Create Trello Applications using Spreadsheet Calculations

Most businesses use Excel spreadsheets to build applications and automate various business calculations. Sales quoting, ROI calculators, product configurators, rules engines are only few examples of such applications. Our Trello integration supports two types of applications; API-based Applications and UI-based Applications.
With our API-based Applications, you can build an interface to run these applications directly from your Trello board. You can map inputs and outputs to existing Trello or create new ones. While all user interface and data fields stays on Trello, backend spreadsheet calculations are handled by SpreadsheetWeb.
With UI-based Applications; you can utilize the user interface and additional features of an existing Designer application created on SpreadsheetWeb. For this integration, you need a Trello account and a SpreadsheetWeb account. If you are just evaluating, you can signup for a free 14-day SpreadsheetWeb trial account here. Let’s get started:

A. API-Based Applications

1. Upload your Excel File to SpreadsheetWeb

Let’s assume we have complex Excel file to calculate shipping costs for a specialized equipment delivery. Sales people need to run this Excel file to calculate shipping cost and add it to their quotes. They enter Origination ZIP, Destination ZIP, and Weight. It calculates the shipping cost through various calculations built into the Excel file. Instead of running these calculations in Excel, we want this application available inside Trello. We also want Destination ZIP to come directly from a contact’s postal code in Trello.

First, upload this Excel file to your SpreadsheetWeb account. Let’s assume you signed up for a trial account. Login to your trial account and press Create Application button. Drag and drop the Excel file and press Next:

Select Access API on the next screen:

Copy API Endpoint and Application Key. You will need them later.

2. Install SpreadsheetWeb from Trello App Marketplace

Simply login to your Trello account and click card on a board. Select Power-Ups, then search and install “SpreadsheetWeb”. Click Allow when prompted. SpreadsheetWeb will be added to the active board.

3. Create your Trello Application

Go back to your Trello card once SpreadsheetWeb is activated. Select SpreadsheetWeb under Power-Ups, and click Manage Applications.

This will load the Applications list. Press Add New Application button to create your first application. Enter the name for your application. Then copy and paste the API Endpoint and Application Key fields from Step a. This is how the application will match your Trello Power-Up to the Excel file running on SpreadsheetWeb.

Next step is to add inputs and output  and map them to the Excel file. Press Add New Input and enter a name as Trello Name. This is the name that will appear in your application. Enter the cell name from Excel file as SpreadsheetWeb Name. If there is no name defined for that cell, you can also enter the cell reference i.e. Input!B2. But make sure the cells match the Excel file. This will create new columns on your card.

If an input field already exists in your board, you can click Add Existing Input button and select it from dropdown list. Once you are done entering inputs, press Add New Output button. Enter a Trello Name. As SpreadsheetWeb name, make sure to enter that formula cell’s name i.e. cost, or its cell reference Input!B7. Finally, press Save to save the application.

Congratulations! You have just created your first application.

3. Run your Trello Application

Now that you’ve created your first application, next step is to run it. Click on the SpreadsheetWeb Power-Up. This will load the application selection page. Select the name of your application to load the input and output fields you have created. Enter Origination Zip, Destination Zip, and Weight inputs. Then press Calculate. This will send all inputs to SpreadsheetWeb and return the calculated cost to be populated into the output (Cost) field. You can change inputs and press Calculate to rerun the calculations as many times as you want. When done press the Save button to save this information.

The saved data is also available under the item’s columns as seen below. Once added into the card, you can edit any of the input or output fields directly from this page without going into the SpreadsheetWeb Power-Up.

Watch the video below for a step-by-step guide.

B. UI-Based Applications

1. Install SpreadsheetWeb from Trello Marketplace

Log into your Trello account. Click card on a board. Select Power-Ups, then search and install “SpreadsheetWeb”. Click Allow when prompted. SpreadsheetWeb will be added to the active board.

2. Embed your SpreadsheetWeb application into Trello

Next step is to add inputs and output  and match them to the SpreadsheetWeb Application. Go back to your Trello card once SpreadsheetWeb is activated. Click on Custom Fields button after you selected your card and click on New Field button. The custom field type should match to the input/output type in your Designer application, so if you have checkbox input/output in the SpreadsheetWeb application you should also create Checkbox custom field in Trello. Then give it name and click on Create button This is the name that will appear in your application.

Select SpreadsheetWeb under Power-Ups, and click Manage Applications. This will load the Applications list.

Press Add New Application button to create your first application. Enter the name for your application. Then, copy and paste the Application Link and Application Identifier fields from the SpreadsheetWeb Control Panel. This is how the application will match Trello properties to the Excel file running on SpreadsheetWeb.

You can find the Application Link and Application Identifier by pressing the blue Edit Application button on the Control Panel if you have a paid SpreadsheetWeb account.
If you have a trial account, you can find the Application Identifier from the screenshot below. Make sure your application is published and copy its published link as Application Link.

Congratulations! You have just created your first application. Click on the SpreadsheetWeb Power-Up. This will load the application selection page. Select the name of your application to load the input and output fields you have created. The system will load the application interface with any preset data. You can change the values, trigger the calculations to get results and use any other feature within the application, such as export to PDF or email notifications.

3. How to test your Trello– SpreadsheetWeb integration

If you don’t have a SpreadsheetWeb account, you can still test it from your Trello account. Make sure to install our integration as described above and follow the steps below:

1. Click on a card and create the following two numeric Cuatom Fields in Trello as;
– Age
– Total Premium

2. Enter any number between 18-100 for the Age input.

3. Click on the SpreadsheetWeb Power-Up. This will load the applications list.

4. Press Add New application.

5. Enter below for application settings. This is a life insurance quoting demo application built on SpreadsheetWeb from an Excel spreadsheet.
Application Name: enter a friendly name
Application Link: https://www2.spreadsheetweb.com/Designer/a/Term-Life-App
Application Identifier: e94e4a83-704e-47f3-a96d-21f9fb9c41cf

6. Press Auto Populate to automatically add inputs and outputs. It will add and connect Age under Inputs and Total Premium under Outputs sections.

7. Hit Save to save the application.

8. Click on the SpreadsheetWeb Power-Up. Select the name of your application to run it.

9. Once the application loads, you confirm that Age input is populated by the custom Age input from Trello.

10. You can change inputs and have the Total Premium recalculated.

11. When done, press Submit button to capture the results received from SpreadsheetWeb.

12. Close the application window and confirm that custom property Total Premium for this contact is updated by the Total Premium calculated by the SpreadsheetWeb application.