How I Organize Website Work in Trello

My web development Trello workflow uses five lists: Ideas & Planning, Ready to Build, In Progress, Review & Testing, and Complete. The list names describe a decision about the work. Moving a card means the card now meets the next list's conditions.

The board holds technical work, content, deployment follow-ups, and external tasks. I keep evidence on the card so status does not depend on memory.

Capture ideas without approving them

Ideas & Planning accepts rough problems, requests, and research. A card can be incomplete here. I add the source and enough context to avoid losing the reason it exists.

I review ideas before they become commitments. Duplicates merge, unsupported ideas close, and broad work splits into outcomes that can be verified.

Define Ready to Build

A ready card states the user or business problem, desired behavior, constraints, relevant links, and completion checks. Content cards include search intent and evidence rules. Technical cards name the affected system and validation commands.

Missing authority or a product decision keeps the card in planning. Ready work should not begin with a week of guessing.

Limit In Progress

I move a card into In Progress when active implementation begins. I keep the number low enough that each task receives focus and a clear owner. Blocked work records the blocker and returns attention to another ready item.

Subtasks live in a checklist when they support one outcome. Independent deliverables get separate cards so one unfinished item does not hide behind a mostly checked list.

Use Review and Testing for evidence

The card records changed files or live URLs, test commands, results, deployment commit, screenshots where useful, and remaining human decisions. "Implemented" and "complete" are different states.

A reviewer can compare the result with the original acceptance checks. New requirements become follow-up cards rather than silently expanding the review.

Complete only verified work

I move a card to Complete after required tests pass, production or draft state matches the request, and outstanding actions have owners elsewhere. The description summarizes the result and evidence.

External waiting tasks may stay in Review & Testing even after my implementation is done. Their card should state the manual or third-party action clearly.

Maintain the board

I archive obsolete cards, merge duplicates, and update stale descriptions when the live system changes. A weekly scan catches cards whose list no longer matches reality.

• Ideas are not commitments.
• Ready cards have acceptance checks.
• Work in progress stays limited.
• Review cards contain evidence.
• Complete cards reflect the live result.

Need help putting this into practice?

Terry Hunt Dev uses this process for website, application, and cloud work. If your project backlog hides what is built and what still needs review, request help through the contact page.