Most migrations off Trello stall on one question: what will survive the move? This guide answers it for Kavanah precisely, from the importer's code rather than a marketing list. The short version is that Kavanah reads the file Trello produces on every plan, the board's JSON export, and turns a board into a project with its lists, cards and checklists intact. Files, custom fields and automation rules stay behind, and comments are only as complete as Trello's export.
1. Know What Trello's Export Contains
Any board member can export a board as JSON. CSV export is for boards in Premium Workspaces, and Trello's help centre says CSV leaves out comments and, by default, archived cards. The JSON export holds the board's 1,000 most recent actions, comments included, so a busy board's early comments are not in it. A Workspace export, which can include the raw attachment files, needs Premium, and only Workspace admins can create one. Trello also says its own JSON and CSV files cannot be imported back to recreate a Trello board, so treat the export as one-way.
2. What Kavanah Brings Across
Lists become board columns in the same order. Cards become tasks with their name, description and due date. A card's first label becomes the task's tag. Checklist items become the task's checklist, with their done state kept. Archived cards come across as done, in an Archived column. The card's own link and its attachment links are kept as links on the task. Comments in the export become comments. Card members are matched to your workspace by name or email, and any name that matches no one is listed in the import report and left unassigned.
3. What Stays on Trello
Attachment files stay on Trello: Kavanah keeps the link and never downloads the file. Custom fields, Power-Up data, card covers, start dates and automation rules are not read. Only the first label survives, and every task starts at Normal priority. There is no live connection to Trello and no two-way sync; the import is a one-shot copy, and importing the same board a second time is skipped rather than duplicated.
4. The Move, Step by Step
First, invite your team to Kavanah using the names or emails they use in Trello, so members match. Second, export each active board as JSON from the board menu; keep each file under 10 MB and 1,000 cards, archiving finished cards or splitting the board if it is larger. Third, open any project's Integrations tab, choose Trello and pick the file. A preview shows the columns, the card count and which members matched, before anything is written. Fourth, name the project and import; a workspace admin runs this step, and each board becomes a new project. You can also attach the export in chat and ask the agent to import it; it uses the same importer.
5. Rebuild the Rest Deliberately
Recreate the custom fields you report on, add start dates, and link the tasks that block each other. Rebuild Trello automation rules as Kavanah automations and recurring cards as recurring tasks. Where several people shared a card, assign the task to all of them; Kavanah allows several assignees. Keep the Trello exports, and Trello itself, readable as the archive until the team has run a full week in Kavanah.
A Trello migration goes well when you know before you start which parts will move and which you will rebuild. For the full comparison of Kavanah, Trello, Asana and ClickUp, and what each one imports, see our Trello alternative page.
