Trello MCP Server

How to use

You interact with the Trello MCP by loading it into Claude Desktop as an MCP client. Once configured, you can ask Claude to search boards, create and update cards, move cards between lists, add comments, and fetch details like board lists, card checklists, attachments, and member information. Treat the server as a Trello extension that responds to natural language requests through Claude.

How to install

Prerequisites you need to prepare before installation.

Install Node.js 18+ on your system. You will also need Claude Desktop and a Trello account with API credentials.

Install Trello MCP server locally

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/kocakli/trello-desktop-mcp.git
cd trello-desktop-mcp

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install

# 3. Build the project
npm run build

# 4. Get Trello API credentials
# - Visit https://trello.com/app-key
# - Copy your API Key
# - Generate a Token (never expires, read/write access)

# 5. Configure Claude Desktop to load the Trello MCP
# Add the following to Claude Desktop configuration for MCP servers
# (the file path depends on your OS)

Run and connect the MCP server

Start the Trello MCP server via a local stdio configuration in Claude Desktop. Use the exact command and arguments shown in the configuration snippet.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Usage tips

After setup, you can ask Claude to perform actions such as: “Show me all my Trello boards”, “Create a new card called ‘Update documentation’ in the To Do list”, “Move card X from In Progress to Done”, “Add a comment to card Y saying ‘This is ready for review’”, “Search for all cards with ‘bug’ in the title”, or “Show me all cards assigned to me”.

Troubleshooting and notes

Common issues you might encounter and how to resolve them.

No Trello tools available: restart Claude Desktop after configuring the Trello MCP server and verify the dist/index.js path is correct in your config.

Invalid credentials: double-check your API key and token, ensure the token has read/write permissions, and regenerate if needed.

Rate limit exceeded: the server automatically retries. If you hit limits, wait a bit and reduce request frequency.

Development and testing

Test your setup by checking the MCP connection status in Claude Desktop and running simple commands like showing boards or creating a card to validate responses are correct.

trello_search

Universal search across boards, cards, members, and other Trello content

trello_get_user_boards

Retrieve all boards accessible to the current Trello user

get_board_details

Fetch detailed board information including lists and cards

get_card

Fetch comprehensive details for a specific card, including members, labels, and checklists

create_card

Create a new card in a specified list with optional description, due date, and assignments

update_card

Update properties of an existing card such as name, description, due date, and status

move_card

Move a card between lists to update workflow status

trello_add_comment

Post a comment to a specific card for collaboration

trello_get_list_cards

List all cards within a specific Trello list

trello_create_list

Create a new list on a board

trello_get_board_cards

Get all cards from a board with optional filtering

trello_get_card_actions

Retrieve the activity/history for a card

trello_get_card_attachments

Get attachments associated with a card

trello_get_card_checklists

Get checklists and checklist items for a card

trello_get_board_members

Get members of a board

trello_get_board_labels

Get labels defined on a board

trello_get_member

Get details for a specific board member