npm package: @shockbirds/mcp-server-trello-slim
Description: A slim MCP server for Trello boards with minimal response payloads, powered by Bun.
Author: Jarad DeLorenzo
Latest version: 1.0.0

# MCP Server Trello

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<a href="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/klqkamy7wt"><img width="380" height="200" src="https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/klqkamy7wt/badge" alt="Server Trello MCP server" /></a>

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for interacting with Trello boards. This server enables seamless integration with Trello's API while handling rate limiting, type safety, and error handling automatically.

## 🎉 New in v1.5.0: Now Powered by Bun! ⚡

**This project is now powered by Bun!** 🚀 We've migrated the entire project to the Bun runtime, resulting in a 2.8-4.4x performance boost. All existing `npx`, `pnpx`, and `npm` commands will **continue to work perfectly**.

### ✨ New in This Release:

  - 🚀 **Performance Boost**: Enjoy a faster, more responsive server.
  -  BUN **Bun-Powered**: The project now runs on the lightning-fast Bun runtime.
  - 📖 **Comprehensive Examples**: A new `examples` directory with detailed implementations in JavaScript, Python, and TypeScript.

**Plus:** Modern MCP SDK architecture, enhanced type safety, and comprehensive documentation!

## Changelog

For a detailed list of changes, please refer to the [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) file.

## Features

  - **Full Trello Board Integration**: Interact with cards, lists, and board activities
  - **🆕 Complete Card Data Extraction**: Fetch all card details including checklists, attachments, labels, members, and comments
  - **💬 Comment Management**: Add, update, delete, and retrieve comments on cards
  - **File Attachments**: Attach any type of file to cards (PDFs, documents, videos, images, etc.) from URLs
  - **Built-in Rate Limiting**: Respects Trello's API limits (300 requests/10s per API key, 100 requests/10s per token)
  - **Type-Safe Implementation**: Written in TypeScript with comprehensive type definitions
  - **Input Validation**: Robust validation for all API inputs
  - **Error Handling**: Graceful error handling with informative messages
  - **Dynamic Board Selection**: Switch between boards and workspaces without restarting
  - **Markdown Formatting**: Export card data in human-readable markdown format

## Installation

### 🚀 Install from MCP Registry (Recommended)

The MCP Server Trello is now available in the official MCP Registry\! MCP clients can automatically discover and install this server.

For clients that support the MCP Registry:

1.  Search for "mcp-server-trello" or "io.github.delorenj/mcp-server-trello"
2.  Install directly from the registry
3.  Configure with your Trello credentials

### 🚀 Quick Start with Bun (Fastest)

If you have [Bun](https://bun.sh) installed, using `bunx` is the fastest way to run the server:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Quick Start with npx / pnpx / bunx

You can still use `npx` or `pnpx`. This doesn't require a global install and will work just fine, though `bunx` (above) is faster.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Or if you're using mise, you can explicitly execute `bunx` with `mise exec`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "mise",
      "args": ["x", "--", "bunx", "@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
      "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

To connect a Trello workspace, you'll need to manually retrieve a `TRELLO_TOKEN` once per workspace. After setting up your Trello Power-Up, visit the following URL:

```
https://trello.com/1/authorize?expiration=never&name=YOUR_APP_NAME&scope=read,write&response_type=token&key=YOUR_API_KEY
```

Replace:

  * `YOUR_APP_NAME` with a name for your application (e.g., "My Trello Integration"). This name is shown to the user on the Trello authorization screen.
  * `YOUR_API_KEY` with the API key for your Trello Power-Up

This will generate the token required for integration.

> [\!NOTE]
> The `expiration=never` parameter creates a token that does not expire. For enhanced security, consider using `expiration=30days` and renewing the token periodically if your setup allows for it.

#### Don't have Bun?

The simplest way to get `bun` (and thus `bunx`) is through [mise](https://mise.jdx.dev/):

```bash
# Install mise (if you don't have it)
curl https://mise.run | sh

# Install bun and make the @latest version your system default
mise use bun@latest -g

# Or just run `mise install` from the project directory to install Bun locally
cd /path/to/mcp-server-trello
mise install
```

### Installing via npm

If you prefer using `npm` directly:

```bash
npm install -g @delorenj/mcp-server-trello
```

*(A fast alternative is `bun add -g @delorenj/mcp-server-trello`)*

Then use `npx mcp-server-trello` as the command in your MCP configuration.

