REST API Meets Trello: Training Tasks That Self-Update
- LMSPortals
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Managing training programs for developers is a juggling act. You’ve got multiple learners at different stages, with dozens of tasks tied to specific milestones. Using Trello to track progress helps—but only to a point. What happens when your board gets out of sync with what your developers are actually doing?
That’s where automation comes in. By connecting Trello to REST APIs, you can make your training board smart. Tasks move on their own, new ones appear when needed, and progress is tracked in real-time—all triggered by what your developers are doing outside Trello.
This article shows how to build a self-updating training board using Trello and REST APIs, and why doing so can save you time, improve accuracy, and supercharge your developer onboarding process.
Why Manual Doesn’t Scale
Let’s say you’re onboarding five new developers. Each one has to complete the same series of tasks: watch videos, read docs, write some code, pass tests, and join a few code reviews. You set this up in Trello, maybe with lists like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and
“Done.” So far, so good.
But soon you’re:
Manually moving cards when someone finishes a task.
Checking GitHub to see if a pull request was created.
Adding comments when a test passes.
Creating new cards when someone’s ready for the next level.
It’s tedious. It’s error-prone. And it doesn’t scale beyond a handful of people.
What Automation Looks Like
Now imagine this instead:
A developer finishes their first pull request.
That action triggers a system that recognizes the achievement.
Trello automatically moves the relevant card to “Done.”
The board assigns the next task: “Review someone else’s code.”
The developer gets a Slack notification saying what’s next.
You don’t touch anything. The system updates itself.
This is what happens when REST APIs connect Trello with the tools your developers are already using—like GitHub, Jenkins, or internal training platforms.
Trello: A Board with Brains
Trello is known for its simplicity. But under the hood, it offers a powerful API—a way for other tools to interact with it programmatically. That means you can:
Move cards between lists.
Update checklists or labels.
Assign members or add due dates.
Create new cards or archive completed ones.
Instead of depending on someone to babysit the board, these updates can be driven by real-world events.
Making It Happen: The Workflow
Here’s how the automation process works:
1. Start with a Clear Board Structure
Set up a Trello board with lists that match your training stages: “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” Each card represents a specific task, like “Set up local dev environment” or “Push first commit.”
2. Identify Key Milestones
Figure out what real-world actions should count as training progress. For example:
A developer opens their first pull request.
A test suite passes.
A code review is completed.
A course is finished in your LMS.
These are your triggers.
3. Connect the Dots
Use automation tools or middleware platforms to link these external actions to Trello. When a trigger happens—like a developer passing a test—the system sends instructions to Trello to update the board accordingly.
4. Keep Everything Synced
The system should track who completed what, when, and what comes next. Based on someone’s progress, it can assign new tasks, mark checklists as done, or even adapt the learning path in real time.
More Than Just Moving Cards
You can do more than shift tasks around. Here are a few examples of what a smart Trello board can do:
Automatically Assign Tasks
When a developer completes a module, Trello can assign them the next one, complete with deadlines and priority labels.
Adjust Training Paths
If someone finishes a task faster than expected, the system can skip ahead or introduce more advanced topics. If they struggle, it can assign review work or extra support tasks.
Track Progress Across Teams
Managers can glance at the board and instantly see who’s ahead, who’s stuck, and where to intervene. No need to dig through emails or reports.
Trigger External Actions
Trello updates can also kick off emails, Slack messages, or calendar invites—keeping everyone in the loop without extra clicks.
Putting the System Together
Here’s what the full setup typically involves:
A Trello board structured around your training flow.
Developer tools like GitHub or Jenkins where learning actions take place.
A middleware service or script that listens for those actions and tells Trello what to update.
Notification systems like Slack to inform developers about their next steps.
Think of it as a relay system: real-world event → automated update → visible progress on the board.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
Automation can fail if the setup isn’t thought through. Here are a few things to watch out for:
Vague Task Names
If your Trello card is titled “Finish something,” no system will know what it refers to. Be clear and consistent.
Disconnected Tools
Make sure your automation system can actually access and interpret the events from your development tools.
No Error Handling
Systems break. Build in fallbacks and alerts so you’re notified if something doesn’t update as expected.
Over-automation
Not every task needs to be automated. Focus on those that reflect meaningful progress—like completed code, passed tests, or peer-reviewed work.
Real-World Impact
Teams that use automated Trello boards for training often see results like:
Faster onboarding, because the board always knows what’s next.
Less micromanaging, because progress updates are automatic.
Better tracking, because the board reflects real actions, not guesswork.
In one case, a software company onboarded 30 engineers in two weeks with a single trainer, thanks to a self-updating system that tracked training milestones across GitHub, a learning platform, and Trello.
The Big Picture: Smarter, Not Harder
What makes this powerful isn’t just the automation—it’s the accuracy and consistency that come with it. When training boards mirror reality, you stop wasting time asking “Did you finish that?” and start focusing on what actually matters: helping your team grow.
Whether you're onboarding one developer or fifty, automating your Trello board with REST APIs turns training into a live, responsive experience. No more out-of-date boards. No more guesswork. Just a system that works as hard as your team does.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages
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