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How to Customize Bucket and Bullet Colors in Microsoft Planner

Bushra Parveen Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is looking for a way to change the colors of buckets and bullet points within task descriptions to better categorize and organize their workflow.

How to Customize Bucket and Bullet Colors in Microsoft Planner

Product: Microsoft Planner
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Visually organizing and differentiating tasks, categories, and priority levels within a project management board.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Planner does not offer built-in options to customize bucket colors or format the text colors of bullet points in task descriptions.

Before you start

Since Microsoft Planner does not natively support custom colors for buckets or bullet points, familiarize yourself with its built-in Label feature, which is the primary supported method for adding color-coded categorization to tasks.

Solution 1Recommended

Utilize Planner Labels for Color-Coded Organization

Use Microsoft Planner's built-in colored labels to visually categorize your tasks as an alternative to coloring entire buckets.

While you cannot change the background color of a bucket, Planner allows you to attach up to 25 different colored labels to individual tasks. This is the most effective native workaround for visual organization.

Open your task

Click on any task card within your Planner board to open the task details window.

Add a label

On the right side of the task details, click on 'Add label' to reveal the color options.

Select a color

Choose one of the available colors (e.g., Red, Blue, Green) that aligns with your category.

Rename the label

Click the pencil icon next to the selected color to rename it according to your workflow (e.g., 'Urgent', 'Phase 1').

Utilize Planner Labels for Color-Coded Organization

Flexible Categorization: You can apply multiple labels to a single task, allowing for more detailed cross-categorization than bucket colors alone would provide.

Solution 2

Incorporate Emojis to Visually Distinguish Buckets and Text

Add colored emojis to your bucket titles and task descriptions to serve as visual indicators where native color formatting is absent.

Solution 3

Submit a Feature Request to Microsoft

Provide direct feedback to Microsoft to request the addition of custom bucket and bullet colors in future planner updates.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

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If Microsoft Planner's formatting limitations disrupt your workflow, WPS Spreadsheet provides complete freedom to build custom, color-coded Kanban boards and task trackers. As a powerful, free alternative to Microsoft Office, WPS Office gives you the flexibility to design workflows exactly how you want them.

1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for free on your Windows, Mac, or Linux device.
2. Open the Template Gallery: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and navigate to the Templates section on the home screen.
3. Search for Task Trackers: Search for 'Project Management' or 'Kanban' to instantly download and fully customize a color-coded task board.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats for easy task migration.Limitless color customization for cells, buckets, fonts, and bullet points.Free, lightweight, and incredibly easy to use for personalized project management.Rich built-in template library including free customizable task trackers and Kanban boards.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the background color of a task card in Microsoft Planner?

No, Microsoft Planner does not support changing the entire background color of task cards. You can only assign colored labels to them, which appear as small colored indicator tabs on the edge of the card.

Is it possible to format text with different colors inside Planner task descriptions?

Currently, Planner only offers basic rich text formatting such as bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough for task descriptions. It does not support changing the font color or the bullet point color.

How many colored labels can I create and use in a single Microsoft Planner board?

Microsoft Planner provides exactly 25 distinct colored labels per plan. You can rename each of these 25 labels to suit your project's specific categorization needs, but you cannot add custom hex colors or expand beyond 25 options.

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