### Installing via Smithery

To install Trello Server for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@delorenj/mcp-server-trello):

```bash
# Using bunx (recommended)
bunx -y @smithery/cli install @delorenj/mcp-server-trello --client claude

# Using npx
npx -y @smithery/cli install @delorenj/mcp-server-trello --client claude
```

### Docker Installation

For containerized environments:

1.  Clone the repository:

<!-- end list -->

```bash
git clone https://github.com/delorenj/mcp-server-trello
cd mcp-server-trello
```

2.  Copy the environment template and fill in your Trello credentials:

<!-- end list -->

```bash
cp .env.template .env
```

3.  Build and run with Docker Compose:

<!-- end list -->

```bash
docker compose up --build
```

## Configuration

### Environment Variables

The server can be configured using environment variables. Create a `.env` file in the root directory with the following variables:

```env
# Required: Your Trello API credentials
TRELLO_API_KEY=your-api-key
TRELLO_TOKEN=your-token

# Optional (Deprecated): Default board ID (can be changed later using set_active_board)
TRELLO_BOARD_ID=your-board-id

# Optional: Initial workspace ID (can be changed later using set_active_workspace)
TRELLO_WORKSPACE_ID=your-workspace-id
```

You can get these values from:

  - API Key: [https://trello.com/app-key](https://trello.com/app-key)
  - Token: Generate using your API key
  - Board ID (optional, deprecated): Found in the board URL (e.g., [suspicious link removed])
  - Workspace ID: Found in workspace settings or using `list_workspaces` tool

### Board and Workspace Management

Starting with version 0.3.0, the MCP server supports multiple ways to work with boards:

1.  **Multi-board support**: All methods now accept an optional `boardId` parameter
       - Omit `TRELLO_BOARD_ID` and provide `boardId` in each API call
       - Set `TRELLO_BOARD_ID` as default and optionally override with `boardId` parameter

2.  **Dynamic board selection**: Use workspace management tools
       - The `TRELLO_BOARD_ID` in your `.env` file is used as the initial/default board ID
       - You can change the active board at any time using the `set_active_board` tool
       - The selected board persists between server restarts (stored in `~/.trello-mcp/config.json`)
       - Similarly, you can set and persist an active workspace using `set_active_workspace`

This allows you to work with multiple boards and workspaces without restarting the server.

#### Example Workflow

1.  Start by listing available boards:

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
{
  name: 'list_boards',
  arguments: {}
}
```

2.  Set your active board:

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
{
  name: 'set_active_board',
  arguments: {
    boardId: "abc123"  // ID from list_boards response
  }
}
```

3.  List workspaces if needed:

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
{
  name: 'list_workspaces',
  arguments: {}
}
```

4.  Set active workspace if needed:

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
{
  name: 'set_active_workspace',
  arguments: {
    workspaceId: "xyz789"  // ID from list_workspaces response
  }
}
```

5.  Check current active board info:

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_active_board_info',
  arguments: {}
}
```

## Date Format Guidelines

When working with dates in the Trello MCP server, please note the different format requirements:

  - **Due Date (`dueDate`)**: Accepts full ISO 8601 format with time (e.g., `2023-12-31T12:00:00Z`)
  - **Start Date (`start`)**: Accepts date only in YYYY-MM-DD format (e.g., `2025-08-05`)

This distinction follows Trello's API conventions where start dates are day-based markers while due dates can include specific times.

## Available Tools

### Checklist Management Tools 🆕

#### get\_checklist\_items

Get all items from a checklist by name.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_checklist_items',
  arguments: {
    name: string,        // Name of the checklist to retrieve items from
    boardId?: string     // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
  }
}
```

#### add\_checklist\_item

Add a new item to an existing checklist.

```typescript
{
  name: 'add_checklist_item',
  arguments: {
    text: string,           // Text content of the checklist item
    checkListName: string,  // Name of the checklist to add the item to
    boardId?: string        // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
  }
}
```

#### find\_checklist\_items\_by\_description

Search for checklist items containing specific text.

```typescript
{
nbsp; name: 'find_checklist_items_by_description',
  arguments: {
    description: string,  // Text to search for in checklist item descriptions
    boardId?: string      // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
nbsp; }
}
```

#### get\_acceptance\_criteria

Get all items from the "Acceptance Criteria" checklist.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_acceptance_criteria',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string  // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
  }
}
```

#### get\_checklist\_by\_name

Get a complete checklist with all items and completion percentage.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_checklist_by_name',
  arguments: {
    name: string,     // Name of the checklist to retrieve
    boardId?: string  // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
  }
}
```

