Vestaboard is a split-flap message board: 132 flaps in a 6x22 grid.
TRMNL can drive a Vestaboard the same way it drives an ePaper screen. Build a playlist, schedule the rotation, and new dashboards will update automatically with fresh data.
Connecting Vestaboard to TRMNL does not require a Vestaboard+ subscription. [There is just a one-time, $50 lifetime license fee to the TRMNL platform]
Prerequisites
Vestaboard Flagship device (Vestaboard Note coming soon)
BYOD license (one-time fee)
Step 1 - Add your board to TRMNL
Claim your BYOD license to add your Vestaboard to either a new or existing TRMNL account. Give it a name, then open your Devices > Settings and set Device Model to Vestaboard.
Step 2 - Create a Vestaboard API token
Open the Vestaboard app on your phone or web.vestaboard.com. Visit Settings, then Advanced Settings, then Cloud API.
Click Create New Token, name it TRMNL, keep Read/Write checked and click Create Token.
Copy the token, Vestaboard only shows it once. If you lose it, just delete and make a new one.
Step 3 - Connect TRMNL to your board
Back in TRMNL, open your device settings (top right dropdown > gear icon) and click Vestaboard API token. Paste the token and click Save.
You'll see a Saved confirmation, then TRMNL will send a welcome screen to your board within a couple of minutes.
Step 4 - Add plugins
Native plugins that work on Vestaboard as of October 2026:
You can also build your own plugins, which are described later in this guide. Below is a sample of what's possible with zero configuration.
Days Left This Year counts the days gone and the days to go.
Weather shows the temperature, how it feels, the conditions, and highs and lows for today and tomorrow. The stripes matches the color of the sky. It works with WeatherAPI and Tempest.
Stock Price shows up to 6 tickers, one per row, with a green or red flap for the day's direction. Set the "change" to either a %-based or points-based calculation.
Motivational Quote centers a new quote and its author. Quotes longer than 16 words are shortened to fit.
Step 5 - You're done!
Based on your device's refresh rate, TRMNL sends a new screen per check-in, for example, every 15 minutes. You can also schedule individual screens to show for 10 minutes, and other screens to show for 4 hours; it's up to you.
Whenever TRMNL pushes a new screen, you'll also be able to see it inside your Vestaboard app's History tab, with the TRMNL label as the message sender.
Design your own board
Most TRMNL plugins are built with HTML and CSS, which split-flap boards cannot process. Vestaboard layouts are built in the Composer instead.
Create a Private Plugin, give it a data source (polling, webhook or static JSON), save it, then click Edit Composition. Assuming your Vestaboard is set as your current device (see top-right dropdown), the Composer opens as a 6x22 board.
Text layers take Liquid, so {{ shop }} or a {% for %} loop fills in from your plugin's data. The Variables panel lists everything you can use.
Paint snaps to the 8 flap colors. Inside text, {63} to {69} place a red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet or white flap.
Characters the board cannot show are listed under Content and stay blank on the board.
Preview (top-right) sends the layout to your board right away.
If you publish your plugin as a recipe, other Vestaboard owners can install it. You can even get paid for your work. The recipe gallery will automatically filter for plugins that have a compatible Vestaboard layout.
About refresh rates
TRMNL checks in for your board once per refresh rate, 15 minutes by default, and sends the next playlist item. Change it under Refresh rate on the device page.
Playlist schedules and Smart Skip work as they do on an ePaper device. If the next screen is identical to the one on your board, TRMNL skips the send. Vestaboard drops messages sent more often than once every 15 seconds, so very short refresh rates are not useful.
Limitations
Only the Flagship model is supported for now, but we'll add the Note as soon as someone requests it.
Framework HTML and CSS do not apply. Use the Composer editor.
Sleep mode is not supported. Use Quiet Hours in the Vestaboard app instead.
Plugins without a Vestaboard layout are not offered on your board, but we're happy to add support. Let us know which plugins you need.
Troubleshooting
Nothing reaches my board after I saved the token.
Confirm the token was created with Write access, then wait a couple of minutes. If the device page still says the token is not set, paste it again and click Save.
A message I sent from the Vestaboard app disappeared.
TRMNL replaces it at the next check-in that has something new to show. To keep your own messages up longer, raise the refresh rate on the device page.
Some characters show as blank flaps.
Vestaboard has letters, digits and a small set of symbols. Emoji and accented letters are left blank. The Composer lists them under Content so you can catch them before you send. See all supported characters here.