How to Delete a List in Trello- Decluttering Your Trello

Whether you are looking for how to delete a list in Trello or looking to make it more aesthetically pleasing with less digital clutter, we’ve got you!

The Trello platform is one of our best productivity tools for project management, so we can share helpful hints with you to make life easier.

If you are a Trello user, you know that Trello is an excellent tool and resource for juggling projects and tasks. We use our Trello workspace for our projects, to-do lists, and sharing tasks with employees and contractors for Arner Adventures.

While Trello is a fabulous home base for keeping your projects, you know that it can get a little cluttered after a while. Decluttering digitally is just as important as decluttering physical items.  If you are worried about deleting lists in Trello, or that information, worry no longer. It is simple, and not as scary as you’d think.

If you are a solopreneur, have a small team, or are a part of an organization and you need to juggle projects, we think the Trello desktop app and the Trello mobile app are so handy to have.  

We’re going to share how to gracefully declutter your boards by removing lists, ensuring a clutter-free and regret-free experience.

What is Trello?

If you stumbled over here because you have never used Trello, let’s talk about what it is. Trello is this amazing online tool – it’s a Kanban-style application for making lists. Kanban is a project management system that originated from the manufacturing processes of Toyota.

It’s all about managing work by visualizing it using boards and cards. Each card represents a task, and these cards move through columns on the board, indicating different stages of the workflow, from “To-Do” to “In Progress” to “Done.” It’s a method designed to enhance efficiency, transparency, and flexibility in handling tasks or projects.

Trello can be tailored to whatever style you want it to be, though. We know some businesses that use it as a database for contacts, and some that use it for to-do lists, removing the items as they go. 

How does Trello Work?

Trello is made up of different pieces. We’ll walk you through each piece that comes together, making it a productivity tool that we count on.

Trello Boards

First up, the boards: the board is your main hub. Each board represents your projects or specific areas you’re working on. For example, you can have a board for one of your businesses and another board for a side hustle.

Trello Lists

Within these boards, you’ve got lists. These could be the stages or categories of your project, like “To-Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.”

Trello Cards

This is where the magic happens- the cards! Can you tell we are productivity nerds?! Each card is a task or something you need to do. You can jazz up these individual cards with details, attachments, due dates, and checklists.

Ohhhh, the checklists! You can even create customized Trello card photos for each one. We have a Trello Cards Template if you’d like to get creative while getting productive!

Trello Lists for the Win!

If you are using the Kanban method, the cards will move to different lists often as your work progresses. Your item starts in “To-Do,” shifts to “In Progress” as someone dives in, and ultimately lands in “Completed” when they’re all wrapped up.

Trello Collaboration

Collaboration is a breeze on Trello. Multiple Trello users can dive into the same boards and cards, assign tasks, chat, and tag team members – it’s a real team effort and you truly feel like it is an office space where everyone is working together. If collaboration isn’t your thing, no biggie. I (shannon) have an entire board that is just for me. I have a number of lists for projects around the home, or goals for myself. 

How to Delete a List in Trello

Now that you are in the know about Trello, let’s get to the simple steps for deleting a list.

Step 1

First, be sure that you want to delete it. Remember, you can have the option to move the list to another card. To delete a list, simply click the three dots beside the list’s name, then choose “Delete List” from the dropdown. Trello will confirm the deletion, so ensure you’re removing the right list. Remember, this action is irreversible, so double-check before cleaning up your boards. Nervous, yeah, we get that. Move to step 2 for some insurance before clicking that delete button.

Step 2

We recommend archiving, instead of deleting.

Unsure if a list is ready for deletion? Opt to “Archive List” instead. This won’t erase the list entirely but will place it in the archive. To do this, click the three dots, then select “Archive List.” If it is an unnecessary list with nothing in it or specific tasks you no longer do, then go ahead and delete it.

Step 3

So, you went the route of archiving, and you want to find something you sent to the archive lists area. To retrieve an archived list, click the “Show Menu” icon, then select “Archived Items.” Choose the list and select “Send to Board” from the dropdown. The list will reappear, marked as “Recovered from Archive.”

Step 4

Ready to say goodbye permanently? Follow Steps 1 and 2, but choose “Delete Permanently.” This removes the list and its cards without a trace. Note that this action is irreversible, so be cautious.

Step 5

Stay Organized. You’ve mastered the art of decluttering your Trello by deleting lists like a Trello super user. You should feel better by simply decluttering your digital workspace. 

Trello is a versatile tool, and these steps cover most scenarios. Declutter with confidence but remember to use the right options. It should be said that all of these steps are much easier to see in the web app. The Trello app also allows these steps to take place, but we think you will feel better if you see the full picture on your laptop or desktop. 

Starting Your Journey with Trello

You found your way to this blog post for a reason. Maybe you were looking for instructions on how to delete a list in Trello, or maybe you are looking for tips on getting started. Either way, we’re glad you are here. 

If you want to get started with Trello, follow these steps:

Step 1

First off, create a Trello account to sign up on Trello’s site or get the app. 

Step 2

Create an account using your email – it’s free to start and you can use the free version as a solopreneur forever if you want.

Step 3

Once you’re in, make your new board – that’s like your project’s HQ. Give it a catchy title and a brief description of what it’s all about.

Step 4

Now, add some lists inside that board. These board lists organize your work – you can name them “to do,” “in progress,” and “Done,” or you can get creative. Have fun by naming your list title. You can use titles like, “Gotta Get Done,” or “These Are in the Bag”. Whatever you want to name your new lists, you can do.

Step 5

Time to get to the nitty-gritty – create cards for each task or job. Drop in details, due dates, files, or checklists to keep things on track. You can upgrade to Trello Power-ups to enhance your experience and even connect Trello to your Google Calendar like we do.

Step 6

Get comfy by moving the cards around. Start in “To-Do” and shift them along as you make progress on tasks. Start by making one under the “To-Do” for “Starting a Trello Board.” Congrats, you can then move that project to done.

Step 7

Invite your team or collaborators to your board. To bring folks on to your board, hit “Share” in the board menu. You can look up a user by name or pop in their email to shoot them an invite. Once you spot them, click their name to add them to the board.

Just a heads up, you might need admin privileges to send out invites, depending on the board’s settings in the top right corner of your board. If this is your board, you have it. If you are a member of a board someone else started, you probably cannot share or invite anyone without the admin of a board, changing the board settings.

Step 8

Give your team members a heads-up! Assign tasks, leave comments, and tag teammates using “@”. For example, we give our Virtual Assistant a shout that we added something she should be aware of by going into the card, list, and/or task by typing “@cindy” and it alerts her of what we want her to know about a particular list or task.

Get Creative

As you get the hang of it, explore some fancy features like labels, due dates, and power-ups to customize your workflow even more. Again, you may need to upgrade to use some of the fancy options, but you can remain on the free version forever.

The free version includes The great thing is that Trello can grow with you and it is super affordable if you need more team collaboration. You can also use Canva to create Trello Board Covers to make them aesthetically pleasing, branded, or just more fun!

That’s the lowdown on starting your Trello journey – dive in and make it your own!

Whether you’re a minimalist enthusiast or a productivity buff, maintaining an organized Trello is key.

So give it a try, and enjoy a cleaner, more efficient Trello experience! Anything else you want to know more about with Trello? Let us know! 

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions