starting-branch

name	starting-branch
description	ALWAYS use when creating a new branch, starting work on a task, or working on a Linear issue. Handles branch naming, Linear lookup, and branch creation. Do NOT run git switch -c or git checkout -b directly.

Starting a Branch

Overview

Creates a properly named Git branch for a Linear issue or task, following the company branch naming conventions.

Step 1: Determine the Branch Name

With a Linear Issue

If the user provides a Linear issue ID (e.g. STOMAIL-1234):

1. Fetch the issue using the Linear MCP tool (get_issue) to get the title and type
2. Pick the prefix based on issue type: add/, update/, fix/ or any other relevant prefix
3. Generate the branch name: <prefix><ISSUE-ID>-<short-description>
   • Issue ID in the branch name is lowercase (e.g. stomail-1234)
   • Description is kebab-case, derived from the issue title
   • Keep it short but descriptive
   • Example: fix/stomail-7875-mailpoet-subscription-form-block-reloads-site-editor-iframe

Without a Linear Issue

If no Linear issue is provided:

1. Suggest a branch name based on what the user described
2. Ask the user to confirm or provide their own name

Always Confirm

Always present the generated branch name to the user and ask for confirmation before creating it.

Step 2: Create the Branch

Once confirmed, ensure you are on trunk and up to date, then create the branch:

git switch trunk
git pull
git switch -c <branch-name>