Trello

You install and run a Trello MCP Server that lets you interact with Trello boards, lists, and cards through an MCP client. It supports running inside Claude Desktop or as a standalone SSE server, and can be accessed by compatible clients to perform common Trello operations via natural language prompts.

How to use

You connect a compatible MCP client to your Trello MCP Server and start giving natural-language requests. Typical workflows include listing boards, viewing lists in a board, creating and updating cards, and managing checklists. In Claude Desktop, you enable the server in Claude app mode and Claude will connect automatically. In Cursor or other MCP clients, run the server in SSE mode and point the client to the server URL. You can switch between modes by changing the USE_CLAUDE_APP setting in the environment.

How to install

Prerequisites you need to have ready before starting the server: Python 3.12 or higher, Claude for Desktop installed, a Trello account with API credentials, and the uv package manager.

Step-by-step commands to set up and run the server locally.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12 or higher (manage with uv if you prefer)
• Claude for Desktop installed
• Trello account and API credentials
• uv package manager installed

Installation

1. Set up Trello API credentials:

• Go to Trello Apps Administration
• Create a new integration at New Power-Up or Integration
• Fill in your information and select the correct Workspace
• Click your app's icon and navigate to API key; copy the API key
• Generate a Trello Token from the same page and copy the token

2. Create your environment file and put the credentials inside:

TRELLO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
TRELLO_TOKEN=your_token_here```3. Install uv if you haven’t already:```bash
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh```4. Clone the project and enter its directory:```bash
git clone https://github.com/m0xai/trello-mcp-server.git
cd trello-mcp-server```5. Install dependencies and set up the server for Claude using uv:```bash
uv run mcp install main.py```
6. Restart Claude Desktop app to pick up the new server.

## Server Modes

This MCP server can run in two different modes: Claude App Mode and SSE Server Mode.

Claude App Mode
- Set `USE_CLAUDE_APP=true` in your `.env` file
- Run the server with:
```bash
uv run mcp install main.py```
- Restart the Claude Desktop application

SSE Server Mode
- Set `USE_CLAUDE_APP=false` in your `.env` file
- Run the server with:
```bash
python main.py```- The server will be available at` http://localhost:8000` by default

Docker Mode (optional)
- Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are installed
- Create your `.env` file with your configuration
- Build and start the container:
```bash
docker-compose up -d```- The server runs in SSE mode by default; view logs with:```bash
docker-compose logs -f```- Stop the server with:```bash
docker-compose down```

## Configuration

Configure the server using environment variables in the `.env` file.

## Client Integration

Using Claude Desktop
- Run the server in Claude app mode (`USE_CLAUDE_APP=true`)
- Start or restart Claude Desktop
- Claude will automatically detect and connect to your MCP server

Using Cursor
- Run the server in SSE mode (`USE_CLAUDE_APP=false`)
- In Cursor, go to Settings > AI > Model Context Protocol
- Add a new server with URL `http://localhost:8000` (or your host/port)
- Select the server when using Cursor's AI features

## Capabilities

The server supports reading and writing operations across boards, lists, cards, and checklists. You can read data, create new items, update attributes, and delete where applicable.

## Detailed Capabilities

Board Operations: Read all boards, Read specific board details.

List Operations: Read all lists in a board, Read specific list details, Create new lists, Update list name, Archive (delete) lists.

Card Operations: Read all cards in a list, Read specific card details, Create new cards, Update card attributes, Delete cards.

Checklist Operations: Get a specific checklist, List all checklists in a card, Create, Update, Delete a checklist, Add checkitem, Update checkitem, Delete checkitem.

## Usage

After installation, you can interact with Trello through the MCP client. Ask to see boards, lists in a board, or create and manage cards and checklists using natural language prompts. For example, you can request to list boards you own, show lists in a particular board, or create a new card in a specific list.

## Troubleshooting

If issues arise, verify your Trello API credentials in the `.env` file, ensure you have proper Trello workspace permissions, and confirm Claude for Desktop is up to date. Check logs for error messages and ensure the runtime (uvx or python) is correctly installed and available in your PATH.

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome. You can report issues or propose enhancements to improve Trello interactions within the MCP server.

## Available tools

### board\_read

Read all boards and fetch details for a specific board.

### board\_write

Update board settings or add new boards as needed.

### list\_read

Read all lists within a board and fetch list details.

### list\_write

Create new lists or rename existing lists.

### card\_read

Read all cards in a list and fetch individual card details.

### card\_write

Create, update, or delete cards.

### checklist\_read

Read checklists on a card.

### checklist\_write

Create, update, or delete checklists and checkitems.