Linear GRAPHQL Tool

Linear GraphQL Tool

Use this skill to operate the local linear-graphql-tool project safely and predictably.

Core Rules

• Prefer read-only commands first when exploring a workspace.
• Do not persist API keys unless the user explicitly asks. Use env-prefix commands for temporary tests.
• Treat pasted Linear API keys as secrets and recommend rotation after exposure.
• Use --json for agent-readable output.
• Ask before creating, updating, commenting on, or moving real Linear issues unless the user clearly requested the write.
• Avoid noisy output. Return identifiers, titles, URLs, state, assignee, project, and next action.

Project Setup

From the project root:

npm install
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run build

For persistent local setup:

cp .env.example .env

Set at least:

LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_xxx
LINEAR_DEFAULT_TEAM=IS

For temporary usage without writing .env:

LINEAR_API_KEY='lin_api_xxx' npm run cli -- --json team list

Validate Access

Run:

npm run cli -- config check
npm run cli -- --json team list
npm run cli -- --json workflow list --team IS
npm run cli -- --json issue search --team IS --limit 3

If using a temporary key, prefix each command:

LINEAR_API_KEY='lin_api_xxx' npm run cli -- --json issue search --team IS --limit 3

CLI Operations

Search issues:

npm run cli -- --json issue search "login" --team IS --status "In Progress" --limit 10

View an issue:

npm run cli -- --json issue view IS-123

Create an issue:

npm run cli -- --json issue create --title "Fix webhook retry path" --team IS --label Bug --priority 2

Update an issue:

npm run cli -- --json issue update IS-123 --status Done --assignee user@example.com

Add a comment:

npm run cli -- --json comment add IS-123 --body "Investigated by local agent."

List teams, projects, and workflow states:

npm run cli -- --json team list
npm run cli -- --json project list
npm run cli -- --json workflow list --team IS

Human References

The tool resolves human-friendly references internally:

• issue identifiers: IS-123
• team keys or names: IS, Illegal Studio
• workflow state names: Todo, In Progress, Done
• project names: Elephc, LazyAgent
• assignee email/name or me
• label names

When resolution fails, list the relevant entity type and retry with an exact name or UUID.

HTTP API

Start the server:

npm run serve

Health check:

curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8787/health

Search via HTTP:

curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8787/issue/search \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -H 'authorization: Bearer local-secret' \
  -d '{"team":"IS","limit":5}'

If LINEAR_LOCAL_BEARER_TOKEN is unset, local routes do not require the bearer token. If it is set, all local API routes except /health and /hooks/linear require it.

Queue Workflow

Use the local queue for agent inbox processing:

npm run cli -- --json queue peek
npm run cli -- --json queue pop --lease-ms 300000
npm run cli -- --json queue complete <item-id> --claim-token <token>
npm run cli -- --json queue fail <item-id> --error "temporary failure"

Agent pattern:

1. queue pop to claim one item.
2. Inspect payload.route, payload.data, and Linear identifiers.
3. Perform the requested work.
4. queue complete only after successful handling.
5. queue fail for retryable errors.

Claims expire and recover automatically after their lease.

Webhooks

Configure:

LINEAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_xxx

Run:

npm run cli -- webhook serve

Linear should call:

POST http://<host>:8787/hooks/linear

The server verifies Linear-Signature with HMAC-SHA256 and enqueues routed events such as:

• linear.issue.created
• linear.issue.updated
• linear.issue.assignee_changed
• linear.issue.state_changed
• linear.comment.created
• linear.comment.mention

Programmatic Tool Surface

For TypeScript integrations, import the runtime:

import { createRuntime, loadConfig } from "./src/index.js";

const runtime = createRuntime(loadConfig({ requireApiKey: true }));

await runtime.tools.searchIssues({ team: "IS", limit: 10 });
await runtime.tools.getIssue({ id: "IS-123" });
await runtime.tools.addComment({ issue: "IS-123", body: "Handled by agent." });
await runtime.tools.peekQueue({ limit: 5 });

Prefer these functions when building an MCP bridge or OpenClaw adapter because they return predictable structured data.

Error Handling

Common categories:

• config: missing or invalid env
• auth: invalid Linear key, webhook signature, or local bearer token
• user: invalid input or ambiguous command
• not_found: unresolved issue/team/project/user/label/state
• linear_api: Linear GraphQL/API error

When reporting failure, include the command, high-level error, and the safest next step. Do not dump secrets or full environment values.

Verification Checklist

Before handing off:

npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run build

For runtime checks:

npm run cli -- --json team list
npm run cli -- --json issue search --team IS --limit 1