Trello Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Trello board management, card creation, and team workflows through Composio's Rube MCP integration.

Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/trello

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active Trello connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit trello
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit trello
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Trello auth
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Create a Card on a Board

When to use: User wants to add a new card/task to a Trello board

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER - List boards to find target board ID [Prerequisite]
2. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get lists on board to find target list ID [Prerequisite]
3. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS - Create the card on the resolved list [Required]
4. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_CHECKLISTS_BY_ID_CARD - Add a checklist to the card [Optional]
5. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_CHECKLIST_CHECK_ITEM_BY_ID_CARD_BY_ID_CHECKLIST - Add items to the checklist [Optional]

Key parameters:

• idList: 24-char hex ID (NOT list name)
• name: Card title
• desc: Card description (supports Markdown)
• pos: Position ('top'/'bottom')
• due: Due date (ISO 8601 format)

Pitfalls:

• Store returned id (idCard) immediately; downstream checklist operations fail without it
• Checklist payload may be nested (data.data); extract idChecklist from inner object
• One API call per checklist item; large checklists can trigger rate limits

2. Manage Boards and Lists

When to use: User wants to view, browse, or restructure board layout

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER - List all boards for the user [Required]
2. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get detailed board info [Required]
3. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get lists (columns) on the board [Optional]
4. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get board members [Optional]
5. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LABELS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get labels on the board [Optional]

Key parameters:

• idMember: Use 'me' for authenticated user
• filter: 'open', 'starred', or 'all'
• idBoard: 24-char hex or 8-char shortLink (NOT board name)

Pitfalls:

• Some runs return boards under response.data.details[]—don't assume flat top-level array
• Lists may be nested under results[0].response.data.details—parse defensively
• ISO 8601 timestamps with trailing 'Z' must be parsed as timezone-aware

3. Move Cards Between Lists

When to use: User wants to change a card's status by moving it to another list

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_GET_SEARCH - Find the card by name or keyword [Prerequisite]
2. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get destination list ID [Prerequisite]
3. TRELLO_UPDATE_CARDS_BY_ID_CARD - Update card's idList to move it [Required]

Key parameters:

• idCard: Card ID from search
• idList: Destination list ID
• pos: Optional ordering within new list

Pitfalls:

• Search returns partial matches; verify card name before updating
• Moving doesn't update position within new list; set pos if ordering matters

4. Assign Members to Cards

When to use: User wants to assign team members to cards

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD - Get member IDs from the board [Prerequisite]
2. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS_BY_ID_CARD - Add a member to the card [Required]

Key parameters:

• idCard: Target card ID
• value: Member ID to assign

Pitfalls:

• UPDATE_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS replaces entire member list; use ADD_CARDS_ID_MEMBERS to append
• Member must have board permissions

5. Search and Filter Cards

When to use: User wants to find specific cards across boards

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_GET_SEARCH - Search by query string [Required]

Key parameters:

• query: Search string (supports board:, list:, label:, is:open/archived operators)
• modelTypes: Set to 'cards'
• partial: Set to 'true' for prefix matching

Pitfalls:

• Search indexing has delay; newly created cards may not appear for several minutes
• For exact name matching, use TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_CARDS_BY_ID_BOARD and filter locally
• Query uses word tokenization; common words may be ignored as stop words

6. Add Comments and Attachments

When to use: User wants to add context to an existing card

Tool sequence:

1. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ACTIONS_COMMENTS_BY_ID_CARD - Post a comment on the card [Required]
2. TRELLO_ADD_CARDS_ATTACHMENTS_BY_ID_CARD - Attach a file or URL [Optional]

Key parameters:

• text: Comment text (1-16384 chars, supports Markdown and @mentions)
• url OR file: Attachment source (not both)
• name: Attachment display name
• mimeType: File MIME type

Pitfalls:

• Comments don't support file attachments; use the attachment tool separately
• Attachment deletion is irreversible

Common Patterns

ID Resolution

Always resolve display names to IDs before operations:

• Board name → Board ID: TRELLO_GET_MEMBERS_BOARDS_BY_ID_MEMBER with idMember='me'
• List name → List ID: TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_LISTS_BY_ID_BOARD with resolved board ID
• Card name → Card ID: TRELLO_GET_SEARCH with query string
• Member name → Member ID: TRELLO_GET_BOARDS_MEMBERS_BY_ID_BOARD

Pagination

Most list endpoints return all items. For boards with 1000+ cards, use limit and before parameters on card listing endpoints.

Rate Limits

300 requests per 10 seconds per token. Use TRELLO_GET_BATCH for bulk read operations to stay within limits.

Known Pitfalls

• ID Requirements: Nearly every tool requires IDs, not display names. Always resolve names to IDs first.
• Board ID Format: Board IDs must be 24-char hex or 8-char shortLink. URL slugs like 'my-board' are NOT valid.
• Search Delays: Search indexing has delays; newly created/updated cards may not appear immediately.
• Nested Responses: Response data is often nested (data.data or data.details[]); parse defensively.
• Rate Limiting: 300 req/10s per token. Batch reads with TRELLO_GET_BATCH.

Quick Reference

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