Trello's CSV export is a Premium-only feature. Free-plan users get JSON only, which requires extra steps before Excel can read it.
The most important thing to know before you start: Trello's CSV export is a Premium plan feature. If your workspace is on the free plan, the only built-in export is JSON, which Excel cannot open directly without a conversion step. There are workarounds for free-plan users, including a URL trick that downloads CSV including archived cards, and the Trello API via Power Query. Here is every method, with the plan gates and ID translation issues that Trello's docs underplay.
Method 1: Chrome extension (free plan, direct Excel download)
If your workspace is on the free Trello plan and you want an Excel file without installing anything paid, a browser extension is the fastest path. TrelloExport (available on the Chrome Web Store) adds an export option directly to Trello's Print, Export, and Share menu. Once installed, open the board menu, go to Print, Export, and Share, and select TrelloExport. Choose your data options and click Export to download an .xlsx file locally.
A second option on the Chrome Web Store, simply titled Export Trello to Excel, takes a one-click approach and exports all cards to an .xls file. Both extensions work on free Trello plans. Neither requires Premium.
The catch: browser extensions run outside Trello's official support and can break when Trello updates its page structure. TrelloExport is open-source and actively maintained as of mid-2026, but check the Chrome Web Store listing for recent reviews before relying on it for a critical export.
Method 2: JSON export (free for all plans)
Every Trello board member can export the board as JSON regardless of plan. Open the board menu using the three-dot icon or the board menu button, choose Print, Export, and Share, and select Export as JSON. The file contains all cards, lists, members, checklists, and the 1,000 most recent actions including comments.
The catch: JSON is not a spreadsheet format. Excel cannot open a raw .json file as a table. You need to either paste it into a JSON-to-CSV converter online, use Power Query's JSON import in desktop Excel, or write a script to extract the fields you want. The JSON also stores list membership and member assignments as opaque IDs rather than names, so a card shows idList: "5a3b9d..." rather than "In Progress". Resolving those IDs to names requires a lookup against the lists and members arrays in the same JSON file.
Method 3: CSV export (Trello Premium boards only)
On a Premium workspace, open the board menu, choose Print, Export, and Share, and select the CSV option. The file opens directly in Excel and includes card names, list names, due dates, labels, and member usernames. It is the fastest path to a usable spreadsheet if your workspace is on the Premium plan.
The catch: the standard CSV export excludes archived cards. To include archived cards, open the board URL in a browser, click the address bar, append .csv to the end of the URL, and press Enter. That triggers a different CSV download that includes both open and archived cards.
Method 4: Trello API via Power Query
The Trello API is free to use and does not require a Premium plan. In desktop Excel (Windows or Mac), use Data, then Get Data, then From Web to call the cards endpoint for a board. Include your API key and token as query parameters. Power Query can parse the JSON response and expand card fields into rows.
The catch: the API returns list IDs and member IDs, not names. You need a second API call to fetch the board's list names and a third to fetch member display names, then join those lookups to the cards table in Power Query. This is straightforward for someone comfortable with M code but adds setup time for most Excel users. Power Query is Windows and Mac desktop only; it does not work in Excel on the web.
Method 5: Brooked for Excel (resolves IDs to names, any platform)
Brooked for Excel is an add-in that connects to Trello, pulls card data from one or more boards, and delivers it as a flat table with list names and member names already resolved, no ID lookups required. It runs inside Excel's ribbon on Windows desktop, Mac, and Excel on the web, where Power Query is not available. An AI analyst lets you ask questions like "which cards are overdue and who owns them" without writing formulas.
Honest framing: Excel support is in beta. Manual imports and the AI analyst work today; scheduled refresh is rolling out through the beta. The Google Sheets version of the same connector is fully live, so the Trello plumbing itself is mature.
Setting up the Trello connection
Open Brooked in the Excel ribbon, choose Trello as the source, and authorize with your Trello account. Select the workspace and board or boards you want to pull, choose the fields to include, and import into the active worksheet. List names and member names arrive as readable text, not IDs.
