Linear

Overview

This skill provides a structured workflow for managing issues, projects & team workflows in Linear. It ensures consistent integration with the Linear MCP server, which offers natural-language project management for issues, projects, documentation, and team collaboration.

Prerequisites

• Linear MCP server must be connected and accessible via OAuth

• Confirm access to the relevant Linear workspace, teams, and projects

Required Workflow

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip steps.

Step 1

Clarify the user's goal and scope (e.g., issue triage, sprint planning, documentation audit, workload balance). Confirm team/project, priority, labels, cycle, and due dates as needed.

Step 2

Select the appropriate workflow (see Practical Workflows below) and identify the Linear MCP tools you will need. Confirm required identifiers (issue ID, project ID, team key) before calling tools.

Step 3

Execute Linear MCP tool calls in logical batches:

• Read first (list/get/search) to build context.

• Create or update next (issues, projects, labels, comments) with all required fields.

• For bulk operations, explain the grouping logic before applying changes.

Step 4

Summarize results, call out remaining gaps or blockers, and propose next actions (additional issues, label changes, assignments, or follow-up comments).

Available Tools

Issue Management: list_issues , get_issue , create_issue , update_issue , list_my_issues , list_issue_statuses , list_issue_labels , create_issue_label

Project & Team: list_projects , get_project , create_project , update_project , list_teams , get_team , list_users

Documentation & Collaboration: list_documents , get_document , search_documentation , list_comments , create_comment , list_cycles

Practical Workflows

• Sprint Planning: Review open issues for a target team, pick top items by priority, and create a new cycle (e.g., "Q1 Performance Sprint") with assignments.

• Bug Triage: List critical/high-priority bugs, rank by user impact, and move the top items to "In Progress."

• Documentation Audit: Search documentation (e.g., API auth), then open labeled "documentation" issues for gaps or outdated sections with detailed fixes.

• Team Workload Balance: Group active issues by assignee, flag anyone with high load, and suggest or apply redistributions.

• Release Planning: Create a project (e.g., "v2.0 Release") with milestones (feature freeze, beta, docs, launch) and generate issues with estimates.

• Cross-Project Dependencies: Find all "blocked" issues, identify blockers, and create linked issues if missing.

• Automated Status Updates: Find your issues with stale updates and add status comments based on current state/blockers.

• Smart Labeling: Analyze unlabeled issues, suggest/apply labels, and create missing label categories.

• Sprint Retrospectives: Generate a report for the last completed cycle, note completed vs. pushed work, and open discussion issues for patterns.

Tips for Maximum Productivity

• Batch operations for related changes; consider smart templates for recurring issue structures.

• Use natural queries when possible ("Show me what John is working on this week").

• Leverage context: reference prior issues in new requests.

• Break large updates into smaller batches to avoid rate limits; cache or reuse filters when listing frequently.

Troubleshooting

• Authentication: Clear browser cookies, re-run OAuth, verify workspace permissions, ensure API access is enabled.

• Tool Calling Errors: Confirm the model supports multiple tool calls, provide all required fields, and split complex requests.

• Missing Data: Refresh token, verify workspace access, check for archived projects, and confirm correct team selection.

• Performance: Remember Linear API rate limits; batch bulk operations, use specific filters, or cache frequent queries.