Linear Manager

A comprehensive skill for managing Linear issues, projects, teams, and workflows using the Linear API.

When to use this skill

Use this skill whenever the user:

• Mentions Linear or Linear issues
• Wants to create, view, update, or search for issues
• Needs to check their assigned tasks or team's workload
• Wants to manage projects or view project status
• Needs to interact with Linear's workflow (teams, labels, states, etc.)

Prerequisites

This skill requires:

1. The @linear/sdk npm package (should be installed in the project)
2. A LINEAR_API_KEY environment variable or .env file with the API key
3. The linear.mjs script located at scripts/linear.mjs

Available commands

The Linear CLI script provides these commands:

View user information

npm run linear viewer

Shows authenticated user details (name, email, ID, admin status).

List teams

npm run linear teams

Lists all teams with their names and keys (e.g., PRVT, DWA).

View recent issues

npm run linear issues [limit]

Shows recent issues across all teams. Optional limit parameter (default: 10).

Example:

npm run linear issues 25  # Show 25 most recent issues

View assigned issues

npm run linear my-issues [limit]

Shows issues assigned to the authenticated user. Optional limit parameter (default: 20).

Example:

npm run linear my-issues 10  # Show my 10 most recent issues

List projects

npm run linear projects

Shows all projects with their names, status, and descriptions.

List labels

npm run linear labels

Shows all available issue labels.

Create an issue

npm run linear create-issue <team-key> <title> [description]

Creates a new issue in the specified team.

Example:

npm run linear create-issue PRVT "Buy groceries" "Need milk and eggs"

Get help

npm run linear help

Shows all available commands and usage instructions.

Best practices

When creating issues

1. Always verify the team key first by running npm run linear teams
2. Use clear, descriptive titles
3. Include relevant context in the description
4. Confirm the issue was created by checking the returned URL

When querying issues

1. Start with a reasonable limit (10-20) to avoid overwhelming output
2. If the user wants to see specific issues, consider filtering by team or status
3. Always show the issue URL so the user can easily access it in their browser

Error handling

• If the LINEAR_API_KEY is not set, the script will show a clear error message
• If a team key is not found, the script will list available teams
• Network errors will be caught and displayed with helpful messages

Examples

Example 1: Check what's on your plate

npm run linear my-issues 5

Claude should:

1. Run the command
2. Parse the output to show a clean summary
3. Highlight any urgent or blocked issues
4. Offer to help with any issues if needed

Example 2: Create a new task

# First verify the team key
npm run linear teams

# Then create the issue
npm run linear create-issue PRVT "Prepare Q4 presentation" "Create slides for quarterly review meeting"

Claude should:

1. Confirm the team key exists
2. Create the issue with appropriate title and description
3. Report the success and provide the URL
4. Optionally ask if the user wants to add labels or assign it

Example 3: Check team workload

npm run linear issues 20

Claude should:

1. Run the command
2. Analyze the output to identify patterns (which team has most issues, common states)
3. Provide insights about the team's current focus
4. Suggest next actions if appropriate

Advanced usage

Direct script execution

If npm scripts are not available, the script can be run directly:

cd "~/Documents/LLM CONTEXT"
node scripts/linear.mjs <command> [args]

Environment variables

The script automatically loads .env from the project root. Alternatively, set the environment variable directly:

LINEAR_API_KEY=your_key_here npm run linear viewer

Extending functionality

The linear.mjs script can be extended with additional commands. To add new functionality:

1. Open scripts/linear.mjs
2. Add a new command to the commands object
3. Follow the existing patterns for error handling and output formatting
4. Update the help command with the new command documentation
5. Update this SKILL.md file with the new command details

Troubleshooting

"LINEAR_API_KEY environment variable is required"

• Ensure .env file exists in ~/Documents/LLM CONTEXT/
• Verify the file contains: LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_...
• Check that .env is not in .gitignore (it should be for security)

"@linear/sdk not found"

• Run: npm install @linear/sdk in the project directory

"Team with key X not found"

• Run npm run linear teams to see valid team keys
• Team keys are case-sensitive (e.g., PRVT, DWA)

Script not found

• Verify scripts/linear.mjs exists
• Check that the script is executable: chmod +x scripts/linear.mjs

Security notes

• The LINEAR_API_KEY grants full access to your Linear workspace
• Never commit the .env file to version control
• The .env file is automatically added to .gitignore
• API keys should be treated as sensitive credentials

Integration tips

This skill works well with:

• Daily standup routines (check my-issues at start of day)
• Project planning (create multiple issues in sequence)
• Status reporting (analyze recent issues for updates)
• Task management workflows (create, update, track issues)
• Team coordination (check team workload and assignments)