Cli Linear

---
name: cli-linear
description: "Manage Linear issues from the command line using the linear CLI. Use when creating, updating, listing, or searching Linear issues, managing projects, cycles, milestones, or initiatives, or making Linear API calls."
allowed-tools: Bash(linear:*), Bash(curl:*)
---

# Linear CLI

A CLI to manage Linear issues from the command line, with git and jj integration.

## Prerequisites

The `linear` command must be available on PATH. To check:

```bash
linear --version
```

If not installed, follow the instructions at:\
https://github.com/schpet/linear-cli?tab=readme-ov-file#install

## Best Practices for Markdown Content

When working with issue descriptions or comment bodies that contain markdown, **always prefer using file-based flags** instead of passing content as command-line arguments:

- Use `--description-file` for `issue create` and `issue update` commands
- Use `--body-file` for `comment add` and `comment update` commands

**Why use file-based flags:**

- Ensures proper formatting in the Linear web UI
- Avoids shell escaping issues with newlines and special characters
- Prevents literal `\n` sequences from appearing in markdown
- Makes it easier to work with multi-line content

**Example workflow:**

```bash
# Write markdown to a temporary file
cat > /tmp/description.md <<'EOF'
## Summary

- First item
- Second item

## Details

This is a detailed description with proper formatting.
EOF

# Create issue using the file
linear issue create --title "My Issue" --description-file /tmp/description.md

# Or for comments
linear issue comment add ENG-123 --body-file /tmp/comment.md
```

**Only use inline flags** (`--description`, `--body`) for simple, single-line content.

## Available Commands

```
linear auth               # Manage Linear authentication
linear issue              # Manage Linear issues
linear team               # Manage Linear teams
linear project            # Manage Linear projects
linear project-update     # Manage project status updates
linear cycle              # Manage Linear team cycles
linear milestone          # Manage Linear project milestones
linear initiative         # Manage Linear initiatives
linear initiative-update  # Manage initiative status updates (timeline posts)
linear label              # Manage Linear issue labels
linear document           # Manage Linear documents
linear config             # Interactively generate .linear.toml configuration
linear schema             # Print the GraphQL schema to stdout
linear api                # Make a raw GraphQL API request
```

## Reference Documentation

- [auth](references/auth.md) - Manage Linear authentication
- [issue](references/issue.md) - Manage Linear issues
- [team](references/team.md) - Manage Linear teams
- [project](references/project.md) - Manage Linear projects
- [project-update](references/project-update.md) - Manage project status updates
- [cycle](references/cycle.md) - Manage Linear team cycles
- [milestone](references/milestone.md) - Manage Linear project milestones
- [initiative](references/initiative.md) - Manage Linear initiatives
- [initiative-update](references/initiative-update.md) - Manage initiative status updates (timeline posts)
- [label](references/label.md) - Manage Linear issue labels
- [document](references/document.md) - Manage Linear documents
- [config](references/config.md) - Interactively generate .linear.toml configuration
- [schema](references/schema.md) - Print the GraphQL schema to stdout
- [api](references/api.md) - Make a raw GraphQL API request

For curated examples of organization features (initiatives, labels, projects, bulk operations), see [organization-features](references/organization-features.md).

## Discovering Options

To see available subcommands and flags, run `--help` on any command:

```bash
linear --help
linear issue --help
linear issue list --help
linear issue create --help
```

Each command has detailed help output describing all available flags and options.

## Using the Linear GraphQL API Directly

**Prefer the CLI for all supported operations.** The `api` command should only be used as a fallback for queries not covered by the CLI.

### Check the schema for available types and fields

Write the schema to a tempfile, then search it:

```bash
linear schema -o "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/linear-schema.graphql"
grep -i "cycle" "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/linear-schema.graphql"
grep -A 30 "^type Issue " "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/linear-schema.graphql"
```

### Make a GraphQL request

**Important:** GraphQL queries containing non-null type markers (e.g. `String` followed by an exclamation mark) must be passed via heredoc stdin to avoid escaping issues. Simple queries without those markers can be passed inline.

```bash
# Simple query (no type markers, so inline is fine)
linear api '{ viewer { id name email } }'

# Query with variables — use heredoc to avoid escaping issues
linear api --variable teamId=abc123 <<'GRAPHQL'
query($teamId: String!) { team(id: $teamId) { name } }
GRAPHQL

# Search issues by text
linear api --variable term=onboarding <<'GRAPHQL'
query($term: String!) { searchIssues(term: $term, first: 20) { nodes { identifier title state { name } } } }
GRAPHQL

# Numeric and boolean variables
linear api --variable first=5 <<'GRAPHQL'
query($first: Int!) { issues(first: $first) { nodes { title } } }
GRAPHQL

# Complex variables via JSON
linear api --variables-json '{"filter": {"state": {"name": {"eq": "In Progress"}}}}' <<'GRAPHQL'
query($filter: IssueFilter!) { issues(filter: $filter) { nodes { title } } }
GRAPHQL

# Pipe to jq for filtering
linear api '{ issues(first: 5) { nodes { identifier title } } }' | jq '.data.issues.nodes[].title'
```

### Advanced: Using curl directly

For cases where you need full HTTP control, use `linear auth token`:

```bash
curl -s -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: $(linear auth token)" \
  -d '{"query": "{ viewer { id } }"}'
```