Trello guide
Marta Kowalczyk writes about design and creative apps for Appcyclopedia, working on a MacBook Air, an iPhone 16 Pro and a Galaxy A55.
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
Short answer
Select Create in the header, then Create board. Type a board title, choose the Workspace it belongs to, check the visibility and confirm. In the phone app, tap + to start a new board.
Check the visibility: a new board is visible to everyone in its Workspace. Switch it to Private before you create it if only you should see it.
Below: the steps in a browser and on a phone, the first lists and cards, and what each visibility setting means.
How to make a new Trello board, from title to first card
To create a board in Trello, start from Create in a browser or + in the app. The last group turns the empty board into something you can work from.
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Create the board
Select Create in the header, then Create board
Sign in at trello.com and select Create in the header at the top of the page. Choose Create board from the menu. A small form opens with a preview of the new board.
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Type a title and choose the Workspace
Enter a Board title, such as the project name. Choose the Workspace the board belongs to; every board has to sit in one. If you have just signed up, Trello has already made a Workspace for you. Pick a background here too if you like; it can be changed later.
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Set the visibility, then create the board
New boards are Workspace visible, which means everyone in that Workspace can see and edit them. Change it to Private if only you should see the board for now. Confirm with Create, and the empty board opens.
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On a phone, tap + to start a board
In the Trello app for iPhone or Android, tap the + button and choose to create a board. Give it a title, pick the Workspace and the visibility, and create it. The board appears on every device signed in to your account.
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Make it ready to use
Add your first lists
Select Add another list, type a name and press Enter. Lists run left to right, usually one for each stage of the work. To put a new list between two others, double-click the gap between them.
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Add a card to a list
Select Add a card at the bottom of a list, type the task and press Enter. Open a card to add a due date, a checklist, a description or a file. Drag cards from list to list as the work moves along.
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Rename a list when it no longer fits
Select a list’s name, type the new one and press Enter. Nothing else changes: the cards stay where they are.
A first board for moving house: lists called To do, Doing and Done, a card for each job such as “Book the van” or “Change the address at the bank”, and each card dragged right as it gets done.
Three lists for the stages of the work are enough to start: you can add, rename and reorder them any time, and the board grows with the job.
More about Trello
Boards, lists and cards for organising tasks, free for up to 10 collaborators.
When the new Trello board does not behave
- Trello will not let you create another board
The free plan allows up to 10 boards per Workspace. Close a board you no longer use, create the board in another Workspace, or move to a paid plan, which removes the limit.
- Colleagues can see a board you meant to keep to yourself
The board kept the default Workspace visibility. Open the board, select Menu in the board header, then Visibility, and choose Private.
- The board is in the wrong Workspace
Open the board’s Menu and look for the option to change its Workspace in the board settings. Visibility follows the new Workspace’s members, so check it again afterwards.
What each Trello board visibility means
Visibility is the setting to get right on a new board, because the default shares it with everyone in the Workspace.
| Visibility | Who can see the board | Who can edit |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Board members, plus Workspace admins on paid plans | Board members |
| Workspace | Everyone in the Workspace | Workspace members, unless an admin restricts it |
| Public | Anyone with the link; search engines do not index it | Board members only |
To change it later, open the board, select Menu in the board header and choose Visibility. Start private and widen it when the board is ready: nobody notices a board becoming visible, but they do notice one they could see disappearing.
How boards, lists and cards fit together
A board holds lists, and lists hold cards. Most boards use one list for each stage of the work and one card for each task, so a card’s position tells you where that task stands without opening it.
| Part | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Board | One project | Moving house |
| List | A stage or a group | To do, Doing, Done |
| Card | One task | Book the van |
Cards carry the detail: due dates, checklists, comments, files and the people assigned. Lists stay simple, which is what keeps a board readable at a glance.
What to do after you create your first board
An empty board with three lists is already a working tool. Add the tasks you know about as cards, drag the first one into Doing, and keep the board open where you work.
Create the board, set who can see it, and add three lists for the stages of the work. When someone else needs to help, invite them to the board from Share at the top, so they see only this board and not the rest of your Workspace.
Trello board questions, answered
- How many boards can I have on the free plan?
- Up to 10 boards per Workspace, with up to 10 collaborators. Paid plans remove the board limit.
- Is a public Trello board on Google?
- No. Anyone with the link can view a public board, but search engines do not index it. Only board members can edit it.
- Can I make a board private after creating it?
- Yes. Open the board, select Menu, then Visibility, and choose Private. Workspace members lose access unless they are members of the board itself.
- What is the difference between a board and a Workspace?
- A Workspace is a group of people and their boards, like a team. A board is one project inside it, made of lists and cards.
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Test log
Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.
- Worked Every step, start to finish · Elias Brandt and Daniel Okonkwo Team
I tested this
Steps performed and confirmed 11 days ago
When you need this
If you want to organise a project or a list of tasks in Trello, create a board from Create in the header. Every board belongs to a Workspace, and its visibility decides who else sees it.
- Describes
- Trello in a browser and the desktop app for Mac and Windows · Trello app for iPhone and Android
- Takes
- A few minutes, including the first lists
- Platforms
- Web · macOS · Windows · iOS · Android
- Published
- 12 October 2026
- Facts checked
- 10 October 2026
Steps repeated and verified by 
Elias Brandt and 
Daniel Okonkwo
on
- Elias Brandt: the Windows and web steps on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Windows 11 Pro).
- Daniel Okonkwo: the Mac steps on a MacBook Pro (macOS 27.0.1), the iPhone steps on an iPhone 15 (iOS 27.0.1) and the Android steps on a Pixel 9 Pro (Android 17).
Limits quoted here come from Trello’s documentation and were not tested.
Sources: Trello Support, Creating a new boardTrello Support, Changing the visibility of a boardTrello, PricingTrello blog, Mobile tips and tricks
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