Merge Boards
Group multiple boards together and manage all your cards in a single unified view.
Merge Boards - Page Summary
When work spans multiple Trello boards, visibility breaks down. Cards hide across different boards, deadlines scatter, and coordinating work becomes a constant tab-switching exercise. Merging boards creates a virtual consolidated view where you can manage all your cards together.
What You'll Learn:
- Opening multiple boards side-by-side
- Creating virtual merged boards
- Managing and updating merged cards
Who This Is For:
- Agency owners managing client portfoliosYou're managing multiple client projects across separate boards and struggling to see overall workload and spot resource conflicts.
- Project managers coordinating teamsYou're coordinating work across multiple teams and boards, constantly switching context and losing track of dependencies.
- Engineering leads balancing capacityYou're managing team workload across multiple product boards and need to prevent overallocation and burnout.
- PMO leads tracking portfoliosYou're overseeing multiple projects and need consolidated visibility to create executive reports and track progress.
- Department heads managing workflowsYou're overseeing department-wide work across multiple boards and need to see the big picture without micromanaging.
- Team coordinators facilitating collaborationYou're facilitating cross-functional work and need to see how different team boards connect and depend on each other.
Step 1: Multi-Board Viewing
Open Multiple Boards in One View
See all your boards simultaneously without constant tab switching
WHY: When you manage work across multiple boards, you lose context every time you switch tabs. Comparing status between boards requires mental gymnastics of remembering what you just saw.
HOW: Open multiple boards in a side-by-side view. See all boards at once in a single window. Cards update in real-time across all boards. Drag cards between boards directly. Filter each board independently while viewing them together.
OUTCOME: You can compare status at a glance, coordinate work between teams naturally, and make decisions faster when you can see everything together. No more forgetting what was on the other board.
Related capabilities:
- View Multiple Boards Simultaneously
- Track Progress Across All Boards
- Filter and Organize Consolidated Views
- Use Power-ups on Merged Views
- Export and Share Portfolio Status
Step 2: Virtual Consolidation
Combine Cards into One Virtual Board
Merge cards from multiple boards into a single unified view
WHY: When similar work is scattered across different boards (client projects, team boards), you can't see the full picture. Managing priorities requires checking each board separately and remembering what was where.
HOW: Create a virtual merged board that pulls cards from multiple source boards. The merged view shows all cards together as if they were on one board. Cards stay on their original boards and stay in sync automatically. Filter and organize the merged view however you need.
OUTCOME: You see all related work in one place while teams continue using their own boards. You can prioritize across all work, spot resource conflicts, and communicate status without forcing everyone onto a single board.
Related capabilities:
- Create Virtual Merged Boards
- Maintain Team Board Autonomy
- Coordinate Work Between Teams
- Filter and Organize Consolidated Views
- Use Power-ups on Merged Views
Step 3: Working Across Boards
Update Cards Across All Boards
Make changes that sync back to original boards automatically
WHY: If you can only view merged cards but not act on them, you still have to jump to the original board to make changes. The merged view becomes just a dashboard instead of a workspace.
HOW: Edit cards directly in the merged view - change status, update dates, add comments. Changes sync back to the original board automatically. Drag cards between boards right in the merged view. Use power-ups like Gantt charts and reports on the merged view to analyze all work together.
OUTCOME: The merged view becomes your primary workspace. You can manage all work from one place without sacrificing team autonomy. Teams see your updates immediately on their boards while you maintain a consolidated view.
Related capabilities:
- Update Cards Across All Boards
- Drag Cards Between Boards
- Track Progress Across All Boards
- Filter and Organize Consolidated Views
- Coordinate Work Between Teams
Common Scenarios
See how teams use merged boards to solve specific coordination challenges
Agency Managing Multiple Client Boards
Consolidate multiple client boards into portfolio views to prevent resource conflicts and catch scheduling issues early.
Example: Marketing agency merged 8 client boards into one portfolio view. Within first week, spotted a designer triple-booked across 3 clients for same deadline. Redistributed work to prevent burnout and missed deadlines.
Engineering Manager Tracking Team Capacity
Monitor team workload across all projects to balance capacity and prevent developer burnout.
Example: Spotted developer assigned to 3 concurrent high-priority features. Moved one feature to teammate with lighter load, preventing quality issues and missed deadline.
Project Lead Creating Executive Reports
Generate executive reports with real-time consolidated status from all team boards in minutes instead of hours.
Example: Created merged board with all projects, filtered to show only high-priority items. Now generates weekly executive report in under 30 minutes with accurate, real-time status information.
Tips & Best Practices
Practical advice to get the most out of your workflow
Start with 2-3 Related Boards
Master merged views on a small scale before expanding to your full board collection. This helps you learn the workflow and identify the right groupings.
Configure Your Go-To View for Each Portfolio
Save time when checking project status daily - open the merged board and see your preferred view immediately without reconfiguring filters.
Review Merged Boards Weekly
Set a consistent time each week to review your merged views. Catch issues early and plan the next week effectively with regular check-ins.
Filter Merged Views by Priority or Team
Don't try to see everything at once. Use filters to focus on what matters right now - high priority items, specific team members, or upcoming deadlines.
Let Teams Continue Using Their Own Boards
The merged view is for your oversight - team members should keep working in their familiar boards. This prevents confusion and maintains workflow.
Use Descriptive Names Like "Q1 Client Portfolio"
Clear naming helps you quickly identify the right merged view when you have multiple portfolio views. Include the scope and timeframe in the name.
Make Changes in the Merged View
Don't jump back to original boards to update cards. Changes made in the merged view automatically sync to source boards, saving you navigation time.
Group Boards by Client, Department, or Initiative
Organize your merged views logically. Client-based groups for agencies, department-based for internal teams, or initiative-based for cross-functional projects.
Available in These Power-Ups
Merge and manage cards across multiple boards with these power-ups
Board groups (By Placker)
- Description
- Combine any numbers of boards in a boardgroup to manage cards effectively across boards
Projects by Placker
- Description
- An all-in-one power-up for Trello. Combine boards, mirror cards, view tasks in a Gantt chart, generate a dashboard, and more.
Card Mirror & Sync (2 way) by Placker
- Description
- Mirror & Sync cards across boards. Winner Atlassian codegeist, best app for remote working.
Board workflow (by Placker)
- Description
- Save hours per week, every week. Create workflows across Trello boards to automatically copy, move and mirror cards across boards.
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