Trello Integration
Use cases for freelancers and agencies
Connect visual project boards with client business operations. Agencies and freelancers who love Trello's visual workflow often need Plutio for invoicing, contracts, and client communication. The integration bridges both worlds.
Visual project pipeline
When a proposal is signed in Plutio, a card appears on your Trello board in the "New Projects" list. As work progresses, drag the card through your workflow: In Progress → Review → Done. Your team sees project status at a glance while Plutio handles the business side.
Team workflow visibility
Design teams often prefer Trello's visual format for tracking creative work. Plutio handles client-facing activities (proposals, invoices, contracts) while Trello shows the internal workflow. Both systems stay in sync without manual updates.
Status synchronization
When a Trello card moves to "Done", Zapier can mark the Plutio project as complete. The sync ensures your project management and billing systems agree on project status, which is important for triggering final invoices or archiving.
- New project in Plutio: Creates card on Trello board
- Proposal signed: Card moves to "Active" list
- Card moves to Done: Plutio project marked complete
- Project details: Sync to card description and labels
How to connect Trello to Plutio
Use Zapier to bridge Trello and Plutio. The setup takes about 10 minutes and requires no coding.
Step-by-step connection process
- Create a free Zapier account at zapier.com if you do not have one
- Click "Create Zap" in Zapier's dashboard
- Search for "Plutio" as your starting event app
- Choose a starting event ("New Project" is most common)
- Connect your Plutio account when prompted
- Search for "Trello" as your action app
- Choose "Create Card" as the action
- Connect your Trello account when prompted
- Select your board and destination list
- Map fields: project name → card title, details → description, deadline → due date
- Test the automation and turn the automation on
New Plutio projects will automatically create cards on your chosen Trello board.
How to update Plutio when cards move
Create a separate automation with Trello as the starting event. Bidirectional sync lets card movements in Trello update project status in Plutio.
Setting up card movement automations
- Create a new automation in Zapier with Trello as the starting event
- Choose "Card Moved to List" as the event
- Select your board and the specific list to monitor (e.g., "Done")
- Choose Plutio as the action app
- Select "Update Project" and map the card to its corresponding project
Common card movement scenarios
- Card moves to "In Progress": Update Plutio project status to active
- Card moves to "Review": Add a note to the Plutio project
- Card moves to "Done": Mark the Plutio project as complete
Each list you want to monitor needs its own automation. You control which movements trigger Plutio actions.
Which Trello board should I use?
You choose the board during setup. Most teams create a dedicated board for Plutio-synced projects, but you can use an existing board.
Recommended board structure
A simple Kanban workflow for client projects:
- New: Where new Plutio projects land
- In Progress: Active work underway
- Review: Awaiting client feedback
- Done: Completed projects (triggers Plutio completion)
Multiple boards for different work
Create separate automations for different project types. Web design projects could go to a "Design Projects" board while writing projects go to a "Content Projects" board. Zapier filters let you route based on project type.
What project details transfer to Trello cards?
You configure the mapping during Zapier setup. Any Plutio project field can map to Trello card properties.
Common field mappings
- Card title: Project name or "Client Name - Project Name"
- Card description: Project notes, client contact info, brief details
- Due date: Project deadline from Plutio
- Labels: Project type, priority level, or client category
- Members: Assign to team members working on the project
Combining fields
Zapier lets you combine multiple Plutio fields into a single card property. For example, the card description could include project notes, client email, budget, and deadline all formatted together.
Does Plutio have built-in Kanban boards?
Yes, Plutio includes task boards with Kanban-style views. If you want to bring your tools together and reduce subscription costs, you can manage tasks visually within Plutio.
Plutio task board features
- Drag-and-drop cards between columns
- Custom statuses and workflows per project
- Time tracking built into task cards
- Task assignments with due dates
- Subtasks and checklists
When to use the Trello integration
The Trello integration makes sense when:
- Your team is already invested in Trello workflows
- You need Trello-specific features like Power-Ups
- Team members prefer Trello's interface for daily work
- You have complex Trello automations you want to preserve
For new setups, consider Plutio's built-in boards to simplify your tool stack.
Can I filter which projects create cards?
Yes, use Zapier's Filter step to control which projects become Trello cards. Filters prevent certain projects from syncing.
Common filter scenarios
- Project type: Only sync web design projects, not consulting
- Client category: Only sync agency clients, not direct clients
- Budget threshold: Only sync projects over $5,000
- Team assignment: Only sync projects assigned to the design team
Setting up filters
Add a Filter step between your Plutio starting event and Trello action. Define conditions like "Project Type equals Web Design" or "Budget is greater than 5000." Only projects matching your conditions will create Trello cards.
