How to automate Trello boards with Butler
Quick Answer: Trello Butler is a built-in automation tool. Open a board, click "Automation" in the top menu, and create rules (trigger + action), scheduled commands (time-based), or card/board buttons (manual triggers). Butler is available on all Trello plans with usage limits.
How to Automate Trello Boards with Butler
Butler is Trello's built-in automation engine, available on all plans as of April 2026. It uses natural language-style rules to automate card movements, assignments, due dates, and notifications without writing code.
Automation Types
Rules (Event-Triggered)
Rules run automatically when a trigger event occurs. Open "Automation" > "Rules" and click "Create Rule."
Common rules:
- When a card is moved to "Done," mark the due date as complete and add a green label
- When a checklist is completed, move the card to the next list
- When a card is assigned to someone, set the due date to 3 days from now
Scheduled Commands
Scheduled commands run at specified times. Use cases include:
- Every Monday at 9 AM, sort the "To Do" list by due date
- Every Friday, archive all cards in the "Done" list
- On the 1st of every month, create a card "Monthly Report" in "To Do"
Card Buttons
Card buttons appear on individual cards and execute actions when clicked. Example: A "Start Working" button that moves the card to "In Progress," assigns the current user, and sets a due date.
Board Buttons
Board buttons appear at the top of the board and run batch operations. Example: A "Weekly Cleanup" button that archives all cards in "Done" and sorts all lists by due date.
Building a Rule Step by Step
- Go to Automation > Rules > Create Rule
- Select a trigger: "when a card is moved to list [In Review]"
- Add actions:
- "add member @reviewer to the card"
- "set due date 2 working days from now"
- "post comment: This card is ready for review"
- Click "Save"
Practical Example: Bug Tracking Board
- Rule 1: When a card is added to "Bug Reports," add label "Untriaged" and mention @tech-lead
- Rule 2: When label "Critical" is added, move to top of list and set due date to today
- Rule 3: When moved to "Fixed," add checklist "QA Verification" with items: "Reproduced fix," "Regression test passed," "Deployed to staging"
- Scheduled: Every Monday at 10 AM, sort "Bug Reports" by due date ascending
Usage Limits (April 2026)
- Free: 250 command runs/month per workspace
- Standard ($6/user/month): 1,000 command runs/month per workspace
- Premium ($12.50/user/month): 6,000 command runs/month per workspace
- Enterprise: Unlimited
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