When working with Trello, exporting your boards and data into Google Sheets can transform your project management experience.
Whether you need detailed reports, automated workflows, or to share project progress without giving full board access, syncing Trello to Google Sheets offers solutions that align with your needs.
This guide explores various effective methods to export, sync, and automate Trello data into Google Sheets, helping you maintain up-to-date insights without repetitive manual work.
Export or Sync Trello to Google Sheets?
Exporting Trello data means transferring the cards, lists, and board information into a spreadsheet format that allows you to manipulate, analyse, and report using the broad capabilities of Google Sheets.
You might export card titles, due dates, labels, assignees, descriptions, comments, and custom fields. In Sheets, you can then build dashboards with charts and conditional formatting, calculate project metrics and KPIs using Sheets formulas, create filtered views for specific stakeholders, combine Trello data with information from other tools, and more.
Manual exports like these require repeated updates every time you decide to transfer your data. Whereas two-way syncs keep both Trello and Google Sheets current seamlessly.
Syncing rather than just exporting refreshes your data continuously without manual imports. You benefit from:
- Real-time updates as cards are added or modified
- The ability to edit data in Sheets and have changes reflect back in Trello
- Enhanced reporting flexibility using Sheets’ formulas, charts, and filters
- Sharing specific slices of your project data externally without granting Trello access
- Streamlined team collaboration with minimal administrative overhead
For teams managing fast-moving projects, the administrative overhead of repeated manual exports adds up quickly. Sync eliminates that entirely.
Methods of Exporting Trello Data to Google Sheets
Each of the following methods sit at a different point between simplicity and capability. The right choice depends on how frequently you need updated data, whether you need changes to flow in both directions, and what your team is willing to spend.
1. Manual Export via CSV File
The simplest option, available on Trello Premium plans. You export the board as a CSV file and import it directly into Google Sheets.
How to do it: Open your Trello board → Show Menu → More → Print and Export → Export as CSV → then import the file into Google Sheets.
It works, but the limitations are significant. The export captures a moment in time, covers only active (non-archived) cards by default, and requires you to repeat the whole process every time you need updated data. For a one-off report or data migration, it’s perfectly adequate. For ongoing reporting, it quickly becomes a chore.
2. Automated Sync Using Power-Ups like Unito
Tools like Unito sit between Trello and Google Sheets as a dedicated sync layer. Once configured, they handle the data flow automatically in both directions.
You can sync card names, descriptions, due dates, labels, assignees, and custom fields, and use filtering rules to control exactly which cards appear in your Sheet.
This method is ideal for teams needing continuous data flow and editable spreadsheets integrated with their Trello workflow. For more about Power-Ups, see our guide on trello power ups.
3. Integration with Automation Tools Such as IFTTT or Zapier
These platforms let you build trigger-based automations: when a card is added to a specific list, for example, a new row appears in your Sheet. Setup is fast, no-code, and the free tiers cover basic use cases well.
The limitation is that these tools are generally one-directional (Trello to Sheets) and better suited to logging events than maintaining a live, editable mirror of your board. They work well for task logs, audit trails, or lightweight reporting, less so for anything requiring two-way data flow.
| Manual CSV | Power-Up (e.g. Unito) | Automation Tool (e.g. Zapier) | |
| Setup effort | Low | Medium | Low–Medium |
| Real-time sync | No | Yes | Partial |
| Two-way editing | No | Yes | No |
| Archived cards | No (by default) | Depends on config | No |
| Cost | Trello Premium required | Subscription fee | Free tier available |
| Best for | One-off exports | Ongoing team reporting | Event logging |
Issues for Trello Exports to Google Sheets
A few issues come up regularly when teams try to connect Trello and Google Sheets:
Archived cards don’t export by default. The native CSV export omits archived cards. To include them, you may need to append .json to your board URL and work with the raw export, or use a third-party tool that supports archived items.
Free Trello plans have limited options. CSV export requires Trello Premium. Free plan users are largely dependent on third-party tools or the Trello API.
Field mapping takes thought. Getting custom fields, start dates, or multi-select labels to map cleanly into spreadsheet columns isn’t always automatic. Budget time for this if you’re setting up a sync tool for the first time.
Data freshness expectations vary. Automation tools like Zapier trigger on specific events, not continuous polling. If someone updates a card description rather than moving it between lists, that change may not trigger your automation at all.
How to Set Up Two-Way Google Sheets & Trello Sync with Unito
If you’ve decided a full sync is the right approach, here’s how to get Unito running between Trello and Google Sheets:
- Add the Unito Power-Up to your Trello board
- Connect your Google Sheets account within Unito
- Select the specific board and Sheet you want to sync
- Define your sync rules: filter by label, list, member assignment, or card status
- Map Trello fields to Sheet columns (title, due date, label, description, etc.)
- Enable two-way sync so that edits in either platform update the other
- Launch the sync and confirm data is flowing correctly
Once running, the integration maintains itself. Changes on either side propagate automatically, and you can adjust the field mappings or filters at any time.
Costs to Export Trello to Google Sheets
Before choosing your approach, it’s worth mapping out the full cost picture. Decide based on your team’s size, budget, and project complexity whether automation or manual exports best suit you.
| Method | Cost |
| Manual CSV export | Requires Trello Premium (~£5/user/month) |
| Unito | Paid plans from ~$10/month |
| Zapier | Free tier available; paid plans from ~$20/month |
| IFTTT | Free tier available; Pro from ~$3/month |
Seamlessly Sync Trello with Google Sheets
Integrating Trello with Google Sheets can transform task and project management into a fluid, efficient process.
Whether you prefer a manual export or a fully automated two-way sync, these options enable you to stay updated, collaborate effectively, and make data-driven decisions with ease.
Our team at BackupLABS is here to support you in exploring the best tools and strategies tailored to your workflow. You’ll find automated backups and syncs especially useful in safeguarding your project data while saving you hours of manual work.
For trusted backup solutions, see our trello backup options and how to do trello backup and restore.
