Can I turn a Trello card into a list, or a list into a Board?
Asked by John Smillie:

I think it is really neat that I can turn an item on a check list into a card.

I'm wondering if there isn't, or couldn't be, parallel functions that would allow me to take a card and turn it into a list with the same name (transferring content from the card into cards on the list), or turning a list into a board (with the cards on the list turning into lists on the board).


Answers:
author: Stef Hendrik
body: I have encountered this need to turn a single task into a project numerous times, so I feel with the OP. I do understand the reservations about the added contents of a card going nowhere if it's turned into a list. There could be a neat way around it, I suppose, utilizing the MOVE command.

My suggestion: Currently with the MOVE command you can only choose as target pre-existing lists and boards. Now, if (akin to all Windows procedures of copying or moving) the MOVE command had the option to create a new board/ list as target, I could the move the card in question to that. Otoh I would as requested open up a larger frame for the one card, otoh all contents on the card would remain in place. I could then, after the move, rephrase the card title to be more specific in this new context.

E. g.: Card "update to Win10", move to non-existant, new list "Update to Win10", retitle as "build installation medium on USB-stick".


author: Wyatt Watkins
body: I don't have an answer, but I would like to share my need for this feature so that someone would make the change.

I have a board of list based off of the Getting Things Done format. In the Inbox list of that board, I would like to create a card button allowing me to create a new list on a different board. In my example, a task that really needs to be a project would be moved to the Projects Board as a new List with the same name. Then I could create cards on that lists and assign them to different people, etc.

My work around at this time is to move the card to a list called "new projects." Then occasionally, I create a new list based on the cards in the new projects lists. It's a little clunky, but works.


author: Mike
body: Hi John,

Neither of those functions are currently possible, because there isn't a great way of migrating many-to-one items. For example, turning a card into a list, what happens to comments on the card? What about checklists, or attachments? There isn't a great way to handle that, unfortunately, so the process needs to be manual for now!

comments: author: Joshua Viele
body: Yes, I know this is old, but I like his idea, and ya never know if it is monitored or will get a response. This almost reminds me of linking epics and stories in Jira, except better. In this scenario I don't think you would do anything with the original card, so the comments would stay right there. However a new "sub-board" would be created from the checklist itself on choosing the conversion option. Then perhaps the sub-board could be activated when you click on the checklist in the original card. This would take you to the sub-board with the original card's name that would look like and function just like a standard board, but be pre-populated with the items from the checklist, each of which you could move through the different phases until done. As each item moves through the phases, you could either just make it auto-check on the original card when the checklist item has reached "done" on the sub-board, or even get super fancy changing the check box from red to yellow to green and then checked depending on its state in the sub-board. Food for thought anyway.


author: Little Canvases
body: Michael,

I would like to add that for the user - the "story" is the same. We put together lists and then realize they are bigger than we thought - so we convert to cards of their own. The same is true with cards - we realize they are bigger than we thought and now they need to be boards of their own. This is one of the main benefits of Trello - when you use Trello it does not only help you manage the work you need to do, it helps you *realize and define* the work you need to do....but is unforgiving if you didn't know what you set out to learn at the onset.


author: Ross Karp
body: Being a beginner for yonks I use Lists as projects instead of Boards.

So I have tons of lists that I need to convert to boards.

It would be great if I could do this automatically.

AI perhaps?