Navigate Between Trello Views
Learn how to switch between Board, Planner, and Inbox views in Trello, and use the board switcher to navigate your workspace efficiently.
Trello offers multiple views to help you organize and visualize your work in different ways. This guide shows you how to navigate between the Board view, Planner view, and Inbox, plus how to use the board switcher to move between different boards in your workspace.
Understanding Trello's Views
Trello provides three main views to manage your work:
- Board View - The traditional Kanban-style board with lists and cards
- Planner View - A calendar-based view showing cards with due dates and timeline planning
- Inbox View - A centralized location for capturing quick tasks and ideas before organizing them into specific boards
Navigation Overview
From any board in Trello, you can access the main navigation options through the sidebar on the left side of your screen. The navigation panel allows you to switch between different views and access the board switcher.
From your board view, click on Planner in the left navigation sidebar. This will open Trello's Planner view, which displays your cards in a calendar format based on their due dates.
The Planner view shows a split-screen interface with your board's lists on the left and a calendar view on the right. This allows you to see both your traditional board layout and the timeline view of your cards simultaneously. Cards with due dates will appear on the calendar portion.
Click on Inbox in the left navigation sidebar to switch to the Inbox view. The Inbox serves as a central capture point for quick tasks, ideas, and items that you haven't yet organized into specific boards.
The Inbox view provides a simplified interface for capturing and managing unorganized tasks. From here, you can quickly add new items, review captured tasks, and move them to appropriate boards when you're ready to organize them properly.
To navigate between different boards in your workspace, click the board switcher button in the navigation area. This button typically shows the name of your current board and opens a dropdown menu when clicked.
From the board switcher dropdown, you can see all the boards available in your workspace. Click on any board name to quickly switch to that board. This allows you to navigate between different projects or work areas without having to go back to your workspace home page.
After selecting a board from the switcher, you'll be taken to that board's standard view. From here, you can continue working on that board or use the navigation sidebar to switch to other views like Planner or Inbox for that specific board.
When to Use Each View
- Board View - Use for detailed project management, moving cards through workflow stages, and collaborative work on specific projects
- Planner View - Ideal for timeline planning, deadline management, and getting a calendar overview of your project schedules
- Inbox View - Perfect for quick task capture, brain dumps, and collecting ideas before you decide which board they belong on
The navigation sidebar stays consistent across all views, making it easy to switch between different perspectives of your work. You can quickly jump from planning in the Planner view to capturing new ideas in the Inbox, then return to your board for detailed project work.
Navigation Best Practices
- Use the board switcher for quick navigation between different projects or work areas
- Start your workflow in the Inbox to capture ideas quickly, then organize them into specific boards later
- Use Planner view for weekly or monthly planning sessions to get a timeline overview of your work
- Keep the navigation sidebar accessible to quickly switch contexts as your work requires
Summary
Mastering Trello's navigation system allows you to work more efficiently by switching between different views based on your current needs. Whether you're planning timelines in the Planner view, capturing quick ideas in the Inbox, or managing detailed workflows in Board view, the consistent navigation sidebar makes it easy to move between different perspectives of your work.
Try experimenting with each view to discover which perspective works best for different types of work in your projects.
Managing Cards
Learn how to enhance Trello cards by adding labels for organization, setting due dates for scheduling, attaching files, writing descriptions, and creating checklists to track progress.
Progress & Checklist Tracking
Learn how to enhance Trello cards by adding labels for organization, setting due dates for scheduling, attaching files, writing descriptions, and creating checklists to track progress.