Brooked AI, TrelloMethod comparison
| Method | Cost | Works on | Refresh | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome extension (free plan) | Free | Any Excel (downloads .xlsx directly) | Manual re-export | Free-plan users who want a direct Excel file |
| JSON export (free plan) | Free, all plans | Any Excel (with conversion step) | Manual re-export | Free-plan users who can work with JSON |
| CSV export (Premium) | Trello Premium required | Any Excel | Manual re-export | Premium teams wanting a quick spreadsheet |
| Trello API via Power Query | Free (dev time required) | Windows & Mac desktop Excel | Manual refresh | Developers who need clean column data |
| Brooked for Excel | Free during beta | Desktop, Mac & web Excel | Scheduled (rolling out in beta) | Readable card data without ID translation |
What marketing and product teams build with this
- Content calendar tracker: all cards from the editorial board in one table, with due dates and assignees
- Sprint board snapshot: card counts per list at the start and end of each cycle for velocity tracking
- Overdue card report: cards past their due date by list and member, refreshed each morning
- Multi-board rollup: cards from several team boards combined into one master status view
- Label analysis: card distribution by label across a board, for workload and priority tracking
Troubleshooting common issues
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Frequently asked questions
Can I export Trello cards to Excel?
Yes, but the route depends on your plan. Premium workspace members can export a board directly to CSV from the Print, Export, and Share menu, and that CSV opens in Excel immediately. Free-plan users can only export to JSON, which is machine-readable but needs a conversion step before Excel can use it. You can open the JSON, copy it into a JSON-to-CSV converter, and then open the CSV in Excel.
Is the Trello CSV export free?
No. The CSV export for individual boards is a Trello Premium feature. All board members can export to JSON for free, but JSON is not a spreadsheet format. The Premium plan is required to export a board directly as a CSV. There is a workaround: appending .csv to the board's URL in the browser triggers a CSV download that includes both open and archived cards.
How do I export Trello to Excel without Premium?
Use the JSON export available to all plans (Print, Export, and Share, then Export as JSON), then convert the JSON to CSV using a free online tool or a Power Query step in Excel. Alternatively, the Trello API is free to use and returns card data in structured JSON that Power Query can parse into rows. The .csv URL trick (appending .csv to the board URL) also works on free plans for a quick CSV download.
Why do list names and member names show as IDs in my Trello export?
The JSON export stores list membership and member assignments as IDs (for example, idList: '5a3b9d...') rather than human-readable names. The lists and members arrays in the JSON contain the name-to-ID mapping, but you have to look them up manually or write a script to join them. The Premium CSV export resolves list names, but member names still appear as usernames rather than display names in some formats.
Does the Trello export work on Windows, Mac, and Excel on the web?
The exported CSV or converted JSON file opens in any Excel on any platform. The Trello API via Power Query works in desktop Excel on Windows and Mac but is not available in Excel on the web. Connector add-ins that run inside Excel's ribbon work on Windows, Mac, and Excel on the web.
How do I get archived cards in my Trello export?
The standard CSV export from the menu excludes archived cards. To include them, open the board in a browser, click in the URL bar, and manually add .csv to the end of the board link, then press Enter. That triggers a CSV download that contains both open and archived cards. The JSON export also includes archived cards.
Is there a free way to export Trello directly to Excel without Premium?
Yes. The TrelloExport Chrome extension and the 'Export Trello to Excel' Chrome extension both work on free Trello plans and download an Excel file directly, without needing a Premium workspace. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store, open your board, and use the export option it adds to the board menu. The URL trick (appending .csv to the board URL) also works on free plans and gives you a CSV file that Excel opens natively.
Get live Trello card data in Excel, on any plan, with names not IDs.
Brooked for Excel is in beta and free to try. Using Google Sheets instead? Read the Sheets version of this guide.
See Brooked for Excel →
