How do I install the Linear CLI skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add danmestas/linear-cli in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Linear CLI safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Linear CLI?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Linear CLI free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Linear CLI?

danmestas (@danmestas) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Linear CLI by danmestas — Agent Skill

Name: Linear CLI
Author: danmestas

Linear CLI

Use when manipulating Linear issues from the CLI — creating, updating, listing, transitioning, commenting via `acli linear` or the Linear MCP. Triggers: 'create linear issue', 'update issue status', 'list my issues', 'transition to in-progress', 'add comment to LIN-X', '/linear', 'lin issue'.

danmestas bfcbe54 3.1 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

linear-cli: Manipulating Linear Issues from the CLI

Two backends do the same job: the Linear MCP (mcp__linear__* tools) and the acli linear shell command. Prefer MCP when loaded — it has richer schema awareness, doesn't shell out, and surfaces issue / project / cycle structure as typed inputs. Fall back to acli linear when the MCP isn't available.

This skill is the mechanical surface. For judgment about when to create issues, what makes a good title, how to scope a cycle — see the separate linear-method skill. They pair.

Issue ID convention

Linear IDs are <TEAM>-<NUMBER>: INF-42, ENG-901, LIN-7. The team prefix is set per-team in Linear settings; ask the user (or read prior issue refs in the repo) if unsure.

MCP-loaded path (preferred)

When the Linear MCP is loaded, the tools surface as mcp__linear__* — exact names depend on the server build, but typical surface:

Create issue (title, description, team, priority, labels, assignee)
Update issue (status, assignee, priority, labels)
List issues (filtered by team, assignee, status, cycle)
Comment on issue
Get issue (full detail including comments)

Use these directly. They take typed inputs and avoid the parsing fragility of shelling out.

CLI fallback (`acli linear`)

When the MCP isn't loaded, fall back to Atlassian's acli:

# Create an issue
acli linear issue create --team INF --title "Fix X" --description "..." --priority 2

# List issues assigned to me
acli linear issue list --my

# List by team and status
acli linear issue list --team INF --status "In Progress"

# Update status
acli linear issue update INF-42 --status="In Progress"

# Update assignee
acli linear issue update INF-42 --assignee=<user>

# Add a comment
acli linear issue comment INF-42 "Status update: blocked on X"

# Get full issue detail
acli linear issue view INF-42

Status values are workspace-specific (typically Backlog, Todo, In Progress, In Review, Done, Cancelled); pass the exact label as it appears in Linear.

Common patterns

Transitioning to in-progress when starting work: acli linear issue update <ID> --status="In Progress" (or the MCP equivalent). Do this when you actually start, not when you triage.
Comment with PR link on open: acli linear issue comment <ID> "Opened: <PR URL>". Linear auto-links GitHub PRs when the issue ID is in the PR title or body, but an explicit comment makes the timeline more readable.
Filing from a triage conversation: gather title + description + labels in one pass; don't iteratively edit unless the user asks.

What this skill is not

Not a project-management methodology — see linear-method.
Not a substitute for the Linear UI when the user wants to see their board. Use it for hands-on issue manipulation, not for surfacing a dashboard.

---name: linear-clidescription: Use when manipulating Linear issues from the CLI — creating, updating, listing, transitioning, commenting via `acli linear` or the Linear MCP. Triggers: 'create linear issue', 'update issue status', 'list my issues', 'transition to in-progress', 'add comment to LIN-X', '/linear', 'lin issue'.---# linear-cli: Manipulating Linear Issues from the CLITwo backends do the same job: the **Linear MCP** (`mcp__linear__*` tools) and the **`acli linear`** shell command. Prefer MCP when loaded — it has richer schema awareness, doesn't shell out, and surfaces issue / project / cycle structure as typed inputs. Fall back to `acli linear` when the MCP isn't available.This skill is the mechanical surface. For judgment about _when_ to create issues, _what_ makes a good title, _how_ to scope a cycle — see the separate `linear-method` skill. They pair.## Issue ID conventionLinear IDs are `<TEAM>-<NUMBER>`: `INF-42`, `ENG-901`, `LIN-7`. The team prefix is set per-team in Linear settings; ask the user (or read prior issue refs in the repo) if unsure.## MCP-loaded path (preferred)When the Linear MCP is loaded, the tools surface as `mcp__linear__*` — exact names depend on the server build, but typical surface:- Create issue (title, description, team, priority, labels, assignee)- Update issue (status, assignee, priority, labels)- List issues (filtered by team, assignee, status, cycle)- Comment on issue- Get issue (full detail including comments)Use these directly. They take typed inputs and avoid the parsing fragility of shelling out.## CLI fallback (`acli linear`)When the MCP isn't loaded, fall back to Atlassian's `acli`:```bash# Create an issueacli linear issue create --team INF --title "Fix X" --description "..." --priority 2# List issues assigned to meacli linear issue list --my# List by team and statusacli linear issue list --team INF --status "In Progress"# Update statusacli linear issue update INF-42 --status="In Progress"# Update assigneeacli linear issue update INF-42 --assignee=<user># Add a commentacli linear issue comment INF-42 "Status update: blocked on X"# Get full issue detailacli linear issue view INF-42```Status values are workspace-specific (typically `Backlog`, `Todo`, `In Progress`, `In Review`, `Done`, `Cancelled`); pass the exact label as it appears in Linear.## Common patterns- **Transitioning to in-progress when starting work**: `acli linear issue update <ID> --status="In Progress"` (or the MCP equivalent). Do this _when you actually start_, not when you triage.- **Comment with PR link on open**: `acli linear issue comment <ID> "Opened: <PR URL>"`. Linear auto-links GitHub PRs when the issue ID is in the PR title or body, but an explicit comment makes the timeline more readable.- **Filing from a triage conversation**: gather title + description + labels in one pass; don't iteratively edit unless the user asks.## What this skill is not- Not a project-management methodology — see `linear-method`.- Not a substitute for the Linear UI when the user wants to see their board. Use it for hands-on issue manipulation, not for surfacing a dashboard.

Frequently asked questions