

To be clear up front, Todoist isn’t missing priority entirely. You can set it as you create a task with the `p1` to `p4` quick-add shortcuts, and you can change it on an existing task whenever you like. What Todoist has no concept of is applying a priority automatically based on a rule, like “every task created in this project is P1” or “every task created with `@urgent` is P1.” Whether you set the priority at creation or change it later, you’re the one doing it, every single time.

The workarounds people reach for don’t really close that gap for most users. The first set of options are open-source scripts you self-host, like autodoist or todoist-prioritizer . These can manage priorities to a degree, but they’re Python tools you have to install, configure, and keep running yourself. For a developer that might be fine, but for most people the setup and ongoing upkeep make them a non-starter. The same goes for AI-driven or n8n-style workflows, which can be wired up to do the job but carry that same build-it-and-maintain-it cost.

The second set are general-purpose automation platforms like Zapier or SureTriggers. These can connect to Todoist, but they mostly set a priority when a task is created in Todoist from somewhere else, such as a form submission or an incoming email, rather than when you create a task inside Todoist itself. On top of that, they’re priced and built for broad, multi-app workflows. Zapier’s free tier only covers 100 tasks per month, and the cheapest paid plan after that is $29.99 per month, which is more than most people pay for Todoist itself, all to handle one small rule.

So, both of the common routes have real downsides. This is where Doify can help.

How to Automatically Set Priority on Creation With Doify

Doify lets you listen to events that happen in your Todoist account and run actions in response to them. We call these triggers and actions , and rules are how you pair them together into an automation. For this use case, we pair the Task Is Created trigger with the Set Priority action so that every task created in a project gets the priority you choose.

Before we configure it, there’s one detail worth stating plainly. Doify reacts to the creation event rather than intercepting it as you type, so the priority is applied just after the task is created rather than the very instant you add it. If the task is already at the priority your rule sets, Doify leaves it alone and does nothing. And, if you happen to set a different priority while creating the task, Doify applies the rule’s priority over the top. The end result is the same either way, since every new task ends up at the priority you defined in Doify.

How to Configure This Rule

1. Sign up to Doify (the free plan is fine for this guide). During sign up you’ll connect your Todoist account, which is how Doify is able to listen for new tasks and set their priority on your behalf.
2. Create a new rule. Rules are the core of Doify’s automation, with each rule pairing a trigger with an action to run when the trigger fires.
3. Choose the Task Is Created trigger. This tells Doify to watch for new tasks in your Todoist account.
4. Choose the target project you want the rule to monitor. The rule only fires for tasks created inside that project, which keeps it scoped to where it’s relevant. On the Pro plan , you can target every project with a single rule instead of creating one per project.
5. (Optional) Scope the rule to a target label so it only affects tasks created carrying that label inside the target project. We’ll come back to this in the next section.
6. Choose the Set Priority action. This is the action that applies the priority whenever a new task is created.
7. Pick the priority you want to apply, from P1 (the highest, most urgent) down to P4 (the default).
8. Create your rule. Doify starts listening for new tasks in your chosen project immediately.

With the rule active, every new task you create in the monitored project picks up your chosen priority automatically, without you typing `p1` or touching the priority field again.

Setting Priority for Tasks Created With a Specific Label

Targeting a whole project is the common case, but you can go a step narrower by scoping the same rule to a target label. Instead of every task in the project getting the priority, only tasks created carrying that label do. So you could leave a “Work” project untouched in general but set every task created there with `@urgent` to P1.

There is one caveat to keep in mind. The Task Is Created trigger only sees the label that’s present at creation time, so the label needs to be on the task as you create it, for example by typing `@urgent` in the quick-add box. If you want a priority applied whenever a label is added to a task, including labels you add later to an existing task, that’s a different pairing. In that case, use the Assign a Label trigger with the same Set Priority action instead.

Recap

In this post we’ve looked at why Todoist can set a task’s priority at creation but only ever manually, and why the usual workarounds, from self-hosted scripts to general-purpose automation tools, are more effort or expense than the job is worth. We then configured a Doify rule that pairs the Task Is Created trigger with the Set Priority action to apply a priority automatically the moment a task is created, scoped to a project or a specific label.

If you’d like to automate more of your Todoist workflow, the same Task Is Created trigger also powers our guide on automatically applying labels to new tasks in a project . And if keeping your task list in order is on your mind, you might also like how to automatically reschedule overdue tasks to today . If you have any questions about Doify or this workflow, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.

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FAQs

Can Todoist Automatically Set a Task’s Priority?

No native automation exists for this. You can set a priority as you create a task with the `p1` to `p4` shortcuts, or change it by hand afterwards, but both are manual on every task. To apply a priority automatically you need a third-party tool like Doify and its Set Priority action.

Doesn’t Todoist Already Let Me Set Priority When I Create a Task?

Yes, via the `p1` to `p4` quick-add shortcuts. But that’s a manual decision on every task, and it’s easy to forget. Doify applies the priority automatically and consistently based on the project the task lands in or a label it carries, so you set the rule once and stop thinking about it.

What Happens if I Set a Different Priority While Creating the Task?

Doify applies your rule’s priority within moments of the task being created, so it takes precedence over whatever you typed. If the task already has the priority your rule sets, nothing changes and Doify leaves it alone.

Can I Set Priority Only for Tasks Created With a Specific Label?

Yes. Scope the rule to a target label and only tasks created carrying that label get the priority. The label has to be present at creation time. If you want a priority applied whenever a label is added later, use the Assign a Label trigger instead of Task Is Created .

Does This Work on iOS and Mobile?

Yes. Doify runs independently from the Todoist app, so it applies the rule based on what happens in your account regardless of the device or platform you created the task on, whether that’s web, desktop, Android, or iOS.