How to Connect Trello and Mailchimp: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

In today's fast-paced business environment, efficient communication and project management are essential for growth. Trello excels at organizing tasks and workflows, while Mailchimp is a robust platform for managing email campaigns and subscriber lists. While powerful on their own, integrating Trello and Mailchimp can create a more cohesive and automated operational flow for your team. This guide outlines how to connect these two vital applications, preparing your operations for 2026 and beyond.

Why Connect Trello and Mailchimp?

The gap between project management and customer communication often requires manual data transfer, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors. Integrating Trello and Mailchimp bridges this gap, creating a streamlined process that benefits multiple facets of your business. Consider the following advantages:

• Streamlined Workflows: Automate the transition of information from project milestones in Trello to targeted email communications in Mailchimp. For example, moving a client's project card to "Completed" can automatically trigger a feedback request email.
• Enhanced Lead Nurturing: As potential leads progress through a sales pipeline managed in Trello, their data can be automatically updated in Mailchimp, ensuring they receive relevant, timely marketing emails based on their current stage.
• Reduced Manual Effort: Eliminate the need for team members to manually add subscriber details, update lists, or send follow-up emails. This frees up valuable time, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
• Improved Data Accuracy: Automation reduces the risk of human error associated with copying and pasting data, ensuring that your Mailchimp lists are always up-to-date and accurate based on Trello activities.
• Better Client Communication: Keep clients informed automatically. Whether it's project updates, event reminders, or new service announcements, the integration ensures timely and relevant communication without constant manual oversight.

This integration is not just about saving time; it's about building a more responsive and data-driven approach to how your business manages projects and communicates with its audience.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you begin the integration process, ensure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• Active Trello Account: You will need an active Trello account with access to the boards and lists you intend to use for automation. Ensure you have the necessary permissions to create and manage cards.
• Active Mailchimp Account: An active Mailchimp account is required, along with access to the audience lists where you plan to add or update subscribers. Admin or editor permissions are typically needed.
• An Integration Platform: While Trello and Mailchimp do not offer direct native integration for complex workflows, a third-party integration platform is necessary. These platforms act as a bridge, allowing the two applications to communicate and transfer data.
• Clear Objectives: Define what you want to achieve with the integration. Knowing your specific use cases (e.g., adding new clients, sending project updates) will help you configure the automation effectively.

Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Trello and Mailchimp

Using an Integration Platform (e.g., Make.com)

Connecting Trello and Mailchimp typically involves using a no-code integration platform. These platforms provide a visual interface to define triggers and actions between applications. The following steps outline a general approach that can be adapted to most platforms, with a focus on principles applicable to Make.com.

1. Sign Up or Log In to Your Integration Platform:

   If you don't already have an account, create one on your chosen integration platform (e.g., Make.com). Once registered, log in to access your dashboard.

2. Create a New Scenario or Workflow:

   Most platforms refer to an automation as a "scenario," "workflow," or "zap." Locate the option to create a new one to begin building your integration.

3. Choose Trello as Your Trigger Application:

   The trigger is the event that initiates your automation. Search for Trello within the platform's list of available applications and select it. Then, choose the specific Trello event that will act as your trigger. Common triggers include:

   • "New Card" (when a new card is created on a board or list)
   • "Card Moved to List" (when a card transitions to a specific list)
   • "New Checklist Item" (when an item is added to a checklist)
4. Connect Your Trello Account:

   The integration platform will prompt you to connect your Trello account. This usually involves authenticating through Trello's login page, granting the platform permission to access your Trello data. Select the specific Trello board and list that your trigger will monitor.

5. Add Mailchimp as Your Action Application:

   The action is what happens once the trigger event occurs. Search for Mailchimp and select it. Then, choose the specific action you want Mailchimp to perform. Common actions include:

   • "Add/Update Subscriber" (to add a new contact or modify an existing one)
   • "Create Campaign" (to initiate an email campaign)
   • "Add Member to Segment" (to segment subscribers based on Trello activity)
6. Connect Your Mailchimp Account:

   Similar to Trello, you will need to connect and authenticate your Mailchimp account, granting the integration platform access to your Mailchimp audiences and data.

7. Configure the Mailchimp Action and Map Data:

   This crucial step involves telling Mailchimp what data to use from Trello. You'll map fields from the Trello trigger to corresponding fields in Mailchimp. For example:

   • Map the Trello "Card Name" to the Mailchimp "First Name" or "Email Subject."
   • Map a custom Trello field (e.g., client email address) to the Mailchimp "Email Address" field.
   • Add specific Mailchimp tags or group affiliations based on Trello list names or custom fields.

   Ensure you select the correct Mailchimp audience list where the action should occur.

8. Test the Scenario:

   Before activating your automation, run a test. Most platforms allow you to send a test trigger event (e.g., create a dummy Trello card) to ensure data flows correctly from Trello to Mailchimp and the action performs as expected. Verify the data appears correctly in your Mailchimp audience.

9. Activate Your Scenario:

   Once you've confirmed the test was successful, activate your scenario. It will now run automatically in the background, performing the specified Mailchimp action whenever your Trello trigger event occurs.

Popular Use Cases for Trello-Mailchimp Integration

Once connected, the possibilities for automating your workflows are extensive. Here are some common scenarios:

• Client Onboarding Automation: When a Trello card for a "New Client" is moved to a "Client Onboarded" list, automatically add their email address to a Mailchimp list with an "Onboarding Sequence" tag. This triggers a series of welcome emails, reducing manual effort for your sales or customer success team.
• Event Management Communication: For events organized within Trello, when a card representing a confirmed attendee is created or updated, automatically subscribe them to an event-specific Mailchimp list. This enables efficient distribution of event updates, reminders, and post-event surveys.
• Content Promotion Workflow: When a Trello card for a blog post or new resource is moved to a "Published" list, automatically add a new segment or tag in Mailchimp for subscribers interested in new content. This allows for targeted email announcements to your audience regarding your latest publications.

Time Savings Estimate

The time savings from integrating Trello and Mailchimp can be substantial, particularly for teams that regularly transfer information between these two platforms. Manually adding 20 new leads from a Trello board to a Mailchimp list, including segmenting and tagging, could take a team member approximately 1-2 hours per week, depending on data complexity and focus interruptions. With automation, this process is completed in seconds, requiring only the initial setup time. Over a month, this translates to 4-8 hours saved, which can accumulate to 48-96 hours annually. For businesses with higher volumes of interactions, these savings multiply. Beyond direct time, the reduction in manual errors and the consistent, timely communication contribute to operational efficiency and improved client satisfaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect multiple Trello boards or Mailchimp lists?

Yes, most integration platforms allow you to configure multiple scenarios or modules to handle data across various Trello boards and Mailchimp lists. This enables complex, multi-directional workflows where different project types or client segments can trigger distinct email automations or subscribe users to different lists.

What kind of data can I transfer between Trello and Mailchimp?

You can transfer various data points, including Trello card names (which can be mapped to email subjects or contact names), descriptions, custom fields (for specific user data like email addresses, company names, or roles), due dates, and even member assignments. This data can map directly to Mailchimp contact fields, tags, or segment conditions, providing highly personalized email capabilities.

Is coding required to set up this integration?

No, platforms like Make.com are specifically designed for no-code automation. You can connect Trello and Mailchimp and build complex workflows using a visual interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and pre-built modules without writing any code. This makes powerful integrations accessible to business users without a development background.

Written by Vangari Sai Sampath, Automation Specialist · Integration Directory · Hyderabad, India