Migrate from Smartsheet to Trello

Smartsheet Workspaces are top-level containers that hold Folders and Sheets. Each Workspace maps to one or more Trello boards depending on scope. If a Workspace contains fewer than five sheets with related data, we consolidate into a single board. If sheets represent distinct projects, we create separate boards. Workspace-level sharing settings are documented and must be manually re-applied in Trello board permissions because Trello does not have an equivalent workspace-level permission model.

Smartsheet Folders nest inside Workspaces and can contain subfolders. Trello has no folder concept. We flatten folder hierarchies into Trello board structure, using top-level Lists for primary folders and Labels or List names for subfolders. The customer chooses the preferred organization strategy during scoping.

Each Smartsheet Sheet maps to a Trello Board. Sheet summary fields (project name, owner, start date, status summary) migrate to the board description and as custom fields on a template card that initializes each board. Sheet-level attachments migrate as board-level attachments in Trello. The sheet's grid view column structure drives the custom field definition for the destination board.

Smartsheet Rows are the primary work item and map directly to Trello Cards. Row hierarchy (parent and child indent levels) migrates to card nesting in Trello. Parent rows with child rows create a parent card with checklist items representing child row details. Row order within the sheet is preserved as card position within the mapped List. Summary rows migrate as a dedicated card marked with a Label.

Text, Number, Date, Dropdown, Checkbox, and Symbol columns from Smartsheet map to Trello custom fields of the corresponding type. Text columns with URL values migrate as Trello link attachments on the card. Date columns migrate to the native Due Date field on the card where applicable; otherwise to a date custom field. Dropdown columns with defined option sets map to Trello Dropdown custom fields with matching option values.

Smartsheet Contact List columns store user references. We resolve each contact by email against Trello board members and assign the card to the matched member. Contacts without a matching Trello user are stored in a text custom field so the assignment is preserved as a readable value. This avoids orphaning card assignments during migration.

Formula columns compute values from Smartsheet's expression engine, which has no Trello equivalent. We extract the computed value at migration time and insert it as a static number or text custom field. The formula itself is documented in the migration field map for the customer to rebuild using external tools or to update manually. Formula cells that reference cross-sheet data are flagged individually because the computed value at migration time may no longer reflect live source data after cutover.

Smartsheet predecessor links (Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, and lag days) carry cross-row dependency information with no native Trello equivalent. We export the predecessor chain and attach it as a JSON reference file to the lead card of each project board. The customer rebuilds cross-card dependencies using the Card Dependencies Power-Up or documents them as linked card names in card descriptions. Dependency data is preserved, not dropped, but requires a manual rebuild step in Trello.

File attachments on rows and sheets are downloaded from Smartsheet's attachment endpoints and re-uploaded to the corresponding Trello card. Trello caps attachments at 10 MB per file on Free and Standard, and 250 MB on Premium and Enterprise. We flag any Smartsheet attachment exceeding the target tier's size limit and either compress the file or store it externally with a link card comment referencing the original source location.

Smartsheet row-level and sheet-level discussions attach to cards as comments. Thread structure flattens into a single chronological comment stream because Trello's comment model does not support nested replies. Discussion authors and timestamps are preserved in the comment body. @mentions in Smartsheet discussions do not migrate as live mentions in Trello.

Smartsheet automation rules (triggers, conditions, and actions) have no exportable API representation and cannot be transferred to Trello Butler. We audit every active automation during discovery, document the trigger event, condition logic, and resulting action in a written Butler inventory, and deliver this to the customer's admin for rebuild. Automations exceeding 50 rules at a single Smartsheet sheet require a prioritized rebuild sequence.

Smartsheet dashboards aggregate data from multiple sheets into charts, metrics, and summary widgets. Trello's native reporting is limited to board-level card counts and cycle time on Premium. We do not migrate dashboards as live objects. We deliver a written specification of each dashboard's metric definitions, source sheets, and chart types for the customer's admin to rebuild in Trello using Butler, third-party reporting tools, or as exported static summaries.