Configuration - kocakli/Trello-Desktop-MCP GitHub Wiki

Configuration Reference

This guide provides comprehensive configuration options and settings for Trello Desktop MCP.

Basic Configuration

Claude Desktop Configuration

The primary configuration for Trello Desktop MCP is done through Claude Desktop's MCP configuration file.

Configuration File Locations

Platform	Configuration File Path
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
Linux	`~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`

Basic Configuration Structure

{
  "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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Required Variables

Variable	Description	Example
`TRELLO_API_KEY`	Your Trello API key from trello.com/app-key	`a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6`
`TRELLO_TOKEN`	Your Trello token with read/write permissions	`long-token-string-here`

Optional Variables

Variable	Description	Default	Example
`LOG_LEVEL`	Logging verbosity	`info`	`debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`
`REQUEST_TIMEOUT`	API request timeout (ms)	`15000`	`30000`
`MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS`	Maximum retry attempts for failed requests	`3`	`5`
`RETRY_BASE_DELAY`	Base delay for retry backoff (ms)	`1000`	`2000`

Advanced Configuration Example

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "debug",
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "30000",
        "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "5",
        "RETRY_BASE_DELAY": "2000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Trello API Credentials Setup

Step 1: Get API Key

Visit https://trello.com/app-key
Copy your API Key (32-character string)
Save this as your TRELLO_API_KEY

Step 2: Generate Token

On the same page, click the Token link next to "To read a user's private information and to update, create and delete a user's boards and organizations."
Authorize the application with these settings:
- Application Name: Trello Desktop MCP
- Scope: Read and Write
- Expiration: Never (recommended for personal use)
Copy the generated token (64+ character string)
Save this as your TRELLO_TOKEN

Token Permissions

Your token should have these permissions:

✅ Read: Access to view boards, cards, lists, members
✅ Write: Ability to create, update, and delete content
✅ Account: Access to user profile information

Security Considerations

Never commit credentials to version control
Store credentials only in Claude Desktop config
Regenerate tokens if they may have been exposed
Use tokens with minimal required permissions
Consider token expiration for shared systems

Server Configuration Options

Retry Configuration

The MCP server includes robust retry logic with configurable parameters:

interface RetryConfig {
  maxRetries: number;      // Maximum retry attempts (default: 3)
  baseDelay: number;       // Base delay in ms (default: 1000)
  maxDelay: number;        // Maximum delay in ms (default: 10000)
}

Environment Variable Mapping:

MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS → maxRetries
RETRY_BASE_DELAY → baseDelay
RETRY_MAX_DELAY → maxDelay

Request Timeout Configuration

Control API request timeouts:

{
  "env": {
    "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "30000"  // 30 seconds
  }
}

Timeout Recommendations:

Fast networks: 15000ms (15 seconds)
Slow networks: 30000ms (30 seconds)
Mobile/cellular: 45000ms (45 seconds)

Logging Configuration

Configure logging verbosity:

{
  "env": {
    "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
  }
}

Log Levels:

error: Only errors and critical issues
warn: Warnings and errors
info: General information, warnings, and errors (default)
debug: Detailed debugging information

Log Output Locations:

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

Multiple Configuration Profiles

Development vs Production

You can maintain different configurations for different environments:

Development Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello-dev": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/dev/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "dev-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "dev-token",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "debug",
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "10000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Production Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/prod/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "prod-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "prod-token",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "warn",
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "30000",
        "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "5"
      }
    }
  }
}

Team vs Personal Configuration

Personal Use

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "personal-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "personal-token-never-expires",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

Team Use

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node", 
      "args": ["/shared/path/to/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "team-service-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "team-token-30-days",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "warn",
        "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "5",
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "45000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration Validation

Automatic Validation

The MCP server automatically validates configuration on startup:

Credential Validation: Tests API key and token
Network Connectivity: Verifies Trello API access
Permission Validation: Confirms required permissions

Manual Validation

Test your configuration manually:

# Test basic API access
curl "https://api.trello.com/1/members/me?key=YOUR_KEY&token=YOUR_TOKEN"

# Expected response: Your user profile information

Configuration Troubleshooting

Issue	Symptom	Solution
Invalid JSON	Claude Desktop fails to start	Validate JSON syntax
Wrong path	Tools not available	Use absolute path to `dist/index.js`
Invalid credentials	Authentication errors	Regenerate API key/token
Permission denied	403 errors	Check token permissions
Network issues	Timeout errors	Increase `REQUEST_TIMEOUT`

Advanced Configuration

Custom API Client Settings

For advanced users, you can modify the Trello API client behavior:

// In your custom build
const client = new TrelloClient(credentials, {
  baseURL: 'https://api.trello.com/1',
  timeout: 30000,
  retryConfig: {
    maxRetries: 5,
    baseDelay: 2000,
    maxDelay: 30000
  }
});

Performance Tuning

High-Volume Usage

{
  "env": {
    "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "60000",
    "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "5",
    "RETRY_BASE_DELAY": "2000",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "warn"
  }
}

Low-Latency Requirements

{
  "env": {
    "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "5000",
    "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "1",
    "RETRY_BASE_DELAY": "500",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "error"
  }
}

Mobile/Unreliable Networks

{
  "env": {
    "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "45000",
    "MAX_RETRY_ATTEMPTS": "7",
    "RETRY_BASE_DELAY": "3000",
    "RETRY_MAX_DELAY": "60000"
  }
}

Configuration Management Best Practices

1. Security Best Practices

// ✅ Good: Environment variables
{
  "env": {
    "TRELLO_API_KEY": "key-from-secure-source",
    "TRELLO_TOKEN": "token-from-secure-source"
  }
}

// ❌ Bad: Hardcoded credentials
{
  "env": {
    "TRELLO_API_KEY": "hardcoded-key-in-config",
    "TRELLO_TOKEN": "hardcoded-token-in-config"
  }
}

2. Configuration Documentation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token",
        "_COMMENT_LOG_LEVEL": "Set to debug for development, info for production",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info",
        "_COMMENT_TIMEOUT": "Increase for slow networks or large operations", 
        "REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "30000"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Configuration Backup

# Backup configuration before changes
cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json \
   ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json.backup

# Version control (without credentials)
git add claude_desktop_config.template.json

4. Environment-Specific Configuration

# Development
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_ENV=development

# Production  
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_ENV=production

# Load environment-specific config

Monitoring and Health Checks

Health Check Configuration

{
  "env": {
    "HEALTH_CHECK_ENABLED": "true",
    "HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL": "300000"  // 5 minutes
  }
}

Telemetry Configuration

{
  "env": {
    "TELEMETRY_ENABLED": "true",
    "APPLICATION_INSIGHTS_KEY": "your-insights-key"
  }
}

Next Steps:

Review Installation Guide for setup instructions
Check Troubleshooting for configuration issues
Explore Security for advanced security configurations