Token-optimized Trello MCP Server with 97% response reduction
npm install @cyberdeep/trello-mcp-server-optimizebash
Download and run the setup script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Deepankar1993/trello-mcp-server-optimize/master/install.sh && chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh
`
This will:
- Install the package globally
- Configure your Trello API credentials
- Set up Claude Desktop/CLI automatically
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`bash
Install globally
npm install -g @cyberdeep/trello-mcp-server-optimize
`
After installation, configure Claude using one of these methods:
#### Claude CLI
`bash
claude mcp add-json trello-mcp-server --scope user '{
"command": "trello-mcp-optimize",
"args": [],
"env": {
"TRELLO_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
"TRELLO_TOKEN": "your_token"
}
}'
`
#### Claude Desktop
Manually add to your config file:
`json
{
"mcpServers": {
"trello-mcp-server": {
"command": "trello-mcp-optimize",
"args": [],
"env": {
"TRELLO_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
"TRELLO_TOKEN": "your_token"
}
}
}
}
`
Configuration
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1. Visit Trello Power-Ups Admin
2. Click "New" and create a Power-Up
3. Generate an API Key and Token
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You can also use npx directly without installing:
#### Claude Desktop Config
Add to your config file:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
- Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json
`json
{
"mcpServers": {
"trello-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyberdeep/trello-mcp-server-optimize"],
"env": {
"TRELLO_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
"TRELLO_TOKEN": "your_token"
}
}
}
}
`
Features
- 🚀 97% Token Reduction - Intelligent response filtering and summarization
- 📊 Smart Defaults - Automatic optimization based on operation type
- ⚡ High Performance - In-memory caching with smart TTLs
- 🔧 Full Trello API Coverage - 75+ operations for boards, cards, lists, and more
- 📦 Zero Configuration - Works out of the box with sensible defaults
- 🔄 100% Backward Compatible - Drop-in replacement for existing integrations
Usage Examples
`javascript
// Get your boards (automatically optimized)
"Show me my Trello boards"
// Create a new card
"Create a card called 'Review documentation' in my To Do list"
// Get cards with optimization
"Get the first 10 urgent cards from my project board"
// Summarize large datasets
"Give me a summary of all cards in my backlog"
`
Performance Comparison
| Operation | Standard API | Optimized | Reduction |
|-----------|-------------|-----------|-----------|
| List Boards | ~800 tokens | ~80 tokens | 90% |
| Get Card Details | ~1200 tokens | ~120 tokens | 90% |
| List Cards (100+) | ~5000 tokens | ~150 tokens | 97% |
Available Tools
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- get_boards - List all boards
- get_board - Get board details
- create_board - Create new board
- update_board - Update board
- delete_board - Delete board
- get_board_lists - Get lists on board
- get_board_members - Get board members
- get_board_labels - Get board labels
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- get_card - Get card details
- create_card - Create new card
- update_card - Update card
- delete_card - Delete card
- move_card_to_list - Move card
- add_comment - Add comment to card
- add_member - Assign member to card
- set_due_date - Set card due date
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- get_list - Get list details
- create_list - Create new list
- update_list - Update list
- archive_list - Archive list
- get_cards_in_list - Get cards in list
- move_all_cards - Move all cards
See full API documentation →
Advanced Features
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`javascript
// Minimal - Essential fields only (90% reduction)
{ tool: "get_boards", arguments: { detailLevel: "minimal" } }
// Standard - Common fields (default)
{ tool: "get_card", arguments: { cardId: "123" } }
// Detailed - Most fields
{ tool: "get_board", arguments: { boardId: "456", detailLevel: "detailed" } }
// Full - Complete response
{ tool: "get_card", arguments: { cardId: "789", detailLevel: "full" } }
`
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`javascript
// Limit results
{ tool: "get_cards_in_list", arguments: { listId: "abc", maxItems: 10 } }
// Summarize large datasets (returns 5 items by default with statistics)
{ tool: "get_boards", arguments: { summarize: true } }
// Summarize with custom limit (returns 20 items with statistics)
{ tool: "get_cards_in_list", arguments: { listId: "abc", summarize: true, maxItems: 20 } }
`
Note on summarize parameter:
- When summarize: true is used, the response includes only the first 5 items by default along with summary statistics
- Use maxItems together with summarize: true to override the default 5-item limit
- Without summarize or with summarize: false, all items are returned (unless limited by maxItems)
Development
`bash
Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/Deepankar1993/trello-mcp-server-optimize.git
cd trello-mcp-server-optimize
Install dependencies
npm install
Build
npm run build
Run tests
npm test
`
Environment Variables
Required:
- TRELLO_API_KEY - Your Trello API key
- TRELLO_TOKEN - Your Trello API token
Optional:
- ENABLE_RESPONSE_OPTIMIZATION - Enable/disable optimization (default: true)
- DEFAULT_OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL - Default optimization level (default: smart)
- ENABLE_CACHING - Enable response caching (default: true)
Troubleshooting
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If you see "Status: ✘ failed" in Claude:
1. Verify your API credentials are correct
2. Restart Claude Desktop completely
3. Check the logs for errors
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- NPX not working: Use global install instead: npm install -g @cyberdeep/trello-mcp-server-optimize
- Permission errors: Use sudo npm install -g` or configure npm to use a different directory