- Why your board keeps asking you to do the same five clicks
- The five kinds of board automation and what starts each one
- Setting up your first rule on a board
- Monthly runs, operations and button caps per Workspace
- Runs and operations are two different meters
- Ways round the quota when you hit it
- My verdict for a small team running client boards
- Frequently asked questions
Yes. Trello has built-in automation in every Workspace: rules, card buttons, board buttons, scheduled automations and due date automations. Each Workspace gets a monthly quota of runs and operations, and the Free tier has the smallest one, so busy boards can hit the ceiling before you've run out of ideas for what to automate.
Why your board keeps asking you to do the same five clicks
Most boards I see have the same pattern. A card moves to Done, someone adds a label, someone else sets a due date, and a third person ticks off a checklist item that only exists because nobody wanted to forget it. Those repeat clicks are exactly what the built-in automation is for, and you don't need a Power-Up or a separate account to use it.
The older add-on called Butler Bot has been folded into the product. Atlassian says the legacy Butler Bot is no longer officially supported, new users can't use its legacy functionality, and everyone should use the built-in automation instead. So if an old tutorial sends you hunting for Butler, look for the Automation button on the board.
The five kinds of board automation and what starts each one
Every automation has two parts: a trigger, which is something that happens on your board, and actions, which are what happens in response. The five types differ in what does the triggering.
- Rules run when something happens on the board, such as a card being moved or a label being added.
- Card buttons sit on the back of a card and run their actions when someone clicks them.
- Board buttons sit at the top of the board and act on the board as a whole.
- Scheduled automations run on a timetable you set, and they come with a Run now button so you can check one before you rely on it.
- Due date automations run relative to the dates on your cards.
One automation can carry up to 20 actions. If you need more than that, Atlassian's advice is to create a second automation with the same trigger and give it the extra actions. It's also worth knowing that custom automations aren't localised and only work in English, which matters if your team writes rules in another language.
Setting up your first rule on a board
- Open a board, then open the board menu and select Automation, or use the Automation (lightning) button at the top of the board.
- Choose the automation type (Rule, Scheduled, Due Date, Card button or Board button), then select Create automation or Create button.
- Add a trigger by choosing a category, then a trigger.
- Add an action by choosing a category, then an action. Use Add another action for more, up to 20.
- Select Save. The automation goes live straight away on that board.
- Use the log (lightbulb) to check runs and errors, and the Workspace activity tab to see how much of the monthly quota you've used.
If you're still getting to grips with how boards and dates fit together, my guide to seeing your cards on a calendar view is a good companion to the due date automations.
Monthly runs, operations and button caps per Workspace
Here's where the conditions come in. Automation is available everywhere, but higher-tier Workspaces get bigger quotas. These are Atlassian's stated limits, as of Nov 2026 for the Free tier.
| Item | Limit | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Automation runs per month | 250 (Free), 1,000 (Standard), unlimited (Premium, Enterprise) | Per Workspace, pooled |
| Operations per month | 2,500 (Free), 20,000 (Standard) | Per Workspace, pooled |
| Actions per automation | 20 | All plans |
| Enabled buttons | 20 card buttons and 20 board buttons | At the same time |
| Recipients per send email action | 50 | All plans |
| Emails sent by automation per month | 250 (Free), 1,000 (Standard) | Per Workspace |
| Automation storage per user | 64000 characters, about 750 average automations | Per user |
Quotas are pooled across every board in the Workspace and reset on the first day of each month at midnight GMT. That pooling is the part people miss: one busy client board can use up the allowance for every other board in the same Workspace. Premium and Enterprise remove the cap on runs, but don't read that as no limits at all, because operations are still counted.
Runs and operations are two different meters
Atlassian's Trello support page on automation quotas and limits explains that the quota has two layers. A run is one firing of an automation. Operations are the individual actions inside it, so setting a label and a due date counts as two, and actions like sorting a list can use more. That means a Free Workspace can burn through its 2,500 monthly operations well before it reaches 250 runs.
The same page notes that the legacy Butler Bot can't use the extra operations that come with Premium or Enterprise accounts. If you've got an old Butler setup still hanging around, rebuild it in the built-in automation so it draws on the right allowance.
Ways round the quota when you hit it
You've got three practical options. First, trim your actions: an automation that does six things when two would do eats operations for no reason. Second, move to a tier with a larger quota if the board is earning its keep. Third, hand the heavier work to a connector, which brings me to the tools below.
Other tools that handle workflow automation
Asana has Rules you can write yourself or start from a rules library, and it connects actions with tools like Slack and Gmail. If you're weighing a switch, my walkthrough of how Asana workflows are put together shows what that looks like day to day.
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ClickUp offers 100+ automation templates and an AI Automation Builder that builds triggers and actions from a plain-English request.
Zapier has a dedicated integrations page for connecting your boards to other apps with a visual workflow builder, which is useful once the built-in limits start to pinch.
My verdict for a small team running client boards
Yes, it has automation, and it's good enough that most small teams should start there before paying attention to anything else. Build two or three rules that kill your most repeated clicks, check the log after a week, and keep an eye on operations rather than runs. If you're planning content on boards, my piece on a board-based marketing plan pairs well with a couple of simple rules.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trello automation built in?
Yes. It's available in all Workspaces, and higher-tier Workspaces have larger quotas.
What types of automation does Trello have?
Rules, card buttons, board buttons, scheduled automations and due date automations.
How many actions can one Trello automation run?
Up to 20 actions per automation. Create a second automation with the same trigger if you need more.
When does the Trello automation quota reset?
On the first day of every month at midnight GMT.
Can I still use Butler Bot?
Butler Bot is no longer officially supported, and new users can't use the legacy functionality. Use the built-in automation instead.
