Trello MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Trello integration for any MCP-compatible client — including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and more. This server enables AI assistants to interact with Trello boards, cards, lists, and more through a secure local connection.

Features

🔍 Search & Discovery

• Universal Search: Search across all Trello content (boards, cards, members, organizations)
• User Boards: Get all boards accessible to the current user
• Board Details: Retrieve detailed information about boards including lists and cards

📝 Card Management

• Create Cards: Add new cards to any list with descriptions, due dates, and assignments
• Update Cards: Modify card properties like name, description, due dates, and status
• Move Cards: Transfer cards between lists to update workflow status
• Get Card Details: Fetch comprehensive card information including members, labels, and checklists

💬 Collaboration

• Add Comments: Post comments on cards for team communication
• Member Management: View board members and member details
• Activity History: Track card actions and changes

📋 Organization

• List Management: Create new lists and get cards within specific lists
• Labels: View and manage board labels for categorization
• Checklists: Access card checklists and checklist items
• Attachments: View card attachments and linked files

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ installed
• An MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, etc.)
• Trello account with API credentials

Setup Steps

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 your MCP client

   Choose the instructions for your client below:

   Claude Desktop

   Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
   • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   Add the Trello MCP server:

   {
     "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"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Then restart Claude Desktop.

   Claude Code (CLI)

   Add the server using the Claude Code CLI:

   claude mcp add trello -- node /absolute/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js \
     -e TRELLO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here \
     -e TRELLO_TOKEN=your-token-here
   

   Or add it to your project's .mcp.json:

   {
     "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"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Gemini CLI

   Edit your Gemini CLI settings file at ~/.gemini/settings.json:

   {
     "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"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Other MCP Clients

   Any MCP-compatible client that supports stdio transport can use this server. You need to configure it to:

   1. Run node /absolute/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js
   2. Set environment variables TRELLO_API_KEY and TRELLO_TOKEN

   Refer to your client's documentation for the exact configuration format.

6. Restart your MCP client to pick up the new configuration.

Available Tools

The MCP server provides 19 tools organized into three phases:

Phase 1: Essential Tools

• trello_search - Universal search across all Trello content
• trello_get_user_boards - Get all boards accessible to the current user
• get_board_details - Get detailed board information with lists and cards
• get_card - Get comprehensive card details
• create_card - Create new cards in any list

Phase 2: Core Operations

• update_card - Update card properties
• move_card - Move cards between lists
• trello_add_comment - Add comments to cards
• trello_get_list_cards - Get all cards in a specific list
• trello_create_list - Create new lists on boards

Phase 3: Advanced Features

• trello_get_board_cards - Get all cards from a board with filtering
• trello_get_card_actions - Get card activity history
• trello_get_card_attachments - Get card attachments
• trello_get_card_checklists - Get card checklists
• trello_get_board_members - Get board members
• trello_get_board_labels - Get board labels
• trello_get_member - Get member details

Legacy Tools (Backward Compatibility)

• list_boards - List user's boards
• get_lists - Get lists in a board

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can use natural language with your AI assistant to interact with Trello:

"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"
"Show me all cards assigned to me"

Architecture

MCP Protocol

The server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which provides:

• Standardized tool discovery and invocation
• Type-safe parameter validation
• Structured error handling
• Automatic credential management

Security

• API credentials are stored locally in your MCP client's config
• No credentials are transmitted over the network
• All Trello API calls use HTTPS
• Rate limiting is respected with automatic retry logic

Technical Stack

• TypeScript for type safety
• MCP SDK for protocol implementation
• Zod for schema validation
• Fetch API for HTTP requests

Development

Project Structure

├── src/
│   ├── index.ts          # Main MCP server entry point
│   ├── server.ts         # Alternative server implementation
│   ├── tools/            # Tool implementations
│   │   ├── boards.ts     # Board-related tools
│   │   ├── cards.ts      # Card-related tools
│   │   ├── lists.ts      # List-related tools
│   │   ├── members.ts    # Member-related tools
│   │   ├── search.ts     # Search functionality
│   │   └── advanced.ts   # Advanced features
│   ├── trello/           # Trello API client
│   │   └── client.ts     # API client with retry logic
│   ├── types/            # TypeScript type definitions
│   └── utils/            # Utility functions
├── dist/                 # Compiled JavaScript
└── package.json          # Project configuration

Building from Source

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run type checking
npm run type-check

Testing

The server includes comprehensive error handling and validation. Test your setup by:

1. Checking your MCP client's connection status
2. Running a simple command like "Show me my Trello boards"
3. Verifying the response includes your board data

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "No Trello tools available"

   • Ensure your MCP client is fully restarted after configuration
   • Check that the path in config points to dist/index.js
   • Verify the file exists and is built

2. "Invalid credentials"

   • Double-check your API key and token
   • Ensure token has read/write permissions
   • Regenerate token if needed

3. "Rate limit exceeded"

   • The server includes automatic retry logic
   • Wait a few minutes if you hit limits
   • Consider reducing request frequency

Debug Logging

Check your MCP client's logs for connection and error details. For Claude Desktop, logs are at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-trello.log
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\Logs\mcp-server-trello.log

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Add tests for new functionality
4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

• Built with the Model Context Protocol SDK
• Uses the Trello REST API
• Compatible with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and other MCP clients