Use Other Power-Ups

This guide explains how to enable the List Limits Power-Up in Trello and configure Work in Progress (WIP) limits for your lists. WIP limits help prevent team overload by restricting the number of cards that can exist in a list at any given time, promoting better workflow management and identifying bottlenecks.

Understanding WIP Limits and List Management

Work in Progress (WIP) limits are a fundamental principle of Kanban methodology that help teams focus on completing work rather than starting new tasks. When you set a limit on a Trello list, the system will provide visual indicators when the number of cards exceeds your defined threshold.

The List Limits Power-Up is particularly valuable for:

• Agile and Kanban teams implementing flow-based work management
• Teams looking to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in their workflow
• Organizations wanting to improve delivery predictability and reduce cycle time
• Project managers monitoring team capacity and workload distribution

Prerequisites and Board Access

Before configuring list limits, ensure you have:

• Admin or member permissions on the Trello board where you want to enable Power-Ups
• Access to the board's Power-Ups menu (available in board header)
• Understanding of your team's workflow and appropriate WIP limit numbers

To access the Power-Ups configuration, navigate to your Trello board and locate the board menu options in the header area.

Enable the List Limits Power-Up

1

In the board header, click the three horizontal dots (⋯) overflow menu icon to access the board's configuration options.

2

From the dropdown menu that appears, click on Power-Ups to open the Power-Ups directory. This will display all available integrations and extensions for your board.

3

In the Power-Ups directory, locate the List Limits Power-Up. You can either browse through the available Power-Ups or use the search function to find it quickly. The List Limits Power-Up typically shows an icon representing list management functionality.

4

Click the Add button to install the List Limits Power-Up to your board. The Power-Up will be enabled immediately and its features will become available in your list options.

5

Click the X (Close) button to close the Power-Ups directory and return to your board view. The List Limits Power-Up is now active and ready for configuration.

Configure List Limits

After enabling the List Limits Power-Up, you can set specific card limits for individual lists on your board. This configuration is done per list and can be adjusted as your workflow requirements change.

1

On the list where you want to set a limit, click the three horizontal dots (⋯) menu icon in the list header. This will open the list-specific options menu.

2

From the list options menu, click on Set list limit. This option is now available because you've enabled the List Limits Power-Up. A configuration dialog will appear.

3

In the Maximum cards input field, enter your desired card limit. In this example, we're setting the limit to 5 cards. Choose a number that reflects your team's capacity and workflow requirements.

4

Click the Save button to apply the list limit. The system will immediately start monitoring the number of cards in this list and provide visual feedback when the limit is approached or exceeded.

5

Click the Close popover button or click outside the dialog to return to your board view. The list limit is now active and will be enforced going forward.

Understanding Visual Indicators

Once list limits are configured, Trello will provide visual feedback to help you monitor your WIP limits:

• Lists that exceed their limit will be highlighted with a visual indicator (typically a colored border or background)
• The list header will show the current count vs. limit (e.g., '6/5 cards')
• Team members can easily identify when workflow bottlenecks occur

Best Practices for WIP Limits

Determining Appropriate Limits

Setting effective WIP limits requires understanding your team's capacity and workflow patterns:

• Start with your team size and multiply by 1.5 as a baseline (e.g., 4 team members = 6 card limit)
• Consider the complexity and duration of typical tasks in each list
• Adjust limits based on observed workflow patterns and bottlenecks
• Review and refine limits regularly based on team performance data

Common Implementation Strategies

• Set stricter limits on work-in-progress columns (like 'In Development' or 'Under Review')
• Allow higher limits for backlog and done columns where cards accumulate
• Use pull-based workflow: only move cards forward when capacity is available

Managing and Modifying List Limits

List limits can be adjusted at any time as your team's needs evolve:

• Access the same Set list limit option from the list menu to modify existing limits
• Select Remove in the limit configuration dialog to disable limits for a specific list
• Disable the entire Power-Up from the board menu to remove all list limits

Integration with Other Workflow Tools

The List Limits Power-Up works well alongside other Trello features and Power-Ups:

• Combine with Card Aging Power-Up to identify stale cards that contribute to WIP limit violations
• Use with Bulter automation to create rules that respond to limit violations
• Integrate with time tracking Power-Ups to correlate WIP limits with delivery metrics

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Implementing WIP limits is an iterative process that requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment:

• Regular review of limit violations and their causes
• Team retrospectives to discuss the effectiveness of current limits
• Correlation analysis between WIP limits and delivery metrics (cycle time, throughput)

The List Limits Power-Up provides a foundation for implementing Kanban principles in Trello, helping teams visualize work constraints and optimize their workflow for better predictability and quality.