**Returns:** `CheckList` object with:

  - `id`: Checklist identifier
  - `name`: Checklist name
  - `items`: Array of `CheckListItem` objects
  - `percentComplete`: Completion percentage (0-100)

### get\_card 🆕

Get comprehensive details of a specific Trello card with human-level parity.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_card',
  arguments: {
    cardId: string,          // ID of the Trello card (short ID like 'FdhbArbK' or full ID)
    includeMarkdown?: boolean // Return formatted markdown instead of JSON (default: false)
  }
}
```

**Returns:** Complete card data including:

  - ✅ Checklists with item states and assignments
  - 📎 Attachments with previews and metadata
  - 🏷️ Labels with names and colors
  - 👥 Assigned members
  - 💬 Comments and activity
  - 📊 Statistics (badges)
  - 🎨 Cover images
  - 📍 Board and list context

### get\_cards\_by\_list\_id

Fetch all cards from a specific list.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_cards_by_list_id',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    listId: string    // ID of the Trello list
  }
}
```

### get\_lists

Retrieve all lists from a board.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_lists',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string  // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
  }
}
```

### get\_recent\_activity

Fetch recent activity on a board.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_recent_activity',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    limit?: number    // Optional: Number of activities to fetch (default: 10)
  }
}
```

### add\_card\_to\_list

Add a new card to a specified list.

```typescript
{
  name: 'add_card_to_list',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string,     // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    listId: string,       // ID of the list to add the card to
    name: string,         // Name of the card
    description?: string, // Optional: Description of the card
  mbs; dueDate?: string,     // Optional: Due date (ISO 8601 format with time)
    start?: string,       // Optional: Start date (YYYY-MM-DD format, date only)
    labels?: string[]     // Optional: Array of label IDs
  }
}
```

### update\_card\_details

Update an existing card's details.

```typescript
{
  name: 'update_card_details',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string,     // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    cardId: string,       // ID of the card to update
    name?: string,        // Optional: New name for the card
    description?: string, // Optional: New description
    dueDate?: string,     // Optional: New due date (ISO 8601 format with time)
    start?: string,       // Optional: New start date (YYYY-MM-DD format, date only)
    dueComplete?: boolean,// Optional: Mark the due date as complete (true) or incomplete (false)
    labels?: string[]     // Optional: New array of label IDs
  }
}
```

### archive\_card

Send a card to the archive.

```typescript
{
  name: 'archive_card',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    cardId: string    // ID of the card to archive
  }
}
```

### add\_list\_to\_board

Add a new list to a board.

```typescript
{
nbsp; name: 'add_list_to_board',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    name: string      // Name of the new list
  }
}
```

### archive\_list

Send a list to the archive.

```typescript
{
  name: 'archive_list',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    listId: string    // ID of the list to archive
  }
}
```

### get\_my\_cards

Fetch all cards assigned to the current user.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_my_cards',
  arguments: {}
}
```

### move\_card

Move a card to a different list.

```typescript
{
  name: 'move_card',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string,  // Optional: ID of the target board (uses default if not provided)
s;   cardId: string,    // ID of the card to move
    listId: string     // ID of the target list
  }
}
```

### attach\_image\_to\_card

Attach an image to a card directly from a URL.

```typescript
{
  name: 'attach_image_to_card',
  arguments: {
    boardId?: string, // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    cardId: string,  nbsp; // ID of the card to attach the image to
    imageUrl: string, // URL of the image to attach
    name?: string     // Optional: Name for the attachment (defaults to "Image Attachment")
  }
}
```

### attach\_file\_to\_card

Attach any type of file to a card from a URL or a local file path (e.g., `file:///path/to/your/file.pdf`).

```typescript
{
  name: 'attach_file_to_card',
nbsp; arguments: {
    boardId?: string,  // Optional: ID of the board (uses default if not provided)
    cardId: string,s;   // ID of the card to attach the file to
    fileUrl: string,   // URL or local file path (using the file:// protocol) of the file to attach
    name?: string,     // Optional: Name for the attachment (defaults to the file name for local files)
    mimeType?: string  // Optional: MIME type (e.g., "application/pdf", "text/plain", "video/mp4")
  }
}
```

### Comment Management Tools

#### add\_comment

Add a comment to a Trello card.

```typescript
{
  name: 'add_comment',
  arguments: {
    cardId: string,  // ID of the card to comment on
    text: string     // The text of the comment to add
  }
}
```

#### update\_comment

Update an existing comment on a card.

