Overview

This MCP (Model Context Protocol) server provides a prompt-driven layer over Trello boards so you can automate card, list and workflow changes using natural-language commands. Rather than writing scripts that call Trello’s REST API directly, you send structured prompts (MCP requests) to this server and it interprets them into Trello operations—moving cards, creating checklists, updating labels, reordering lists, and more. The server is useful for teams that want to automate routine board maintenance or convert free-form inputs (meeting notes, backlog triage) into Trello actions.

The server is designed for developers who want a programmable bridge between human intent and board state. It exposes a simple HTTP API you can call from scripts, webhooks or chatbots. Typical deployments run the server alongside an LLM (optional) or a rule-based parser that converts prompts into Trello API calls. The project lives on GitHub: https://github.com/lioarce01/trello-mcp-server.

Features

Prompt-driven commands to manipulate Trello boards, lists, and cards
Batch operations (move, archive, label, reorder) via single prompts
Create cards and checklists from text (meeting notes, backlog)
Pluggable parsers: LLM-driven or rule-based MCP interpretation
HTTP API for integration with CI/CD, chatops, webhooks, and bots
Configurable via environment variables and Docker

Installation / Configuration

Clone the repository, install dependencies and configure environment variables. Replace instructions below with the exact commands in the repository README if different.

Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/lioarce01/trello-mcp-server.git
cd trello-mcp-server
# If Node.js
npm install
# If Python project, use pip or poetry accordingly

Environment variables Create a .env file (or set env vars in your hosting environment). Typical variables:

PORT=8080
TRELLO_KEY=your-trello-key
TRELLO_TOKEN=your-trello-token
MCP_SECRET=super-secret-token
# Optional: if using LLM parsing
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

Table: common configuration variables

Variable	Description
PORT	HTTP port for the MCP server
TRELLO_KEY	Trello API key
TRELLO_TOKEN	Trello API token
MCP_SECRET	Shared secret used to authenticate requests
OPENAI_API_KEY	Optional LLM key for natural-language parsing

Start server

# Start locally
npm run start

# Or with Docker (example)
docker build -t trello-mcp .
docker run -e TRELLO_KEY=$TRELLO_KEY -e TRELLO_TOKEN=$TRELLO_TOKEN -p 8080:8080 trello-mcp

Available Resources

The server exposes a lightweight HTTP API for submitting MCP commands and inspecting status. Example endpoints (adjust to actual server routes in code):

Endpoint	Method	Purpose
/health	GET	Health check
/mcp/execute	POST	Submit an MCP prompt to execute as Trello operations
/mcp/preview	POST	(Optional) Return the planned actions without applying them

Example request payload (example only):

{
  "prompt": "Move all cards labeled 'stalled' to the 'Blocked' list on board 5f8e...",
  "boardId": "5f8e1234abcd",
  "preview": false
}

Authentication: requests typically include MCP_SECRET as a header or bearer token.

Use Cases

Bulk-move by label

Prompt: “Move every card with the label ‘stalled’ into the ‘Blocked’ list and add comment ‘auto-moved (weekly cleanup)’.”
Result: Server finds matching cards, moves them, and appends a standardized comment for audit.

Create cards from meeting notes

Prompt: “From the following notes, create Trello cards in ‘To Do’ with a checklist of action items: [meeting notes text]”
Result: The parser extracts action items, creates cards (one per action or grouped by topic) and attaches checklists.

Auto-triage backlog

Prompt: “Prioritize backlog items mentioning ‘performance’ as high priority and move them to the top of the Backlog list; label as ‘P1’.”
Result: Matching cards receive a ‘P1’ label and are reordered.

Generate release checklist

Prompt: “For board X, create a ‘Release’ card with checklist items: run tests, update changelog, tag release, deploy to staging.”
Result: A card is created with the checklist and optionally assigned to team members.

Tips for Developers

Start with preview mode (if available) to see planned actions before applying changes.
Use boardId/listId/cardId identifiers to avoid ambiguous matches when prompts reference similarly named lists or cards.
Integrate the MCP server into automation pipelines (CI jobs, scheduled cron) for recurring tasks (e.g., weekly cleanup).
Combine webhooks and MCP: a webhook can send context (new PR, failing build) and the MCP server converts it to Trello updates.

For source, examples and contribution guidelines, see the repository: https://

Trello MCP Server: Prompt-Driven Board Automation