If you’ve ever stared at a Google Sheet full of tasks, ideas, or requests and thought, “Why can’t this just be my Trello board?”, you’re not alone. Copy-pasting every row into Trello is a soul-crushing waste of time. Good news: you can skip all that and automate the process, so new rows in Google Sheets become Trello cards—no code, no headache. This is for people who want results, not a crash course in APIs.
Let’s get your Google Sheet and Trello board talking to each other using Zapier. We’ll walk through everything, step by step, with zero nonsense.
What You’ll Need
Before you get started, here’s what you’ll need. No, you can’t skip these:
- A Google account (with access to Google Sheets)
- A Trello account
- A Zapier account (free plans usually work for basic needs)
- A prepared Google Sheet (with column headers and at least one row of sample data)
- A Trello board (with a list ready to catch new cards)
Set these up first. If you don’t, Zapier will just throw errors at you.
Step 1: Prepare Your Google Sheet
If your sheet is messy, Zapier will get confused. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.
Do this: - Make sure the first row has clear column headers (think: “Task”, “Due Date”, “Owner”—not “Thingy” or “Misc.”). - Add at least one row of example data under the headers. - Avoid merged cells, blank rows, or weird formatting.
Pro tip:
Zapier pulls in sample data to set up your workflow (they call it a “Zap”). If your sheet is empty, setup will stall. Put in a dummy row, even if you’ll delete it later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Trello Board
You don’t need anything fancy, but you do need:
- A board (create one if you haven’t)
- A list where new cards will be added (for example, “Inbox” or “To Do”)
No need to pre-create cards—Zapier will handle that.
Step 3: Create a New Zap in Zapier
Log into Zapier and hit that big “Create Zap” button. Here’s what you’ll do:
3.1 Set Google Sheets as the Trigger
-
Choose App & Event:
Search for “Google Sheets”.
Set the trigger event to “New Spreadsheet Row”. This means Zapier will act whenever a new row is added. -
Connect Your Google Account:
Zapier will ask you to log in and give permission. It’s safe—just follow the prompts. -
Set Up Trigger:
- Pick your spreadsheet from the dropdown.
- Pick the worksheet (the tab at the bottom of your sheet).
If you don’t see your sheet, try refreshing the list or double-checking permissions.
- Test Trigger:
Zapier will look for a recent row. If it finds your sample data, you’re good.
What works:
Zapier’s Google Sheets integration is usually reliable for basics. It can get tripped up by formatting weirdness or if your sheet is shared in “View Only” mode.
What doesn’t:
If your sheet is massive (tens of thousands of rows) or you expect constant, rapid-fire updates, Zapier can lag or skip rows. For normal task lists, it’s fine.
Step 4: Set Trello as the Action
Now you tell Zapier what to do when a new row appears.
-
Choose App & Event:
Search for “Trello”.
Set the action event to “Create Card”. -
Connect Your Trello Account:
You’ll be prompted to log in and authorize Zapier. -
Set Up Action:
- Board: Pick your target Trello board.
- List: Select the list where new cards should go.
- Name: Map this to the sheet column you want as the card title (e.g., “Task”).
- Description: Map this to other columns, or combine several columns using the “Insert Data” button.
- Due Date, Labels, etc.: Map as needed. You don’t have to fill every field.
Pro tip:
Keep it simple at first. If you try to cram every column into the card, you’ll get a mess. Start with title and description, then add more fields if you need them.
- Test Action:
Zapier will try to create a card using your sample row. Check Trello—did it show up? If yes, celebrate quietly. If not, check your field mapping.
Step 5: Turn on Your Zap
Don’t forget this part. The Zap won’t run unless it’s switched on.
- Click “Turn on Zap”.
- Add a new row to your Google Sheet to test the full flow.
- Wait a minute or two (Zapier isn’t always instant, especially on free plans).
- Check Trello—your new card should be there.
If it isn’t, double-check: - The Zap is on. - You mapped the right fields. - Your Google Sheet and Trello board haven’t moved or been renamed.
Step 6: Tweak (Don’t Overcomplicate)
Once the basics work, you might want to get fancier. Some real-world advice:
What’s worth tweaking: - Add a filter step in Zapier if you only want certain rows to become cards (e.g., only if “Status” is “Ready”). - Add formatting steps (like date conversions) if your sheet and Trello don’t agree. - Send yourself a Slack message or email when a new card is made, if you really need it.
What to ignore (at least for now): - Multistep Zaps that try to sync changes both ways (Trello → Sheets). That gets complicated and rarely works smoothly. - Trying to update Trello cards when you edit rows in Sheets. Zapier isn’t great at this. If you really need two-way sync, look for specialized, paid tools (and be ready for headaches).
Common gotchas: - Zapier only triggers on new rows, not edits to existing rows. - If you delete or move your sheet, the Zap will break. - Free Zapier plans have usage limits; if you automate a busy sheet, you’ll hit a wall.
Pro Tips for Staying Sane
- Name your Zap clearly. “Sheet-to-Trello Tasks” is better than “Untitled Zap 17.”
- Test with dummy data before going live.
- Keep your sheet tidy. Avoid blank rows and merged cells.
- Check Zapier’s task usage if you’re on the free plan—you’ll get emails if you’re close to your limit.
- Don’t expect real-time sync. Zapier polls Google Sheets every 5–15 minutes on free plans.
Wrapping Up
That’s it. You’ve linked Google Sheets and Trello with Zapier, and you didn’t have to write a line of code or lose your weekend to documentation. Start simple, see what works, and only add complexity if you really need it. If something breaks, it’s usually because a sheet or board got moved, someone renamed a column, or you hit a plan limit. Don’t panic—just retrace your steps and keep it straightforward.
Automate the boring stuff, but don’t overthink it. If you need more, iterate as you go. Enjoy your newfound free time!