```typescript
{
  name: 'update_comment',
  arguments: {
    commentId: string,  // ID of the comment to change
    text: string        // The new text of the comment
  }
}
```

#### delete\_comment

Delete a comment from a card.

```typescript
{
  name: 'delete_comment',
  arguments: {
    commentId: string  // ID of the comment to delete
  }
}
```

#### get\_card\_comments

Retrieve all comments from a specific card without fetching all card data.

```typescript
{
  name: 'get_card_comments',
  arguments: {
    cardId: string,  // ID of the card to get comments from
    limit?: number   // Optional: Maximum number of comments to retrieve (default: 100)
  }
}
```


### list\_boards

List all boards the user has access to.

```typescript
{
  name: 'list_boards',
  arguments: {}
}
```

### set\_active\_board

Set the active board for future operations.

```typescript
{
  name: 'set_active_board',
  arguments: {
    boardId: string  // ID of the board to set as active
  }
}
```

### list\_workspaces

List all workspaces the user has access to.

```typescript
{
s; name: 'list_workspaces',
  arguments: {}
}
```

### set\_active\_workspace

Set the active workspace for future operations.

```typescript
{
  name: 'set_active_workspace',
  arguments: {
    workspaceId: string  // ID of the workspace to set as active
  }
}
```

### list\_boards\_in\_workspace

List all boards in a specific workspace.

```typescript
{
  name: 'list_boards_in_workspace',
  arguments: {
    workspaceId: string  // ID of the workspace to list boards from
  }
}
```

### get\_active\_board\_info

Get information about the currently active board.

```typescript
{
s; name: 'get_active_board_info',
  arguments: {}
}
```

## Integration Examples

### 🎨 Pairing with Ideogram MCP Server

The Trello MCP server pairs beautifully with [@flowluap/ideogram-mcp-server](https://github.com/flowluap/ideogram-mcp-server) for AI-powered visual content creation. Generate images with Ideogram and attach them directly to your Trello cards\!

#### Example Workflow

1.  **Generate an image with Ideogram:**

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
// Using ideogram-mcp-server
{
  name: 'generate_image',
  arguments: {
    prompt: "A futuristic dashboard design with neon accents",
    aspect_ratio: "16:9"
  }
}
// Returns: { image_url: "https://..." }
```

2.  **Attach the generated image to a Trello card:**

<!-- end list -->

```typescript
// Using trello-mcp-server
{
  name: 'attach_image_to_card',
  arguments: {
    cardId: "your-card-id",
    imageUrl: "https://...", // URL from Ideogram
    name: "Dashboard Mockup v1"
  }
}
```

#### Setting up both servers

Add both servers to your Claude Desktop configuration. Use `bunx` for the fastest startup.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trello": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@delorenj/mcp-server-trello"],
nbsp;   "env": {
        "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-trello-api-key",
        "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-trello-token"
      }
    },
    "ideogram": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@flowluap/ideogram-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "IDEOGRAM_API_KEY": "your-ideogram-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Now you can seamlessly create visual content and organize it in Trello, all within Claude\!

## Rate Limiting

The server implements a token bucket algorithm for rate limiting to comply with Trello's API limits:

  - 300 requests per 10 seconds per API key
  - 100 requests per 10 seconds per token

Rate limiting is handled automatically, and requests will be queued if limits are reached.

## Error Handling

The server provides detailed error messages for various scenarios:

  - Invalid input parameters
  - Rate limit exceeded
  - API authentication errors
  - Network issues
  - Invalid board/list/card IDs

## Development

### Prerequisites

  - [Bun](https://bun.sh) (v1.0.0 or higher)

### Setup

1.  Clone the repository

<!-- end list -->

```bash
git clone https://github.com/delorenj/mcp-server-trello
cd mcp-server-trello
```

2.  Install dependencies

<!-- end list -->

```bash
bun install
```

3.  Build the project

<!-- end list -->

```bash
bun run build
```

## Running tests

To run the tests, run the following command:

```bash
bun test
```

## Running evals

The evals package loads an mcp client that then runs the index.ts file, so there is no need to rebuild between tests. You can load environment variables by prefixing the `bunx` command. Full documentation can be found [here](https://www.mcpevals.io/docs).

```bash
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key bunx mcp-eval src/evals/evals.ts src/index.ts
```

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome\!

## License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](https://www.google.com/search?q=LICENSE) file for details.

## Acknowledgments

  - Built with the [Model Context Protocol SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk)
  - Uses the [Trello REST API](https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/trello/rest/)