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How to Set Up MCP Server Trello with Claude

A quick guide to connecting your Trello boards to Claude using the MCP Server Trello integration.

Prerequisites​

  • Claude Code (recommended) or Claude Desktop installed
  • A Trello account
  • Node.js or Bun installed (for npx/bunx)

Step 1: Get Your Trello API Credentials​

Get Your API Key​

  1. Visit the Trello Developer Portal Go to: https://trello.com/app-key (Make sure you're logged into Trello first!)

  2. Copy Your API Key You'll see your API Key displayed at the top of the page in a box. Copy this entire string - you'll need it in a moment.

Generate Your Token​

  1. Click the Token Link On the same page, look for a hyperlink that says "Token" or text like: "You can manually generate a Token"

  2. Authorize Access Click that Token link and you'll be taken to an authorization page. Click the green "Allow" button to grant access.

  3. Copy Your Token You'll be redirected to a page showing your token (a long string of characters). Copy this entire token.

⚠️ Security Note: Keep your token private! It grants full access to your Trello account.

Step 2: Choose Your Setup Method​

Option A: Claude Code (Recommended) 🚀​

Quick One-Command Setup:

claude mcp add trello \
  -e TRELLO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here \
  -e TRELLO_TOKEN=your-token-here \
  --scope user \
  -- npx -y @delorenj/mcp-server-trello

That's it! The server is now available across all your projects.

Verify it worked:

claude mcp list

You should see trello in the list.

Using Bun for 2.8-4.4x speed boost?

claude mcp add trello \
  -e TRELLO_API_KEY=your-api-key-here \
  -e TRELLO_TOKEN=your-token-here \
  --scope user \
  -- bunx @delorenj/mcp-server-trello

Manual Config File Edit (Alternative):

If you prefer editing the config file directly:

# Edit your Claude Code config
nano ~/.claude.json

Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      },
      "scope": "user"
    }
  }
}

Option B: Claude Desktop​

Locate Your Config File​

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server Configuration​

Open the config file in a text editor and add the Trello server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace:

  • your-api-key-here with the API key you copied in Step 1
  • your-token-here with the token you generated in Step 1
note

💡 Using Bun? Replace "npx" with "bunx" for faster performance (2.8-4.4x speed improvement)

If You Have Other MCP Servers​

If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the Trello server to your existing configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "existing-server": {
      "command": "...",
      "args": ["..."]
    },
    "trello": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Test the Connection​

For Claude Code​

Just start a conversation and ask:

Can you list my Trello boards?

For Claude Desktop​

Close Claude Desktop completely, reopen it, then start a new conversation and ask:

Can you list my Trello boards?

If everything is configured correctly, Claude will fetch and display your Trello boards!

What You Can Do Now​

With the MCP Server Trello integration, you can:

  • ✅ List and switch between boards and workspaces
  • ✅ Create, update, and archive cards
  • ✅ Manage lists and checklists
  • ✅ Add comments and attachments
  • ✅ Assign members and labels
  • ✅ Track card history and activity
  • ✅ Get comprehensive card details in markdown format

Example Commands​

Try asking Claude:

  • "Create a new card called 'Review Q1 Planning' in my TODO list"
  • "Show me all cards assigned to me"
  • "Add a checklist item to card [card-id]"
  • "What's the recent activity on my board?"
  • "Get detailed information about card [card-id]"

Troubleshooting​

"App Not Found" Error (When Getting Token)​

Make sure you're logged into Trello when visiting the app-key page.

Server Not Showing Up (Claude Code)​

# Check if it's installed
claude mcp list

# Remove and re-add if needed
claude mcp remove trello
claude mcp add trello -e TRELLO_API_KEY=... -e TRELLO_TOKEN=... --scope user -- npx -y @delorenj/mcp-server-trello

Claude Can't Connect to Trello​

  1. Check that your API key and token are correct in the config file
  2. Verify there are no extra spaces or quotes around the credentials
  3. For Claude Code: Run claude mcp list to verify the server is registered
  4. For Claude Desktop: Check logs at:
    • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\

Token Expired​

If you used a temporary token (30 days), regenerate it by visiting the Token link on https://trello.com/app-key again.

JSON Syntax Errors (Manual Config Edit)​

Make sure your config file has valid JSON:

  • No trailing commas
  • All strings in double quotes
  • Proper bracket matching

Advanced Configuration​

Scope Options (Claude Code)​

Control where the server is available:

ScopeCommand FlagAvailability
user--scope userAll your projects (recommended)
local--scope localCurrent project only (default)
project--scope projectSpecific project workspace

Recommendation: Use --scope user so Trello is accessible from any project.

Managing Servers (Claude Code)​

# List all MCP servers
claude mcp list

# Remove a server
claude mcp remove trello

# Update a server (remove and re-add)
claude mcp remove trello
claude mcp add trello -e TRELLO_API_KEY=... --scope user -- npx -y @delorenj/mcp-server-trello

Global Installation (Alternative)​

If you prefer a permanent installation:

npm install -g @delorenj/mcp-server-trello

For Claude Code:

claude mcp add trello \
  -e TRELLO_API_KEY=your-key \
  -e TRELLO_TOKEN=your-token \
  --scope user \
  -- mcp-server-trello

For Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "mcp-server-trello",
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Docker Installation​

For containerized environments, see the full installation guide.

Security Best Practices​

  • ✅ Never commit your .env file or config with credentials to git
  • ✅ Use expiration=30days for tokens in production environments and rotate regularly
  • ✅ Store credentials in a password manager
  • ✅ Review authorized apps periodically at https://trello.com/my/account

Additional Resources​

Credits​

MCP Server Trello is developed by Jarad DeLorenzo and is available under the MIT License.

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