Available Tools Reference

Trello Desktop MCP provides 20 comprehensive tools organized into 6 categories for complete Trello integration.

Tool Categories Overview

Category	Tools	Primary Use Cases
Essential Tools	5 tools	Core functionality for basic operations
Board Management	3 tools	Board and list operations
Card Operations	4 tools	Complete card lifecycle management
Collaboration	3 tools	Team communication and member management
Search & Discovery	1 tool	Universal search across all content
Advanced Features	6 tools	Detailed operations and metadata access

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Essential Tools

These 5 tools provide the core functionality needed for basic Trello operations.

trello_search

Universal search across all Trello content

// Search for cards, boards, members, or organizations
{
  query: "project update",           // Search term
  modelTypes?: ["boards", "cards"],  // Optional: filter by type
  boardIds?: ["board1", "board2"],   // Optional: search specific boards
  cardsLimit?: 20                    // Optional: limit results
}

Use Cases:

• Find cards by title or description content
• Locate boards by name across your organization
• Search for team members across projects
• Discover related content quickly

trello_get_user_boards

Get all boards accessible to the current user

// Get user's boards with optional filtering
{
  filter?: "open" | "closed" | "all"  // Default: "open"
}

Use Cases:

• List all available project boards
• Get overview of user's Trello workspace
• Identify archived or closed projects
• Board discovery for new users

get_board_details

Get comprehensive board information with optional lists and cards

// Get detailed board information
{
  boardId: "board_id_here",     // 24-character board ID
  includeLists?: true,          // Include board lists
  includeCards?: true           // Include all cards
}

Use Cases:

• Get complete project overview
• Generate project status reports
• Analyze board structure and content
• Export board data for documentation

get_card

Get comprehensive card details including members, labels, and checklists

// Get detailed card information
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",       // 24-character card ID
  includeMembers?: true,        // Include assigned members
  includeLabels?: true,         // Include card labels
  includeChecklists?: true      // Include checklists
}

Use Cases:

• Review task details and progress
• Check task assignments and due dates
• Analyze card metadata and history
• Generate detailed task reports

create_card

Create new cards with full metadata support

// Create a comprehensive new card
{
  name: "Task Title",                    // Required: card title
  idList: "list_id_here",               // Required: destination list ID
  desc?: "Detailed description",         // Optional: card description
  pos?: "top" | "bottom" | 1234,        // Optional: position in list
  due?: "2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z",     // Optional: due date (ISO format)
  idMembers?: ["member1", "member2"],    // Optional: assign members
  idLabels?: ["label1", "label2"]        // Optional: add labels
}

Use Cases:

• Create new project tasks with assignments
• Add tasks with detailed descriptions and due dates
• Set up recurring tasks with templates
• Batch create tasks from requirements

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Board Management Tools

These 3 tools handle board and list-level operations.

list_boards (Legacy)

List user's boards with basic filtering

// Simple board listing (legacy compatibility)
{
  filter?: "open" | "closed" | "all"
}

Use Cases:

• Quick board overview
• Legacy system compatibility
• Simple board discovery

get_lists

Get all lists in a specific board

// Get board lists with filtering
{
  boardId: "board_id_here",        // Required: board ID
  filter?: "open" | "closed" | "all"  // Optional: list status filter
}

Use Cases:

• Understand project workflow stages
• Analyze board organization
• Prepare for card operations
• Generate board structure reports

trello_create_list

Create new lists on boards

// Create a new workflow stage
{
  name: "In Review",                   // Required: list name
  idBoard: "board_id_here",           // Required: target board ID
  pos?: "top" | "bottom" | 1234       // Optional: position on board
}

Use Cases:

• Add new workflow stages
• Customize project processes
• Create temporary project phases
• Set up board templates

---

Card Operations Tools

These 4 tools provide complete card lifecycle management.

update_card

Update existing card properties

// Update card with new information
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: card to update
  name?: "New Title",                  // Optional: update title
  desc?: "Updated description",         // Optional: update description
  due?: "2024-12-31T23:59:59.000Z",   // Optional: update due date
  closed?: false,                      // Optional: archive/unarchive
  idMembers?: ["member1", "member2"],  // Optional: update assignments
  idLabels?: ["label1", "label2"]      // Optional: update labels
}

Use Cases:

• Update task progress and status
• Modify task assignments and deadlines
• Add or remove task labels
• Archive completed tasks

move_card

Move cards between lists to update workflow status

// Move card to different workflow stage
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: card to move
  idList: "destination_list_id",       // Required: target list ID
  pos?: "top" | "bottom" | 1234        // Optional: position in target list
}

Use Cases:

• Progress tasks through workflow
• Reorganize task priorities
• Update project status
• Batch move related tasks

trello_add_comment

Add comments to cards for team communication

// Add team communication to cards
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: target card ID
  text: "Status update or question"     // Required: comment content
}

Use Cases:

