To export a Trello board, open the board menu, choose Print, Export and Share, then pick an export option. Any board member can export JSON for free. CSV, the format Excel opens, needs a Premium Workspace. A JSON file keeps the most data but is built for programs, not for reading, so most people who want a spreadsheet end up taking one of three routes described below.
The steps and limits in this guide follow Trello's help page on exporting data, which we read in October 2026. Trello changes plan rules now and then, so check the page if something here no longer matches your screen.
How do you export a Trello board to JSON?
- Open the board.
- Open the board menu and select Print, Export and Share.
- Choose the JSON export option and save the file.
This works for any member of the board, on any plan, including the free one. You do not need to be an admin of the Workspace.
The file is raw data. Open it in a text editor and you will see every list, card, label and member as nested records. It holds the most data, and it is hard to read. Migration tools use it as input, which is its main job.
One limit matters: the JSON export holds the 1,000 most recent actions on the board. Comments are stored as actions, so a busy board may not export all of its comments this way. Trello's stated answer is the Workspace export, which is a Premium feature.
How do you export a Trello board to CSV or Excel?
CSV is the spreadsheet format, and Excel and Google Sheets both open it. Trello limits it to Premium Workspaces. If you have one, each member of that Workspace can export a board as CSV from the same Print, Export and Share menu.
Three details from Trello's help page save people a second attempt:
- Archived cards are left out by default. To include them, add
.csvto the end of the board link in your browser's address bar and open it. - Comments are not in the CSV. If the discussion on cards matters, the CSV alone loses it.
- Inbox cards cannot be exported. Move them onto a board first.
Trello's page does not list the CSV columns, so look at the file before you build anything on top of it.
How can you get a Trello board into Excel without Premium?
You have three options, and none of them is Trello's own button.
| Route | Cost | What you get | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take the free JSON and import it into a tool that reads it | Free | A working board in a new tool | You leave Trello rather than make a spreadsheet |
| Add an export Power-Up to the board | Varies by Power-Up | CSV or Excel files | Third-party code gets access to the board |
| Copy the cards out by hand | Free | Only what you copy | Fine for 15 cards, miserable for 150 |
Trello's own help page points to third-party export and backup Power-Ups in its directory, and several of them offer Excel and CSV output. Read the permissions before you enable one, and check the plan it needs, because pricing and free tiers change. We have not tested them for this guide, so treat the list in Trello's directory as the starting point rather than a recommendation.
The first route is the one people overlook. If the reason you want a spreadsheet is to move your cards somewhere else, you do not need a spreadsheet at all.
What does a Trello export leave out?
Less than you might fear, and more than you might assume. Going by Trello's help page:
| Item | In JSON | In CSV |
|---|---|---|
| Lists and cards | Yes | Yes |
| Comments | The last 1,000 actions only | No |
| Archived cards | Yes | Only with the .csv address trick |
| Attachments | Linked, not packed | Not mentioned |
| Inbox cards | No | No |
Attachments are the quiet one. Board exports do not bundle the files. The Workspace export links to attachments hosted on Trello, and only offers the original files in a ZIP if you select the raw attachments option. If your cards carry contracts or screenshots you cannot lose, download them while the board still exists.
Can you restore an exported board back into Trello?
No. Trello states that it is not currently possible to import a JSON or CSV file to re-create a Trello board. The export is a record, not a backup you can restore from inside Trello.
That changes how you should think about the file. It is useful as an archive, as the source for a spreadsheet, or as the input for a different tool. It is not an undo button. If you plan to delete the board afterwards, read how to delete a Trello board first, and close the board instead of deleting it if there is any chance you want it back.
What can you do with the file once you have it?
The three common answers are archive it, analyse it, or move on.
Archive it. Save the JSON somewhere you will find it, with the board name and the date in the filename. It costs nothing and it is the only complete copy of a board you are about to close. Analyse it. Use the CSV, or a Power-Up's Excel output, when you want to sort, filter or count cards. This is a reasonable job for a spreadsheet and a poor reason to keep paying for a plan. Move on. EasyKanban reads a Trello JSON export, so the file from the board menu is also the file you import. Upload it on the home page and you get a board with the same lists and cards. Attachments, comments and members are not imported, and the preview tells you so before anything is created. Import is free on every plan, and the free plan allows three boards with unlimited cards, so pick the two or three boards worth moving. Our Trello alternative page shows what carries over in more detail.If you are still deciding whether to leave, kanban vs Trello compares the two approaches on WIP limits and plan rules, and why freelancers are leaving Trello collects the reasons people give. Prefer to host something yourself? See open-source Trello alternatives.
FAQ
Can you export a Trello board for free?
Yes, as JSON. Any member of a board can export it from Print, Export and Share, on any plan. CSV export needs a Premium Workspace. If you need a spreadsheet without paying, use a third-party export Power-Up or import the JSON into another tool.
How do you export a Trello board to Excel?
Trello has no native Excel file. Export CSV, which Excel opens, from the board menu if you have a Premium Workspace. Without Premium, an export Power-Up from Trello's directory is the usual route. Include archived cards by adding .csv to the board address.
Does a Trello export include comments and attachments?
Comments are in the JSON, limited to the 1,000 most recent board actions, and are not in the CSV. Attachments are linked rather than packed into a board export. Only the Workspace export can bundle the original files, in a ZIP.
Can you import a Trello export back into Trello?
No. Trello says it is not currently possible to import JSON or CSV to re-create a board. Keep the file as a record, or import it into a different tool that reads Trello JSON.
Who can export a Trello board?
Any member can export JSON. For CSV, each member of a Premium Workspace can export a board. Exporting every board in a Workspace at once is limited to Workspace admins.