# linear-sdk-scripting

Interacts with Linear issues and projects by running Node scripts via @linear/sdk. Works directly in the terminal without a Linear MCP server.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1200 installs · ★ 40
- Author: cline
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/cline/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-07-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/linear-sdk-scripting

## What it does

This skill interacts with Linear using the official `@linear/sdk` package instead of maintaining a persistent MCP server. The agent writes throwaway `.mjs` scripts into a dedicated cache directory and executes them using `node`. You can look up issues, update workflow statuses, inspect cycles, and leave comments without authoring custom GraphQL queries.

Execution sources common shell profiles like `~/.zshrc` or `~/.bashrc` before running Node. Non-interactive shells regularly hide existing environment variables, making `LINEAR_API_KEY` look missing. When an authentication error occurs, the skill helps you set up a personal token and asks for explicit permission before saving secrets to your configuration files.

The setup requires Node 18 or newer for top-level `await`. Older runtimes will fail immediately.

## Requirements
- Works with: Linear

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cline/skills --skill linear-sdk-scripting -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cline/skills --skill linear-sdk-scripting -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cline/skills --skill linear-sdk-scripting -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install cline/skills linear-sdk-scripting
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cline/skills --skill linear-sdk-scripting -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/cline/skills --path skills/linear-sdk-scripting
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cline/skills --skill linear-sdk-scripting -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/cline/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- manage Linear issues and project states without running an MCP server
- fetch assigned tickets, projects, and team cycles straight from the terminal
- create and update Linear comments through direct SDK calls
- source `LINEAR_API_KEY` properly across non-interactive shell runs

## Example prompts
- List my assigned Linear issues for the current cycle
- Create an issue in Linear for the backend team about the login bug
- Find issue PROJ-123 and update its state to Done

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: c363d27a860420b1.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE c363d27a860420b1
```text
---
name: linear-sdk-scripting
description: Perform actions in Linear (read, create, update, search issues, projects, comments, teams, cycles, labels, etc.) by writing and running small Node scripts against the official @linear/sdk TypeScript SDK with a personal API key. Use this when the user wants to do Linear work from the terminal without the Linear MCP server, or asks to list/open/create/update/close Linear issues, leave comments, or query teams, projects, users, or workflow states.
---

# Linear SDK Scripting

Drive Linear through the official TypeScript SDK (`@linear/sdk`) by writing throwaway Node scripts and executing them. This replaces the Linear MCP server: anything the MCP can do (read issues, create issues, comment, change status, query teams/projects/cycles) you do here by calling SDK methods.

The SDK is preferred over hand-written GraphQL because pagination, relationship traversal, and mutation payloads are normalized, and method and input names are predictable. When you need a field or filter you do not know, consult the docs index in `references/docs-index.md` and fetch the specific page rather than guessing.

## Workflow at a glance

Be reactive: try the script first, recover on auth failure, and only create a key as a last resort. Do not gate on `$LINEAR_API_KEY` being set in the current shell, that variable is almost always empty here even when a valid key is already persisted (see Setup).

1. Make sure the SDK is installed in the working dir. See Setup.
2. Write a small `.mjs` script into the working dir that imports `LinearClient` and does the task.
3. Run it with `node`, sourcing the shell profiles first so a persisted key is picked up (see Execution pattern).
4. If it fails with a 401 / `AuthenticationLinearError`, source the shell profiles and retry once. Only if it still fails is the key actually missing or invalid: run the API key setup flow with the user.

## Setup

### 1. Personal API key

The SDK authenticates with a Linear personal API key read from the `LINEAR_API_KEY` environment variable.

Do not decide whether a key exists by checking the env var up front. Scripts here run in a non-interactive, non-login shell that does not source `~/.zshrc`, `~/.zshenv`, `~/.bashrc`, etc., so `$LINEAR_API_KEY` reads as empty even when a valid key is already persisted in one of those files. An empty variable in this shell does not mean the key is unconfigured.

Instead, let the script attempt the work (the Execution pattern sources the profiles first), and only treat the key as missing if it still auth-fails after that. See Handling auth failures.

Only when the key is genuinely missing, guide the user through creating one:

1. Open Security and access settings: https://linear.app/settings/account/security
2. Under Personal API keys, create a new key. Copy it (it starts with `lin_api_`).
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE c363d27a860420b1

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First 2858 of 9523 bytes. © cline · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/cline/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/linear-sdk-scripting/SKILL.md

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