How to automate attachments under the same list
Asked by i_Poise Design:

In order to link the due date changes in different cards, they have to be attached to one another for date automation to work. However, it's tedious to continuously add each card as an attachment and there isn't an option to automate attachment as cards under the same lable


Answers:
author: Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows
body: Hi [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739) ! Welcome to the community :) there are different ways to approach this, so without knowing too much about your workflow, I'll throw out a few ideas.  

**Lookup cards**   
Is there any logic around how cards are linked/attached together? If so, you might be able to use the [lookup function](https://help.trello.com/article/1193-butler-card-lookups) in Butler. The idea would be to create a rule that says something like *"when a card is added to the board, lookup a card titled {cardname}, and link the cards together."* The above example is using the {cardname} variable, so if you add a card called "Apple" it will find any other card called "Apple" and link them together. You can use other variables from the trigger card if that example doesn't make sense for your use case.  

**Linked checklist items**   
Another way to automate linked cards is using automation to generate linked checklist items. The idea would be to add any related items into the card's checklist, and it will generate a linked card like so:  
![linked checkitems.gif](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/176538i82A0AA1B5E97A930/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "linked checkitems.gif")  
You might want to create a separate checklist for the automation so it doesn't turn every checklist item into a linked card.  

Happy to provide more details on either of the automations mentioned above!  

**Keyboard shortcuts**   
If there aren't any sort of patterns between the cards that need to be linked together, and it's completely random, it may be hard to write a rule to automate this. An alternative option to help reduce the number of clicks is to use keyboard shortcuts (ctrl + c / ctrl +v) to quickly copy and paste cards into one another like so:  
![copy paste cards.gif](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/176535i8C3583A29C8E601F/image-dimensions/358x403?v=v2 "copy paste cards.gif")  

Hope that helps!  

comments: author: i_Poise Design
body: Hello [@Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/2109993) , Thank you for taking time to reply our enquiry. We have tried to use the ( Look Up Cards) method and think it works best. However, It is still very lengthy as only cards in each list should be linked together and each list has various items... We were hoping that there's a way for cards under the same list to be added as attachments under each other in order for date changes to link and correspondingly change. As we are using this to provide a clearer project breakdown for clients, Cards will generally not be moved and should cards be added, it would be under a specific list. Is it possible to automate such that whenever cards are added under the same list, They would be linked?


author: Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows
body: Hi [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739) If it's for the purpose of "syncing" date changes, would it work to have one main card at the top of each list that automatically gets all cards attached to it. This main card could act as the trigger card, so when a date change happens to that card, it affects all cards in that list.   

The rule could look something like this:

```
when a card is added to the board, find a card titled "{listname}", and link the cards together
```

<br />

And this is how it would look:  

![auto-link cards.gif](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/177153i6C8F831473B8CD73/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "auto-link cards.gif")


author: i_Poise Design
body: Hey [@Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/2109993) , Thanks for taking time to reply again. We are a little confused on how to specify the cards linked to different list heads since now it links every card to it..


author: Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739) how do you determine what cards should link and what ones shouldn't? Is there any pattern at all? You can create conditions with your trigger, so rather than saying "when a card is added to a board", you can say "when a card with the purple label is added to a board", or "when a card with a name starting with xxx". The idea is to separate out the cards that should trigger the automation using tagging or pre-fixing for example.  
note: you'll need the Advanced toggle turned on to see the filter option displayed below:  
![filter trigger.PNG](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/177311i1C02AAF44E37751C/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "filter trigger.PNG")


author: i_Poise Design
body: [@Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/2109993) , There is a pattern to cards under the same list. The whole idea of linking them is so that dates sync and will change when any of the cards under the same list will be changed accordingly. However, by linking the cards under only one card will not attain the result we wish for. Moreover, if i link dates to move according to the first card date changed, the command will loop and dates will indefinitely be pushed backwards.


author: Hannah Humbert - Simpla Workflows
body: Ok, got it. It sounds like the automation would need to be set in a way so that it's compatible with your other automation commands. I'm not sure I'll be able to provide much more help, but perhaps a Butler expert like [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) can help?


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

Having a checklist of cardlinks, thus establishing the work break down and sequence of the work is probably what is needed if you want to effect date changes on the cards based on either a start date or deadline.

<br />

While you can build the checklist for subtask cards with Trello automation, computing the dates will not be easy without code.   
Here's a video <https://youtu.be/6nSRM6WmDdI>

of a project that I did.

With a CF, I was able to have variable durations between the tasks.   


author: i_Poise Design
body: [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) ,

Thanks for helping out with our problem. We are still a little confused on how it works unfortunately.. How should we get the powerup fields? It doesn't seem to be available for download implementation in trello. Do we have to pay for it or create it on our own? In addition, while the video demo was informative, it is a little different from the outcome we desire. The purpose of trello for us was to provide a clearer representation of our working process in interior designing. The cards shouldn't move according to completion and only be checked off. The major thing we're struggling with is that when a certain task date is pushed back, we have to manually change each task that's after it in a certain stage, making it time consuming and draining.


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

As far as I know, your requirement especially on setting up the dates on the cards in the manner that you wanted is something that is available as a COTS service/product. What I have shown you is something I built as a custom power up. There are probably other ways to do it.


author: i_Poise Design
body: [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) We wouldn't mind paying a small sum to achieve this effect. However, we haven't been able to find the service/product to do so.. Is there any that you know of?


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

If you are keen we can talk offline. My contact details are on my profile page.


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

Converted the custom power up to an endpoint that can be called from http request from within Trello automation.

Below are some screen shoots

![Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 7.25.36 PM.jpg](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/177784iED93A88D255A44A4/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 7.25.36 PM.jpg")![Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 7.25.18 PM.jpg](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/177785iA3718722C70C853C/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "Screen Shot 2022-01-14 at 7.25.18 PM.jpg")


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

I made a quick video to illustrate the difference between

(1) effecting the same date change on dependent tasks vs

(2) cascade date changes across dependent tasks based on days between tasks

<https://youtu.be/up8Si2WjfBs>


author: i_Poise Design
body: [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) ,

Thank you for going to the extent of making a youtube video, however, the basis of the date change still anchors on the main task card. This makes the process tedious for our admin to link subtasks to it, even for so for multiple boards. Moreover, some tasks that are linked may have already been completed and it is confusing for their dates to be changed after completion.


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

In the case of repeatable set of task and subtask, I would recommend using a set of cards as templates.   

As for the case of completed cards, you can iterate over incomplete cards. In fact for case (2) it only change the date of incomplete cards.

At the end, the automation criteria had to be worked into the solution.


author: i_Poise Design
body: [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) ,

Correct us if we're wrong but isn't templates for individual cards? How do we create a set of cards as a template?

The main problem we're facing is just that it's tedious for our admins to change dates manually. Doesn't the sub-task method require manual work for each board too? Or is it possible to automate cards to be added to the list upon creation? We've tried that but it has always turned up unsuccessful.


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

Yes, you are correct and you are referring to a template card.   
However, I was referring to a set of cards as templates such that I can create a task with subtask cardlinks in a checklist on the task card. It does take a bit more automation but it can be done.

I used it to assign repeatable task with subtasks in a list allowing work to be performed with the subtask cards but using the checklist to record complete of the task and for the next work(task and subtasks) to be assigned.


author: i_Poise Design
body: Hey [@milynnus](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/3947182) , forgive us but we got lost at (create a task with subtask cardlinks in a checklist on the task card)... Could you please explain again? Much thanks.


author: milynnus
body: [@i_Poise Design](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4696739)

If you want to see a video, reach out to me via my profile page.