Project
A fully automated client pipeline built inside Trello — moving cards across 7 stages, swapping checklists per stage, auto-assigning due dates, flagging urgent work, and sending email alerts — all triggered by zero manual input after the initial setup.
This is not a simple Trello board. It is a fully automated client onboarding pipeline where every stage transition is handled by Trello's Butler automation — no manual checklist swapping, no forgetting to update due dates, no missed follow-ups.
When a new client card is created, the automation fires immediately — setting a due date, description, checklist, and email notification in one rule. As the client progresses through each stage, the checklist swaps automatically, the label updates, a comment is logged with the date, and the due date resets for the next stage.
Built entirely with Trello's free Butler automation — no external tools, no paid plans, no code required.
Each stage has its own checklist template, label color, due date window, and audit comment — all applied automatically on card entry.
These are actual screenshots from the live board. Click any image to enlarge.
| # | Step | Tool | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New card created → due date, description, email, checklist auto-applied | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 2 | Card approaching due date → auto-flagged and moved to URGENT list | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 3 | URGENT card gets dark red label applied automatically | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 4 | Checklist completed → card moves to next pipeline stage | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 5 | On stage entry → old checklist removed, new stage checklist added from template | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 6 | Label color updates per stage — visual pipeline progress at a glance | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 7 | Audit comment posted with stage name and date on every transition | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 8 | Due date resets automatically for each stage window | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
| 9 | Email alert sent 1 day before due date — works across all lists | Butler + Gmail | ✓ Live |
| 10 | Offboarding checklist complete → card auto-moved to Completed | Trello Butler | ✓ Live |
This automation pattern can be adapted for any service-based business that manages clients through multiple stages — agencies, freelancers, consultants, or internal ops teams.
The same structure — template cards + Butler rules + stage-based triggers — can be extended with Make.com or Zapier for deeper integrations like CRM sync, Slack notifications, invoice generation, or Google Sheets reporting dashboards.