Trello Desktop MCP

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive Trello integration for Claude Desktop. This server enables Claude to interact with Trello boards, cards, lists, and more through a secure local connection.

Features

🔍 Search & Discovery

• Universal Search: Search across all Trello content (boards, cards, members, organizations)

• User Boards: Get all boards accessible to the current user

• Board Details: Retrieve detailed information about boards including lists and cards

📝 Card Management

• Create Cards: Add new cards to any list with descriptions, due dates, and assignments

• Update Cards: Modify card properties like name, description, due dates, and status

• Move Cards: Transfer cards between lists to update workflow status

• Get Card Details: Fetch comprehensive card information including members, labels, and checklists

💬 Collaboration

• Add Comments: Post comments on cards for team communication

• Member Management: View board members and member details

• Activity History: Track card actions and changes

📋 Organization

• List Management: Create new lists and get cards within specific lists

• Labels: View and manage board labels for categorization

• Checklists: Access card checklists and checklist items

• Attachments: View card attachments and linked files

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ installed

• Claude Desktop application

• Trello account with API credentials

Setup Steps

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/kocakli/trello-desktop-mcp.git cd trello-desktop-mcp

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Build the project

   npm run build

4. Get Trello API credentials

   • Visit https://trello.com/app-key

   • Copy your API Key

   • Generate a Token (never expires, read/write access)

5. Configure Claude Desktop

   Edit your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

   Add the Trello MCP server:

   { "mcpServers": { "trello": { "command": "node", "args": ["/absolute/path/to/trello-desktop-mcp/dist/index.js"], "env": { "TRELLO_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here", "TRELLO_TOKEN": "your-token-here" } } } }

6. Restart Claude Desktop

Available Tools

The MCP server provides 19 tools organized into three phases:

Phase 1: Essential Tools

• trello_search - Universal search across all Trello content

• trello_get_user_boards - Get all boards accessible to the current user

• get_board_details - Get detailed board information with lists and cards

• get_card - Get comprehensive card details

• create_card - Create new cards in any list

Phase 2: Core Operations

• update_card - Update card properties

• move_card - Move cards between lists

• trello_add_comment - Add comments to cards

• trello_get_list_cards - Get all cards in a specific list

• trello_create_list - Create new lists on boards

Phase 3: Advanced Features

• trello_get_board_cards - Get all cards from a board with filtering

• trello_get_card_actions - Get card activity history

• trello_get_card_attachments - Get card attachments

• trello_get_card_checklists - Get card checklists

• trello_get_board_members - Get board members

• trello_get_board_labels - Get board labels

• trello_get_member - Get member details

Legacy Tools (Backward Compatibility)

• list_boards - List user's boards

• get_lists - Get lists in a board

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can use natural language with Claude to interact with Trello:

Architecture

MCP Protocol

The server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which provides:

• Standardized tool discovery and invocation

• Type-safe parameter validation

• Structured error handling

• Automatic credential management

Security

• API credentials are stored locally in Claude Desktop's config

• No credentials are transmitted over the network

• All Trello API calls use HTTPS

• Rate limiting is respected with automatic retry logic

Technical Stack

• TypeScript for type safety

• MCP SDK for protocol implementation

• Zod for schema validation

• Fetch API for HTTP requests

Development

Project Structure

Building from Source

Testing

The server includes comprehensive error handling and validation. Test your setup by:

1. Checking Claude Desktop's MCP connection status

2. Running a simple command like "Show me my Trello boards"

3. Verifying the response includes your board data

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "No Trello tools available"

   • Ensure Claude Desktop is fully restarted after configuration

   • Check that the path in config points to dist/index.js

   • Verify the file exists and is built

2. "Invalid credentials"

   • Double-check your API key and token

   • Ensure token has read/write permissions

   • Regenerate token if needed

3. "Rate limit exceeded"

   • The server includes automatic retry logic

   • Wait a few minutes if you hit limits

   • Consider reducing request frequency

Debug Logging

Check MCP logs at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-trello.log

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\Logs\mcp-server-trello.log

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Add tests for new functionality

4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

• Built with the Model Context Protocol SDK

• Uses the Trello REST API

• Designed for Claude Desktop