How can I create automation rules that don't break when board names are changed?

Question

I have automation rules that reference boards by name. These rules all break any time the name of one of these boards changes.

Can't boards be referenced by ID?

Ryan_u8b3cj · Answer

Thanks - personally I'm a hard no on paying for other tools just to overcome Trello's shortcomings. I'll keep this in mind in case I ever have another reason to pay for those services.

Mike - Dreamsuite Consulting · Answer

Hi @Ryan

Sadly not, its ridiculous really.

You can at least vote for this request, for what it's worth...

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/TRELLO-844

I have shifted a lot of my automations outside of Trello now and use Make, Zapier or  n8n

Pro's:

* Much much faster
* You can control the sequencing better, compared to the random execution of Trello automations
* You can do so much more because you have the entire Trello API to choose from, you definitely can avoid your issue above.
* Far easier to organise, control and document your automations

Con's:

* Trello automations are free and unlimited for premium users, this is almost unheard of for automation on any tool.  The ones above will come at a cost
* There is a learning curve for the automation tool
* The Trello API takes some time to get your head around and can be quite convoluted
* Additional 1-off work to replicate what you have

Recomendations:

* Zapier is by far the easiest tool to use to get up and running but becomes frustrating for more complex automations
* Make is my personal favourite. It is the right level of complexity and simplicity for me. Unlike Zapier, it is a steeper learning curve to begin with but becomes easier to use, the more complex the automations are
* n8n is more of a low-code automation tool, for me its too codey for me to get on with it too much. Steepest learning curve for sure