How to Migrate from Trello to Asana (Step-by-Step)
Teams migrate from Trello to Asana when they outgrow Trello's simplicity and need features like Timeline view, task dependencies, Portfolios, and more advanced reporting. The migration is straightforward technically but requires thoughtful mapping of Trello concepts to Asana's richer structure.
This guide covers the complete Trello-to-Asana migration: export, import, board mapping, and team adoption.
Step-by-step guide
Export your Trello data
In Trello, open the board you want to migrate. Click the board menu (three dots) > More > Print and Export > Export as JSON. Repeat for each board. The JSON file contains all cards, checklists, labels, members, due dates, and comments. Save all JSON files to a migration folder.
Map Trello concepts to Asana
Write out the mapping before importing: Trello Boards → Asana Projects, Trello Lists → Asana Sections, Trello Cards → Asana Tasks, Trello Checklists → Asana Subtasks, Trello Labels → Asana Tags, Trello Power-Ups → Asana Custom Fields (manual configuration). This mapping guide becomes the team's reference during the transition.
Use Asana's Trello import
In Asana, go to your workspace > + (add project) > Import > Trello. Asana's Trello importer connects via Trello OAuth. Select the board to import. Asana creates a new project with sections corresponding to Trello lists and tasks corresponding to Trello cards. Comments, due dates, and members migrate automatically.
Enhance imported projects with Asana features
After import, configure Asana-specific enhancements: add Custom Fields (Story Points, Priority, Epic Link), set up Task Dependencies (not available in Trello), switch to Timeline view to add start dates (Trello only has due dates), and add the project to a Portfolio. These steps elevate the imported Trello data to full Asana capability.
Migrate Power-Up data manually
Trello Power-Up data (story points from the Points Power-Up, custom fields from the Custom Fields Power-Up) does not migrate automatically. Review the Trello JSON export for Power-Up data fields and manually add the data as Asana Custom Field values for your most important tasks.
Run team training
Schedule a 45-minute training session covering: Asana navigation, the key differences from Trello, Timeline view setup, and common workflows the team performs. Focus on the 5 most common actions: creating tasks, moving tasks between sections, adding subtasks, setting dependencies, and using the Portfolio view.
Archive Trello boards after 30 days
Keep Trello boards readable for 30 days after migration so the team can reference old card comments and attachments. After 30 days, archive the Trello boards. Export one final JSON backup before archiving. Cancel the Trello subscription after the archive.
Common mistakes
Importing all archived Trello cards
Archived Trello cards should not be imported into active Asana projects. They create backlog noise. Import only active cards from in-use lists.
Not using Timeline view after migration
Teams that migrate to Asana but continue using only Board view miss the key advantage of the migration. Timeline view with task dependencies is the primary reason to move from Trello. Configure it in the first week.
Forgetting checklist migration
Trello checklists become Asana subtasks during import. Verify that acceptance criteria from Trello checklists migrated correctly as Asana subtasks before decommissioning Trello.
Tips
The Asana Trello importer handles most data well — verify comments and attachments post-import
Create an Asana "Getting Started" project for the team with tasks walking through key Asana features
Use the Asana free plan for team members who only need to view tasks and update status
Move critical Trello card attachments to Asana tasks manually — attachment URLs in Trello JSON may not be accessible post-migration
How Vantage helps
If you are migrating to Asana to improve your product planning workflow, Vantage can generate Asana-ready tickets from PRDs. The combination of Vantage for requirements and ticket generation with Asana for execution tracking replaces the Trello workflow entirely with a more powerful PM stack.