How to Migrate from Trello to Jira Without Losing Your Team’s Workflow

Switching project management tools can feel overwhelming—especially when your team relies on Trello boards that are packed with checklists, attachments, and custom labels. But if you’re scaling up, adopting Agile practices, or needing more customization and reporting, moving from Trello to Jira is a smart move.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be a headache. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you migrate from Trello to Jira smoothly, without losing your team’s workflow (or your sanity).

Why Move from Trello to Jira?

Before we dive into the how, let’s look at the why:

• More robust workflow customization

• Agile tools like sprints, backlogs, and epics

• Advanced reporting and dashboards

• Better scalability for growing teams

• Deeper integrations with dev and ops tools
  

Trello is great for getting started. Jira is built for growth.

Step 1: Prep Your Trello Boards

Start by auditing your Trello boards:

• Which boards are still active?

• What workflows do they represent?

• Are there cards, lists, or checklists you can archive?

• Who owns each board and who should be involved in the move?
  

Cleaning up now means less chaos later.

Pro tip: Download backups or export your data as a CSV for reference.

Step 2: Choose the Right Jira Project Type

Jira offers multiple project templates:

• Team-managed projects: Easier to configure, great for non-technical teams

• Company-managed projects: More powerful and scalable, ideal for teams needing governance and advanced customization
  

If you’re unsure, start with a Team-managed project and evolve as needed.

Step 3: Use Jira’s Built-in Trello Importer

Jira has a Trello importer that does the heavy lifting.

1. In Jira, go to Jira Settings > System > External System Import

2. Choose Trello as the source

3. Authenticate with your Trello account and select the board you want to import

4. Map Trello lists to Jira workflow statuses

5. Review your mapping and confirm the import
   

Jira will bring over:

• Cards (as issues)

• Lists (as statuses)

• Labels

• Descriptions and checklists

• Comments and attachments (in most cases)
  

Heads up: Some formatting might not be perfect. You may need to tweak things post-import.

Step 4: Recreate Your Workflows in Jira

Unlike Trello’s flexible board-style lists, Jira is built around statuses and workflows.

Use this time to:

• Define what “Done” means for each team

• Standardize statuses across projects

• Add automation rules (like assigning tasks when they hit “In Progress”)
  

It’s a great chance to refine how work flows.

Step 5: Set Up Boards, Filters, and Dashboards

Trello users love visual boards—and you can recreate that in Jira:

• Kanban or Scrum boards (based on project type)

• Custom filters to display specific issue types, priorities, or labels

• Dashboards with charts, sprint progress, and open issues
  

This helps teams quickly see what’s going on, without feeling like they’ve lost their old boards.

Step 6: Train Your Team

Even the best setup will flop if no one knows how to use it.

• Run a few short walk-through sessions

• Share simple how-to guides

• Let team members explore and ask questions
  

Encourage feedback, and adjust based on how your team works best.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Skipping cleanup: You’ll just move clutter from one tool to another

• Trying to make Jira work exactly like Trello: Embrace the differences—that’s why you're switching

• Not including your team: Get buy-in early to avoid resistance
  

Need a Hand? That’s What We Do.

At Jer-nee, we help teams migrate from Trello to Jira all the time. We handle the messy bits—data mapping, workflow design, team onboarding—so you don’t have to.

Book a consultation and let’s make your move to Jira smooth, strategic, and stress-free.