Priority Badge (Column Formatting)
Overview
- Renders a priority value as a colored badge with signal bars that fill to the level
- Color deepens with urgency – green for Low, amber for Medium, orange for High, red for Critical
- The filling bars reinforce the ordinal level, so rank reads at a glance even in grayscale
- Every badge is the same fixed width, so the column lines up cleanly
- Uses the current column, so the same JSON works on any priority or severity field without editing
- Pure column-formatting JSON, so nothing about the underlying data changes
Common Use Cases
- Task and project priority
- Support ticket and incident severity
- Risk and issue rating
- Bug triage
- Backlog and request ranking
- Change request urgency
How to Apply JSON Formatting
Note – the badge uses the current column (@currentField), so you apply it directly to your priority or severity column and the column name does not need to match anything. The example recognises Low, Medium, High, and Critical, with a neutral fallback for any other value – adjust those words and colors in the JSON to match your own levels.
1. Create a list with the following columns:
[Title] Single line of text
[Priority] Choice (Low, Medium, High, Critical)
[Assigned To] Person
[Due Date] Date
2. Populate the list with data.
3. On the Priority column, open the column header menu, choose Column settings, then Format this column.
4. Switch to Advanced mode, paste the JSON below, and click Save.
JSON Code – Select, Copy and Paste
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "inline-flex",
"align-items": "center",
"justify-content": "center",
"box-sizing": "border-box",
"width": "120px",
"padding": "3px 8px",
"border-radius": "12px",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#f8d7da', if(@currentField == 'High', '#ffd8b5', if(@currentField == 'Medium', '#fff2b8', if(@currentField == 'Low', '#e4f2d7', '#f3f2f1'))))"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "inline-flex",
"flex-direction": "row",
"align-items": "flex-end",
"height": "15px",
"margin-right": "7px"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "3px",
"height": "6px",
"border-radius": "1px",
"margin-right": "2px",
"background-color": "=if((@currentField == 'Low' || @currentField == 'Medium' || @currentField == 'High' || @currentField == 'Critical'), if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#b3261e', if(@currentField == 'High', '#c95000', if(@currentField == 'Medium', '#b77900', '#2e7d32'))), '#c8c6c4')"
}
},
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "3px",
"height": "9px",
"border-radius": "1px",
"margin-right": "2px",
"background-color": "=if((@currentField == 'Medium' || @currentField == 'High' || @currentField == 'Critical'), if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#b3261e', if(@currentField == 'High', '#c95000', '#b77900')), '#c8c6c4')"
}
},
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "3px",
"height": "12px",
"border-radius": "1px",
"margin-right": "2px",
"background-color": "=if((@currentField == 'High' || @currentField == 'Critical'), if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#b3261e', '#c95000'), '#c8c6c4')"
}
},
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "3px",
"height": "15px",
"border-radius": "1px",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#b3261e', '#c8c6c4')"
}
}
]
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"style": {
"font-size": "13px",
"font-weight": "600",
"color": "#242424"
},
"txtContent": "@currentField"
}
]
}Common Questions About the Priority Badge
What is the Priority Badge built with?
It is built with a standard Microsoft List (SharePoint list) and a small piece of column-formatting JSON applied to the priority column. There is no custom development, no SPFx solution, and no third-party tools. It is the kind of clean, maintainable formatting Greg Zelfond builds for teams that want a polished list without ongoing development overhead.
What kind of column does it need?
It works on any single-value priority or severity choice column – for example a Priority column with values like Low, Medium, High, and Critical. Because the JSON reads the current column rather than a fixed name, you can reuse it on any ranking field, and you adjust the recognised words in the JSON to match your own levels.
Does this design use any custom development or third-party tools?
No. It uses only out-of-the-box SharePoint column formatting, which Microsoft supports natively. That keeps it stable and easy to maintain, and nothing breaks when SharePoint is updated. Out-of-the-box is the only way Greg builds, so you can own and extend the design yourself for years.
If LookBook 365 is code-free and out-of-the-box, why does this example include JSON?
Because SharePoint formatting JSON is not custom code – it is a native configuration feature built into lists and libraries. It is declarative: it only describes how existing columns and views look, and cannot run scripts, reach external services, or change your data. Nothing is deployed and nothing breaks when Microsoft updates SharePoint, and you can edit or remove it anytime. That is why LookBook 365 treats it as out-of-the-box and low risk.
How does it show the priority level?
It shows the level two ways at once: the badge color deepens from green at Low through amber and orange to red at Critical, and a row of small bars fills up with the level – one bar for Low, all four for Critical. The double cue means the rank is clear at a glance, and it stays readable for anyone who cannot easily distinguish the colors.
Can Greg build formatting like this for our lists?
Yes – this is exactly the kind of work Greg Zelfond does. As an independent SharePoint consultant and Microsoft MVP, he designs out-of-the-box list and library formatting like this so your team can read and maintain it without a developer. Reach out through the contact page to talk about your lists.
