trello

Export product backlog to Trello with boards, lists, cards, and checklists

Trello Export

Export ArcKit product backlog to Trello via REST API integration.

Command

arckit trello [OPTIONS]

Description

Exports your product backlog to Trello by creating a board with sprint-based lists, labeled cards, and acceptance criteria checklists. Integrates directly with Trello REST API.

Arguments

BOARD_NAME: Override the board name

• Default: {Project Name} - Sprint Backlog

WORKSPACE_ID: Trello workspace/organization ID

• If omitted, board created in personal workspace

When to Use

• After generating backlog (arckit backlog FORMAT=json)
• Before sprint planning sessions
• To share backlog with distributed teams
• For Trello-based project management

Prerequisites

Backlog JSON Required

Must have: projects/{project}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-BKLG-*.json

Generate with:

arckit backlog FORMAT=json

Trello API Credentials

Required environment variables:

# macOS/Linux:
export TRELLO_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export TRELLO_TOKEN="your-token"

# Windows PowerShell:
$env:TRELLO_API_KEY="your-api-key"
$env:TRELLO_TOKEN="your-token"

Get credentials:

1. API Key: https://trello.com/power-ups/admin
2. Token: Visit authorization URL with your API key

Features

Trello Board Structure

Lists created:

• Product Backlog (for overflow items)
• Sprint 1:
• Sprint 2:
• …
• Sprint N:
• In Progress
• Done

Labels Created

Priority labels:

• Must Have (red)
• Should Have (orange)
• Could Have (yellow)

Type labels:

• Epic (purple)
• Story (blue)
• Task (green)

Card Structure

Card name:

{id}: {title} [{story_points}pts]

Example: STORY-001: Create user account [8pts]

Card description:

**As a** {persona}
**I want** {capability}
**So that** {goal}

**Story Points**: {points}
**Priority**: {priority}
**Component**: {component}
**Requirements**: {requirement IDs}
**Epic**: {epic id} - {epic title}
**Dependencies**: {dependency IDs or 'None'}

Card labels:

• Priority label (Must/Should/Could)
• Type label (Story/Task/Epic)

Checklists

For each story/task:

• Checklist named “Acceptance Criteria”
• Each criterion as a check item
• Can be ticked off during implementation

Process

1. Read backlog JSON from project directory
2. Validate credentials (TRELLO_API_KEY, TRELLO_TOKEN)
3. Create board on Trello
4. Create labels (6 labels for priority and type)
5. Create lists (Product Backlog + Sprints + In Progress + Done)
6. Create cards for each story/task
7. Add checklists with acceptance criteria
8. Return board URL and summary

Rate Limiting

Trello enforces 100 requests per 10-second window.

For large backlogs (50+ stories):

• Command adds sleep 0.15 between calls
• Stays within rate limits
• Typical backlog (80 stories): ~2-3 minutes

Output

Backlog exported to Trello successfully!

Board: Project X - Sprint Backlog
URL: https://trello.com/b/{board_id}

Lists created:
  - Product Backlog
  - Sprint 1: Foundation (15 cards)
  - Sprint 2: Core Features (18 cards)
  - Sprint 3: Integration (12 cards)
  ...
  - In Progress
  - Done

Labels: Must Have (red), Should Have (orange), 
        Could Have (yellow), Epic (purple), 
        Story (blue), Task (green)

Cards created: 87
  - Stories: 65
  - Tasks: 22
  - With acceptance criteria checklists: 65

Total API calls: 245

Next steps:
  1. Open the board: {board_url}
  2. Invite team members
  3. Review card assignments
  4. Begin sprint planning

Example

arckit trello

Exports backlog to Trello with default board name.

arckit trello BOARD_NAME="Q1 Product Backlog" WORKSPACE_ID="abc123"

Creates board in specific workspace with custom name.

Error Handling

No Backlog JSON

No ARC-*-BKLG-*.json file found.

Please generate one first:
  arckit backlog FORMAT=json

Then re-run arckit trello

Missing Credentials

Trello API credentials not set.

Required environment variables:
  TRELLO_API_KEY - Your Trello API key
  TRELLO_TOKEN   - Your Trello auth token

See: https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/trello/

API Errors

Trello API error: {error_message}

Check:
  - API key and token are valid
  - Workspace ID exists
  - Rate limits not exceeded

Partial Failure

Warning: 3 cards failed to create. Errors:
  - STORY-005: {error}
  - TASK-012: {error}

Successfully created 84 of 87 cards.
Board URL: {board_url}

Board Cleanup

To re-export:

Option 1: Delete old board in Trello, re-run command

Option 2: Use different BOARD_NAME to create new board

Command always creates a new board - does not update existing.

Related Commands

• arckit backlog FORMAT=json - Generate backlog JSON (required)
• arckit traceability - Map stories to requirements

Next Steps

After Trello export:

1. Open board URL in browser
2. Invite team members to board
3. Review sprint assignments
4. Adjust card priorities if needed
5. Move cards between sprints as needed
6. Begin sprint planning with Sprint 1
7. Move cards to “In Progress” during sprint
8. Move to “Done” when complete

Token Expiration

Trello tokens can expire. If you see “unauthorized” errors:

1. Generate new token with your API key
2. Update TRELLO_TOKEN environment variable
3. Re-run command