Setting up Trello board permissions and privacy settings requires understanding the platform's multi-layered access controls, which determine who can view, edit, or manage your boards. Trello offers granular options for both individual boards and enterprise-wide settings, allowing administrators to restrict actions like commenting, member invitations, and board visibility. The process begins in the board's Settings menu, where you can adjust permissions for different user roles—including members, observers, admins, and guests—while also controlling whether the board is public, private, or visible only to workspace members. For enterprise users, additional tools like the Admin Dashboard provide centralized control over workspace-wide restrictions, such as domain-based membership requirements and attachment permissions.

Key takeaways from the available sources:

• Board permissions are configured via the Settings menu under "More" on the right side of the board ^[2].
• User roles include Board Admins (marked with a blue chevron), Members (full editing rights), Observers (view-only, available in Premium), and Guests (limited access) ^[2][6].
• Privacy levels include Private (invite-only), Workspace (visible to all workspace members), Organization, and Public (visible to anyone with the link) ^[5][9].
• Enterprise Admins can enforce domain restrictions, board creation/deletion limits, and attachment source controls via the Enterprise Admin Dashboard ^[3].
• Column-level permissions do not exist in Trello; privacy must be managed at the board level ^[7].

Configuring Trello Board Permissions and Privacy

Adjusting Board-Level Permissions and User Roles

Trello’s permission system revolves around assigning roles and restricting actions within a board. To access these settings, open the board menu on the right side, click "More", then select "Settings". Here, you can define who can comment, invite members, or edit cards, with options varying by user type.

User roles in Trello include:

• Board Admins: Identified by a blue chevron on their avatar, they have full control over board settings, membership, and permissions. Only admins can change board visibility or delete the board ^[2].
• Members: Can create, edit, and move cards, as well as invite new members unless restricted by admin settings ^[6].
• Observers: Available in Trello Premium, this role allows users to view and comment on cards but not edit or move them. This is ideal for stakeholders who need visibility without altering workflows ^[6].
• Guests: External users with limited access, often restricted to specific boards or workspaces ^[2].
• Workspace Members: Can join and edit boards without invitations if the board is set to Workspace Visible, unless it’s private ^[2].

Key permission controls include:

• Commenting restrictions: Disable comments entirely, limit them to board members, or allow all Trello users (for public boards) ^[2].
• Member invitations: Restrict the ability to add/remove users to admins only or allow all members to manage invitations ^[2].
• Card editing: By default, members can edit all cards, but admins can limit this by assigning the Observer role to specific users ^[6].
• Inactive users: Trello defines these as accounts that haven’t logged in for 90 days, which admins can monitor or remove ^[1].

For read-only access, Trello does not natively support this at the free tier. The workaround is to:

1. Upgrade to Trello Premium to assign the Observer role ^[6].
2. Alternatively, make the board public but restrict editing to members only, though this exposes the board to anyone with the link ^[10].

Managing Board Privacy and Enterprise-Wide Settings

Board privacy in Trello is set during creation or adjusted later via the board menu > Settings > Visibility. The four privacy levels are:

• Private: Only invited members can view or edit the board ^[5].
• Workspace: Visible to all members of the workspace, but editing rights depend on user roles ^[9].
• Organization: Similar to Workspace but tied to enterprise structures in Trello Enterprise ^[5].
• Public: Visible to anyone with the link, with optional restrictions on who can comment or edit ^[1].

For Trello Enterprise users, the Enterprise Admin Dashboard provides centralized control over:

• Workspace visibility: Admins can prevent workspaces from appearing in search engines or restrict access to specific email domains (e.g., only allowing @company.com addresses) ^[3].
• Board creation/deletion: Restrict these actions to admins only or allow specific teams to create private/public boards ^[3].
• Attachment sources: Limit file uploads to approved services (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) to enhance security ^[3].
• Power-Up administration: Control which third-party integrations (e.g., Slack, Jira) are enabled across boards ^[3][8].

Limitations to note:

• Trello does not support column-level permissions. If a user has access to a board, they can see all columns/lists. Workarounds include:
• Creating separate boards for sensitive information ^[7].
• Using Power-Ups like Hidynotes to hide specific card details ^[7].
• Public boards cannot be made entirely read-only; the closest option is restricting edits to members while allowing public viewing ^[6].

For teams requiring fine-grained control, Trello Premium or Enterprise is recommended, as free plans lack features like the Observer role or domain restrictions ^[3][6].