Trello Due Dates to Google Calendar for Logistics

# Trello Due Dates to Google Calendar - Logistics

## Purpose
Implement to give team members a unified view of their schedule and project deadlines in the calendar they check daily.

## When to Use
Sync Trello card due dates to Google Calendar so your team can see project deadlines alongside their meetings and commitments.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your logistics business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Trello or Zapier)

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## Trello Due Dates to Google Calendar

### Overview
Automatically create Google Calendar events when Trello cards are assigned due dates, giving your team a unified view of project deadlines alongside their meetings and personal commitments.

### Prerequisites
- Trello account (Free or above)
- Google Calendar (personal or Google Workspace)
- Zapier account (Free plan works for a basic single-step Zap)
- A dedicated Google Calendar for project deadlines (recommended)

### Setup Steps

**Step 1: Create a dedicated calendar in Google Calendar**
- Open Google Calendar > Other calendars > Create new calendar
- Name: "Project Deadlines" (or "[Team Name] Deadlines")
- Colour: Choose a distinctive colour (e.g., orange) so deadlines stand out
- Share the calendar with relevant team members

**Step 2: Organise your Trello boards**
Ensure your Trello boards use due dates consistently:
- Set due dates on cards that have firm deadlines
- Use labels to indicate priority (e.g., "Urgent", "This Week", "This Month")
- Assign members to cards so calendar events can be targeted

**Step 3: Create a new Zap in Zapier**
Log in to Zapier and click "Create Zap". Name it "Trello Due Date to Google Calendar".

**Step 4: Configure the Trello trigger**
- App: Trello
- Trigger event: "New Card" or "Card Due Date Changed"
- Account: Connect your Trello account
- Board: Select the specific board (or "All Boards" if you want comprehensive tracking)
- Test: Create a test card with a due date and verify Zapier detects it

**Step 5: Add a filter step**
- Condition: "Due Date" is not empty
- This prevents creating calendar events for cards without due dates

**Step 6: Configure the Google Calendar action**
- App: Google Calendar
- Action event: "Create Detailed Event"
- Account: Connect your Google account
- Calendar: Select your "Project Deadlines" calendar

**Step 7: Map fields**

| Trello Field | Google Calendar Field | Notes |
|-------------|----------------------|-------|
| Card Name | Event Title | Prefix with board name for context: "[Board] Card Name" |
| Due Date | Start Date/Time | Set as the due date |
| Due Date | End Date/Time | Set to 30 minutes after start (reminder block) |
| Card Description | Event Description | Include the full card description |
| Card URL | Event Description (appended) | Link back to the Trello card |
| List Name | Event Description (appended) | Shows which stage the task is in |
| Board Name | Event Description (appended) | Which project this belongs to |
| Label Colours/Names | Event Colour | Map Trello labels to calendar colours if possible |

**Step 8: Set reminder preferences**
In the Google Calendar action:
- Add a reminder: 1 day before (email or pop-up)
- Add a second reminder: 1 hour before (pop-up)
- These reminders ensure team members do not miss approaching deadlines

**Step 9: Test the integration**
1. Create a new Trello card with a due date set to tomorrow
2. Wait 1-2 minutes for the Zap to trigger
3. Open Google Calendar and check the "Project Deadlines" calendar
4. Verify the event appears on the correct date with the right title
5. Click the Trello link in the event description to confirm it opens the card
6. Check that reminders are set correctly

### Error Handling
- **Due date removed:** If a due date is removed from a Trello card, the Google Calendar event remains. Create a separate Zap to delete the calendar event when a due date is cleared.
- **Due date changed:** Use the "Card Due Date Changed" trigger to update the existing calendar event. Match on the Trello Card ID stored in the event description.
- **Past due dates:** Add a filter to skip cards with due dates in the past to avoid cluttering your calendar with historical deadlines.
- **Multiple boards:** If syncing all boards, prefix the event title with the board name to provide context.

### Maintenance
- Review the Project Deadlines calendar weekly and remove events for completed cards
- Update board selections in Zapier when new Trello boards are created
- Clean up old calendar events quarterly
- Remind team members to subscribe to the shared Project Deadlines calendar when they join the team

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**Complexity:** simple | **Setup time:** 10 minutes | **Tools:** Trello, Zapier

Note: This template has been tailored for logistics businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.