• Provide task status updates
• Ask questions about requirements
• Document decisions and changes
• Facilitate team communication

trello_get_list_cards

Get all cards from a specific list

// Get cards from a workflow stage
{
  listId: "list_id_here",              // Required: list ID
  filter?: "open" | "closed" | "all",  // Optional: card status filter
  includeMembers?: true,               // Optional: include member data
  includeLabels?: true                 // Optional: include label data
}

Use Cases:

• Review tasks in workflow stage
• Generate stage-specific reports
• Analyze bottlenecks and workload
• Monitor stage completion rates

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Collaboration Tools

These 3 tools facilitate team member management and communication.

trello_get_member

Get detailed information about team members

// Get member profile and activity
{
  memberId: "member_id_or_username",   // Required: member identifier
  includeBoards?: true,                // Optional: include member's boards
  includeOrganizations?: true          // Optional: include organizations
}

Use Cases:

• Review team member profiles
• Understand member project involvement
• Analyze team member workload
• Generate team directory information

trello_get_board_members

Get all members with access to a specific board

// Get board team members
{
  boardId: "board_id_here"             // Required: board ID
}

Use Cases:

• Review project team composition
• Understand access permissions
• Generate team contact lists
• Analyze team collaboration patterns

trello_get_board_labels

Get all available labels for a board

// Get board labeling system
{
  boardId: "board_id_here"             // Required: board ID
}

Use Cases:

• Understand project categorization system
• Standardize task labeling
• Generate label usage reports
• Plan label organization strategies

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Search & Discovery Tools

This comprehensive tool provides universal search capabilities.

trello_search

Universal search across boards, cards, members, and organizations

// Comprehensive search with filtering
{
  query: "search terms",               // Required: search query
  modelTypes?: [                       // Optional: filter by content type
    "boards", "cards", "members", 
    "organizations", "actions"
  ],
  boardIds?: ["board1", "board2"],     // Optional: search specific boards
  boardsLimit?: 10,                    // Optional: limit board results
  cardsLimit?: 50,                     // Optional: limit card results
  membersLimit?: 25                    // Optional: limit member results
}

Use Cases:

• Find content across entire Trello workspace
• Locate specific tasks or projects quickly
• Search for team members and their contributions
• Discover related content and connections

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Advanced Features Tools

These 6 tools provide access to detailed metadata and advanced operations.

trello_get_board_cards

Get all cards from a board with attachments and member information

// Get comprehensive board card data
{
  boardId: "board_id_here",            // Required: board ID
  includeAttachments?: true,           // Optional: include file attachments
  includeMembers?: true,               // Optional: include member assignments
  filter?: "open"                      // Optional: card status filter
}

Use Cases:

• Generate comprehensive board reports
• Analyze project content and progress
• Export board data for documentation
• Review project attachments and files

trello_get_card_actions

Get card activity history and comments

// Get card activity timeline
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: card ID
  filter?: "commentCard,updateCard",   // Optional: action type filter
  limit?: 50                           // Optional: limit number of actions
}

Use Cases:

• Review task change history
• Analyze team collaboration patterns
• Generate activity reports
• Track decision-making processes

trello_get_card_attachments

Get all attachments and files linked to a card

// Get card file attachments
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: card ID
  fields?: ["name", "url", "bytes"]    // Optional: specify return fields
}

Use Cases:

• Review task-related files and documents
• Generate file inventory reports
• Access task supporting materials
• Analyze file usage patterns

trello_get_card_checklists

Get card checklists and checklist items

// Get card checklist data
{
  cardId: "card_id_here",              // Required: card ID
  includeCheckItems?: true,            // Optional: include individual items
  fields?: ["name", "checkItems"]      // Optional: specify return fields
}

Use Cases:

• Review task sub-items and progress
• Generate task completion reports
• Analyze task complexity and scope
• Track detailed task progress

trello_get_board_members

Get detailed information about all board members

// Get comprehensive board team data
{
  boardId: "board_id_here"             // Required: board ID
}

Use Cases:

• Generate team directory for projects
• Analyze team composition and roles
• Review team access and permissions
• Plan team communication strategies

trello_get_board_labels

Get all labels available on a board for categorization

// Get board label system
{
  boardId: "board_id_here"             // Required: board ID
}

Use Cases:

• Standardize project categorization
• Generate label usage analytics
• Plan task organization strategies
• Review project taxonomy systems

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Tool Usage Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Project Setup:

   • trello_get_user_boards → get_board_details → trello_create_list

2. Task Management:

   • create_card → update_card → move_card → trello_add_comment

3. Project Monitoring:

   • get_board_details → trello_get_board_cards → trello_get_card_actions

4. Team Collaboration:

   • trello_get_board_members → trello_get_member → trello_add_comment

Best Practices

• Use Specific Tools: Choose the most specific tool for your needs
• Include Metadata: Use optional parameters for richer responses
• Batch Operations: Group related operations together
• Handle Errors: Always check response status and handle errors gracefully

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Next: Check out Usage Examples for practical implementation scenarios.