Using Trello for Genealogy

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

There are many apps that you can use on your phone for genealogy.  One of these is Trello. I like the fact that you can use this on your desktop and on your phone to organize and plan your research.  Let’s look.

The Trello site is quite robust and explains exactly how you can use different features to project manage your research. We all know that as genealogists we get distracted with the latest hint or the newest database. When we come back to a particular family line, unless you keep detailed notes, it can be difficult to know where to pick up your research or writing again.  This is where programs that help you organize and track your genealogy help the most. Of course, the program will be as good as the data that we enter into it…much like when we enter data into our family trees.
 
Trello is organized based on a board, lists and cards. The boards give you a “at a glance” view of your project while lists show the main activities (example, to do, doing, done) and show the cards assigned to various parts of your project. Cards are the various tasks and ideas that you have for a particular part of your project. As you complete items, the cards can be moved to doing or completed as an example. Keep in mind that Trello is designed to be used for individuals (free) to premium with more features to support larger and more complex teams.
 
To learn more about Trello, I would recommend looking at their resource page and the Trello User Guide which walks through how the program works. Trello Guides: Help Getting Started with Trello | Trello.  You may also find this article from FamilyTree Magazine 21 Genealogy and Family Tree Apps for Research On-the-Go (familytreemagazine.com) useful to learn more about Trello and compare other apps and options for your research.
 
I have no affiliation with Trello and with any programs reviewed, please do your own research before downloading and using any app. Everyone has different needs. It’s good to explore new ways for us to organize our research or find ways to track our progress in research and writing our family stories. Happy Organizing!