linear-mcp

MCP.Pizza Chef: cline

linear-mcp is a private MCP server that interfaces with Linear's API, enabling structured management of issues, projects, and teams. It provides authenticated access through API keys, allowing seamless integration with MCP clients like Cline. This server simplifies workflows by exposing Linear data and operations in a model-readable format, facilitating automation and AI-driven project management within the MCP ecosystem.

Use This MCP server To

Manage Linear issues through MCP-enabled workflows Query and update Linear projects programmatically Access and modify Linear team data via MCP clients Automate issue tracking and project updates in Linear Integrate Linear project management into AI copilots Enable real-time Linear data access for AI agents

README

Linear MCP Server

An MCP server for interacting with Linear's API. This server provides a set of tools for managing Linear issues, projects, and teams through Cline.

Setup Guide

1. Environment Setup

  1. Clone the repository
  2. Install dependencies:
    npm install
  3. Copy .env.example to .env:
    cp .env.example .env

2. Authentication

The server supports two authentication methods:

API Key (Recommended)

  1. Go to Linear Settings
  2. Navigate to the "Security & access" section
  3. Find the "Personal API keys" section
  4. Click "New API key"
  5. Give the key a descriptive label (e.g. "Cline MCP")
  6. Copy the generated token immediately
  7. Add the token to your .env file:
    LINEAR_API_KEY=your_api_key
    

OAuth Flow (Alternative) NOT IMPLEMENTED

  1. Create an OAuth application at https://linear.app/settings/api/applications
  2. Configure OAuth environment variables in .env:
    LINEAR_CLIENT_ID=your_oauth_client_id
    LINEAR_CLIENT_SECRET=your_oauth_client_secret
    LINEAR_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:3000/callback
    

3. Running the Server

  1. Build the server:
    npm run build
  2. Start the server:
    npm start

4. Cline Integration

  1. Open your Cline MCP settings file:

    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
    • Windows: %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
    • Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
  2. Add the Linear MCP server configuration:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "linear": {
          "command": "node",
          "args": ["/path/to/linear-mcp/build/index.js"],
          "env": {
            "LINEAR_API_KEY": "your_personal_access_token"
          },
          "disabled": false,
          "autoApprove": []
        }
      }
    }

Available Actions

The server currently supports the following operations:

Issue Management

  • ✅ Create issues with full field support (title, description, team, project, etc.)
  • ✅ Update existing issues (priority, description, etc.)
  • ✅ Delete issues (single or bulk deletion)
  • ✅ Search issues with filtering
  • ✅ Associate issues with projects
  • ✅ Create parent/child issue relationships

Project Management

  • ✅ Create projects with associated issues
  • ✅ Get project information
  • ✅ Associate issues with projects

Team Management

  • ✅ Get team information (with states and workflow details)
  • ✅ Access team states and labels

Authentication

  • ✅ API Key authentication
  • ✅ Secure token storage

Batch Operations

  • ✅ Bulk issue creation
  • ✅ Bulk issue deletion

Bulk Updates (In Testing)

  • 🚧 Bulk issue updates (parallel processing implemented, needs testing)

Features in Development

The following features are currently being worked on:

Issue Management

  • 🚧 Comment functionality (add/edit comments, threading)
  • 🚧 Complex search filters
  • 🚧 Pagination support for large result sets

Metadata Operations

  • 🚧 Label management (create/update/assign)
  • 🚧 Cycle/milestone management

Project Management

  • 🚧 Project template support
  • 🚧 Advanced project operations

Authentication

  • 🚧 OAuth flow with automatic token refresh

Performance & Security

  • 🚧 Rate limiting
  • 🚧 Detailed logging
  • 🚧 Load testing and optimization

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run tests
npm test

# Run integration tests (requires LINEAR_API_KEY)
npm run test:integration

# Build the server
npm run build

# Start the server
npm start

Integration Testing

Integration tests verify that authentication and API calls work correctly:

  1. Set up authentication (API Key recommended for testing)
  2. Run integration tests:
    npm run test:integration

For OAuth testing:

  1. Configure OAuth credentials in .env
  2. Remove .skip from OAuth tests in src/__tests__/auth.integration.test.ts
  3. Run integration tests

linear-mcp FAQ

How do I authenticate the linear-mcp server?
You authenticate using a Linear personal API key added to the .env file; OAuth is not implemented yet.
Can I use linear-mcp with any MCP client?
Yes, it is designed to work with MCP clients that support server integration, such as Cline.
What Linear entities can I manage with linear-mcp?
You can manage issues, projects, and teams through the server's API.
Is OAuth authentication supported?
No, OAuth flow is mentioned but not implemented; API key authentication is recommended.
How do I set up the linear-mcp server?
Clone the repo, install dependencies, copy .env.example to .env, and add your Linear API key.
Can linear-mcp handle real-time updates from Linear?
The server exposes Linear data for MCP clients but does not specify real-time push updates.
What programming environment is required?
Node.js environment with npm to install dependencies as per setup guide.
Is linear-mcp open source?
Yes, it is available on GitHub as a private MCP server for Linear integration.