Trello Automation

1---
2name: trello-automation
3description: "Automate Trello boards, cards, and workflows via Rube MCP (Composio). Create cards, manage lists, assign members, and search across boards programmatically."
4requires:
5  mcp: [rube]
6---
7 
8# Trello Automation via Rube MCP
9 
10Automate Trello board management, card creation, and team workflows through Composio's Rube MCP integration.
11 
12## Prerequisites
13 
14- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
15- Active Trello connection via `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `trello`
16- Always call `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` first to get current tool schemas
17 
18## Setup
19 
20**Get Rube MCP**: Add `https://rube.app/mcp` as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
21 
22 
231. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming `RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS` responds
242. Call `RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS` with toolkit `trello`
253. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Trello auth
264. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
27 
28## Core Workflows
29 
30### 1. Create a Card on a Board
31 
32**When to use**: User wants to add a new card/task to a Trello board
33 
34**Tool sequence**:
351. `TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER` - List boards to find target board ID [Prerequisite]
362. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get lists on board to find target list ID [Prerequisite]
373. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS` - Create the card on the resolved list [Required]
384. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_CHECKLISTS_BY_ID_CARD` - Add a checklist to the card [Optional]
395. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_CHECKLIST_CHECK_ITEM_BY_ID_CARD_BY_ID_CHECKLIST` - Add items to the checklist [Optional]
40 
41**Key parameters**:
42- `idList`: 24-char hex ID (NOT list name)
43- `name`: Card title
44- `desc`: Card description (supports Markdown)
45- `pos`: Position ('top'/'bottom')
46- `due`: Due date (ISO 8601 format)
47 
48**Pitfalls**:
49- Store returned id (idCard) immediately; downstream checklist operations fail without it
50- Checklist payload may be nested (data.data); extract idChecklist from inner object
51- One API call per checklist item; large checklists can trigger rate limits
52 
53### 2. Manage Boards and Lists
54 
55**When to use**: User wants to view, browse, or restructure board layout
56 
57**Tool sequence**:
581. `TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER` - List all boards for the user [Required]
592. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get detailed board info [Required]
603. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get lists (columns) on the board [Optional]
614. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get board members [Optional]
625. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LABELS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get labels on the board [Optional]
63 
64**Key parameters**:
65- `idMember`: Use 'me' for authenticated user
66- `filter`: 'open', 'starred', or 'all'
67- `idBoard`: 24-char hex or 8-char shortLink (NOT board name)
68 
69**Pitfalls**:
70- Some runs return boards under response.data.details[]—don't assume flat top-level array
71- Lists may be nested under results[0].response.data.details—parse defensively
72- ISO 8601 timestamps with trailing 'Z' must be parsed as timezone-aware
73 
74### 3. Move Cards Between Lists
75 
76**When to use**: User wants to change a card's status by moving it to another list
77 
78**Tool sequence**:
791. `TRELLO_GET_SEARCH` - Find the card by name or keyword [Prerequisite]
802. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get destination list ID [Prerequisite]
813. `TRELLO_UPDATE_CARDS_BY_ID_CARD` - Update card's idList to move it [Required]
82 
83**Key parameters**:
84- `idCard`: Card ID from search
85- `idList`: Destination list ID
86- `pos`: Optional ordering within new list
87 
88**Pitfalls**:
89- Search returns partial matches; verify card name before updating
90- Moving doesn't update position within new list; set pos if ordering matters
91 
92### 4. Assign Members to Cards
93 
94**When to use**: User wants to assign team members to cards
95 
96**Tool sequence**:
971. `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD` - Get member IDs from the board [Prerequisite]
982. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS_BY_ID_CARD` - Add a member to the card [Required]
99 
100**Key parameters**:
101- `idCard`: Target card ID
102- `value`: Member ID to assign
103 
104**Pitfalls**:
105- UPDATE_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS replaces entire member list; use ADD_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS to append
106- Member must have board permissions
107 
108### 5. Search and Filter Cards
109 
110**When to use**: User wants to find specific cards across boards
111 
112**Tool sequence**:
1131. `TRELLO_GET_SEARCH` - Search by query string [Required]
114 
115**Key parameters**:
116- `query`: Search string (supports board:, list:, label:, is:open/archived operators)
117- `modelTypes`: Set to 'cards'
118- `partial`: Set to 'true' for prefix matching
119 
120**Pitfalls**:
121- Search indexing has delay; newly created cards may not appear for several minutes
122- For exact name matching, use TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_CARDS_BY_ID_BOARD and filter locally
123- Query uses word tokenization; common words may be ignored as stop words
124 
125### 6. Add Comments and Attachments
126 
127**When to use**: User wants to add context to an existing card
128 
129**Tool sequence**:
1301. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ACTIONS_COMMENTS_BY_ID_CARD` - Post a comment on the card [Required]
1312. `TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ATTACHMENTS_BY_ID_CARD` - Attach a file or URL [Optional]
132 
133**Key parameters**:
134- `text`: Comment text (1-16384 chars, supports Markdown and @mentions)
135- `url` OR `file`: Attachment source (not both)
136- `name`: Attachment display name
137- `mimeType`: File MIME type
138 
139**Pitfalls**:
140- Comments don't support file attachments; use the attachment tool separately
141- Attachment deletion is irreversible
142 
143## Common Patterns
144 
145### ID Resolution
146Always resolve display names to IDs before operations:
147- **Board name → Board ID**: `TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER` with idMember='me'
148- **List name → List ID**: `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD` with resolved board ID
149- **Card name → Card ID**: `TRELLO_GET_SEARCH` with query string
150- **Member name → Member ID**: `TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD`
151 
152### Pagination
153Most list endpoints return all items. For boards with 1000+ cards, use `limit` and `before` parameters on card listing endpoints.
154 
155### Rate Limits
156300 requests per 10 seconds per token. Use `TRELLO_GET_BATCH` for bulk read operations to stay within limits.
157 
158## Known Pitfalls
159 
160- **ID Requirements**: Nearly every tool requires IDs, not display names. Always resolve names to IDs first.
161- **Board ID Format**: Board IDs must be 24-char hex or 8-char shortLink. URL slugs like 'my-board' are NOT valid.
162- **Search Delays**: Search indexing has delays; newly created/updated cards may not appear immediately.
163- **Nested Responses**: Response data is often nested (data.data or data.details[]); parse defensively.
164- **Rate Limiting**: 300 req/10s per token. Batch reads with TRELLO_GET_BATCH.
165 
166## Quick Reference
167 
168| Task | Tool Slug | Key Params |
169|------|-----------|------------|
170| List user's boards | TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER | idMember='me', filter='open' |
171| Get board details | TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_BY_ID_BOARD | idBoard (24-char hex) |
172| List board lists | TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD | idBoard |
173| Create card | TRELLO_ADD_CARDS | idList, name, desc, pos, due |
174| Update card | TRELLO_UPDATE_CARDS_BY_ID_CARD | idCard, idList (to move) |
175| Search cards | TRELLO_GET_SEARCH | query, modelTypes='cards' |
176| Add checklist | TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_CHECKLISTS_BY_ID_CARD | idCard, name |
177| Add comment | TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ACTIONS_COMMENTS_BY_ID_CARD | idCard, text |
178| Assign member | TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS_BY_ID_CARD | idCard, value (member ID) |
179| Attach file/URL | TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ATTACHMENTS_BY_ID_CARD | idCard, url OR file |
180| Get board members | TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD | idBoard |
181| Batch read | TRELLO_GET_BATCH | urls (comma-separated paths) |