Use this skill when an agent needs to inspect or manage Trello boards through
the bundled MCP server. The skill carries its own server source in
assets/source/ and installs it locally on first use.
Activation
Before using Trello tools, verify that the local server has been installed.
- Check for a built server at:
{XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/mcp-server-trello-skill/server/build/index.js - If it is missing, run:
bash {skill-root}/scripts/install.sh - Confirm the MCP client has
TRELLO_API_KEYandTRELLO_TOKENconfigured. Optional values areTRELLO_BOARD_ID,TRELLO_WORKSPACE_ID,https_proxy, andHTTPS_PROXY.
The install script builds from assets/source/ when Bun is available. If Bun is
not available, it falls back to the published package install path and creates a
local wrapper at the same build/index.js check path.
Reading Order
Load only the reference needed for the current Trello task.
- Start with
references/trello-mcp/README.mdfor routing. - Use
references/trello-mcp/configuration.mdfor authentication, install, and client setup. - Use
references/trello-mcp/api.mdwhen you need tool names and parameters. - Use
references/trello-mcp/patterns.mdfor common board, card, checklist, and attachment workflows. - Use
references/trello-mcp/gotchas.mdfor date formats, IDs, rate limits, and recovery steps.
Tool Routing
Choose tools by workflow, not by guessing IDs.
- Board discovery:
list_boards,set_active_board,get_active_board_info,list_workspaces,set_active_workspace,list_boards_in_workspace. - Lists and cards:
get_lists,get_cards_by_list_id,get_card,add_card_to_list,update_card_details,move_card,archive_card,copy_card,add_cards_to_list,get_my_cards,get_card_history. - Checklists:
create_checklist,get_checklist_items,add_checklist_item,find_checklist_items_by_description,get_acceptance_criteria,get_checklist_by_name,update_checklist_item,delete_checklist_item,copy_checklist. - Comments:
add_comment,update_comment,delete_comment,get_card_comments. - Attachments:
attach_image_to_card,attach_file_to_card,attach_image_data_to_card,download_attachment. - Labels and members:
get_board_labels,create_label,update_label,delete_label,get_board_members,assign_member_to_card,remove_member_from_card. - Health:
get_health,get_health_detailed,get_health_metadata,get_health_performance,perform_system_repair.
Agent Rules
- Always discover the board, list, card, checklist, label, or member ID through tools before writing changes.
- Prefer
set_active_boardafter board discovery when several operations target the same board. - Use start dates as
YYYY-MM-DD. Use due dates as full ISO 8601 timestamps. - Treat Trello API writes as external side effects. Confirm destructive actions such as archive, delete, or repair unless the user already authorized them.
- Respect Trello rate limits: 300 requests per 10 seconds per API key and 100 requests per 10 seconds per token. The server queues requests, but agents should still batch discovery and avoid polling loops.