Card Reference Fields in Amazing Fields for Trello
Card Reference fields let you link a Trello card to one or more other cards, on the same board or across different boards. This turns your Trello setup into a connected, database-style system without leaving Trello.
You'll need this when related data lives on separate boards. For example, linking a project card to a customer card, or a task card to a team member card.
Note: Card reference fields are available to supporters on the Advanced and Ultimate tiers. If you're on the free plan, upgrade to unlock this feature.
What is a Card Reference Field?
A Card Reference field creates a direct, clickable link between cards. Instead of duplicating information across boards or burying it in card descriptions, you maintain one source of record and reference it wherever needed.
Think of each board as a database table and each card as a row. Card Reference fields are the relationships between those tables.
See Card References in Action: Create a board from the Amazing Card References template.
How to add a card reference field
- Open Amazing Fields Settings by clicking the Amazing Fields icon in the top-right corner of the board.
- Click "+ Add" to add your card reference field.
- Hover over "Advanced Fields."
- Select "Card Reference" from the list.
- Give the field a name, for example, "Customer" or "Team Members".
- Set any standard options for display, layout, visibility, and permissions. These work the same as any other field type.
- Scroll down to the Card Reference Settings section to configure the source and behavior of the field.
The Card Reference Settings section contains the options that control which cards a user can link to. For full details on these settings, see card reference field settings explained.
Viewing and editing card references
Once a Card Reference field is configured, here is what users see when they open a card:
- View linked cards: Referenced card names appear directly in the field on the card details panel.
- Open a linked card: Click any referenced card name to open its full details in a new tab.
- Edit the reference: Click the edit icon or the field background (if you have edit rights on the board) to open the selector and choose which cards to link.
Example use cases
Card Reference fields are flexible and suit a wide range of workflows:
- Project Management: Link each project card to the relevant customer, team members, and goals stored on separate boards.
- CRM: Maintain a Customers board and reference those cards from any project, task, or document board.
- Product Tracking: Keep a Products board and reference products from invoice or request cards.
- Property Management: Link each property card to its associated agents, managers, and customers.