Your First Make.com Automation: Turn Emails into Trello Cards [Step-by-Step Guide]

Automating routine tasks not only saves time but also reduces the risk of human error. For many small teams and solo entrepreneurs, turning incoming emails into actionable tasks in Trello can be a game-changer—ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. This guide walks a beginner through setting up that exact workflow on Make.com (formerly Integromat), from zero to a live, running automation.

Why Automate Emails into Trello?

• Consistency & Organization Emails with to-do items, follow-ups, or ideas often get buried. Automating their conversion into Trello cards creates a single, organized task board.
• Time Savings Manual copy-and-paste between your inbox and Trello adds up. An automated flow handles it instantly.
• Reliability Once configured and tested, the automation runs reliably, 24/7, minimizing dropped tasks.

What You’ll Need

1. A Make.com Account Sign up at Make.com for free; the free tier supports basic email and Trello modules.
2. A Trello Account & Board Create a Trello board (e.g., “Inbox Tasks”) with at least one list (e.g., “To Do”).
3. An Email Account Ideally a dedicated one for task submissions, but any IMAP/SMTP-capable address will work.
4. Basic Familiarity with Trello Knowing how boards, lists, and cards work will help customize your automation.

Step 1: Create a New Scenario on Make.com

1. Sign-Up for Make.com
2. Log in to your Make.com dashboard.
3. Click “Create a new scenario.”
4. You’ll see a blank canvas where you’ll add modules.

Step 2: Add the Email Module

1. Click the “+” icon on the canvas and search for “Email”.
2. Select “Watch Emails” (IMAP) if you want to monitor an inbox folder; or “Watch Incoming Emails” (Make’s own inbox) if you prefer to use Make.com’s built-in address.
3. Configure the connection:
   • For IMAP: enter your email server details, port, username, and password.
   • For Make’s inbox: simply note the address Make provides.
4. Set the folder or filter (e.g., only emails marked with a specific subject prefix like [Task]).

Step 3: Add the Trello Module

1. Click the next “+” in the canvas flow, and search for “Trello.”
2. Choose “Create a Card.”
3. Connect your Trello account by authorizing Make.com.
4. Select your board (e.g., “Inbox Tasks”) and the target list (e.g., “To Do”).

Step 4: Map Email Data to Trello Fields

1. In the Create a Card module, you’ll see fields like Card Name, Description, Due Date, etc.
2. Click into Card Name, then click the dynamic selector on the right to choose “Subject” from your email module.
3. For Description, map “Body” or a trimmed version of the email content.
4. Optionally, map other fields:
   • Due Date: parse a date from the email subject/body (advanced; can use Make’s date parsing tools).
   • Labels: assign based on keywords.
5. This mapping ensures each incoming email spawns a clearly labeled Trello card.

Step 5: Add Error Handling & Filters (Optional)

• Filters let you only process emails meeting certain criteria (e.g., subject contains [Task]).
• Error Handlers (the wrench icon) can notify you via Slack, email, or SMS if the automation fails or encounters unexpected data. For a first project, you can skip these, but they’re invaluable as workflows grow more complex.

Step 6: Test Your Scenario

1. Save your scenario.
2. Click “Run once.”
3. Send or forward a test email to your watched address, using any subject/body format you configured.
4. Observe the execution log: you should see the email fetched, processed, and a card created on Trello.
5. Verify the Trello board: the new card should appear in your chosen list with the mapped title and description.

Step 7: Activate Your Automation

Once testing confirms everything works:

1. Toggle the “Scheduling” switch in the scenario header from Off to On.
2. Choose the frequency (e.g., every 5 minutes) or use instant triggers if available.
3. Click Save.

Your flow is now live—emails arriving in the designated inbox automatically become Trello tasks.

Tips for Next-Level Automation

• Custom Email Parsing: Use Make’s text-parser or regular-expression modules to extract specific fields (e.g., due dates, project codes).
• Multi-Action Flows: After creating Trello cards, add modules to notify team members on Slack, send confirmation emails, or log data in Google Sheets.
• Branching: Use routers in Make.com to split the flow—e.g., emails with “Urgent” tagged go into a “High Priority” list.

Conclusion

Setting up your first Make.com scenario to convert emails into Trello cards is a powerful introduction to no-code automation. In just a few steps, you’ll have a reliable system that ensures every actionable email becomes a visible task—boosting productivity and keeping your team aligned. From here, the possibilities expand: integrating with calendars, CRMs, or chat apps can further streamline your workflows.

Give this beginner’s guide a try today, and discover how simple it can be to automate the most repetitive parts of your workday!