Mastering Merges in Trello: Unify Your Cards, Lists, and Boards for Ultimate Productivity

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This article guides you through the best practices for merging cards, lists, and boards in Trello, unlocking new levels of organization and productivity for your team.

Why Merge in Trello?

Merging in Trello can serve multiple purposes, from simplifying project management to consolidating information. It helps in:

• Consolidating Information: As projects progress, similar tasks or ideas might be scattered across multiple cards or lists. Merging them helps in keeping all relevant information in one place.
• Streamlining Workflows: Merging allows teams to streamline their workflows by combining smaller tasks into a comprehensive plan, making it easier to track progress.
• Reducing Clutter: Over time, boards can become cluttered with numerous lists and cards. Merging related items can reduce this clutter and make boards more manageable.

Merging Cards

Merging cards in Trello is not a direct feature, but you can accomplish it through a few steps:

• Identify the Cards: Start by identifying the cards you wish to merge. Determine which card will be the primary card where all information will be consolidated.
• Copy & Paste Information: Manually copy the content from other cards (descriptions, comments, attachments) and paste them into the primary card.
• Link Cards: Use the "Attach" feature to link related cards. This is helpful if you want to maintain references to original cards.
• Archive or Delete Redundant Cards: Once the merge is complete, archive or delete the cards that are no longer needed to avoid duplication.

Merging Lists

To merge lists within a board:

• Decide the Destination List: Choose which list will serve as the destination for the merge.
• Move Cards: Drag and drop cards from one list to the destination list. Trello allows you to move cards individually or in bulk.
• Consolidate and Organize: Once all relevant cards are in the destination list, take a moment to organize them. You might want to reorder the cards or group them under different labels for clarity.

Merging Boards

Merging entire Trello boards is a bit more complex and requires careful planning:

• Plan the Structure: Decide on the structure of the merged board. Consider which lists from each board will be necessary and how they will be organized.
• Create a New Board (Optional): Sometimes, it might be easier to start with a new board and selectively move lists and cards from existing boards.
• Move Lists and Cards: Use the "Move" feature to transfer lists and cards to the new or designated board. Ensure that all members of the original boards have access to the merged board.
• Archive Unused Boards: To prevent confusion, archive or delete any boards that are no longer needed after the merge.

Tools and Integrations

Several third-party tools and Power-Ups can facilitate the merging process in Trello. Explore such tools as Merge Checklists or Portant Document Merge.

Also, instead of merging boards you may choose to visualize data from multiple board on a single view: timeline or calendar with Planyway power-up.