linear-skills

name	linear-skills
version	1.0.0
description	Lightweight Linear skill for fetching issue details. Returns only essential data (title, description, state, assignee) to optimize context usage compared to full Linear MCP.

Linear Get Issue Skill

Fetch Linear issue details by ID with minimal context overhead.

Quick Start

# Set up your Linear API key
export LINEAR_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

# Search for issues by keyword
python scripts/search_issues.py "filtering"

# Get full details of a specific issue
python scripts/get_issue.py LUDDY-320

# Get JSON output for parsing
python scripts/get_issue.py LUDDY-320 --json

Available Scripts

Two-Part Workflow: Search + Get

Search to find issues, then Get full details of the one you want.

search_issues.py - Find issues

Search Linear issues by keywords in title, description, or ID.

Usage:

python scripts/search_issues.py <query> [--limit N] [--json]

Arguments:

• <query> - Search term (e.g., "filtering", "exercise", "bug")

Options:

• --limit N - Max results (default: 10)
• --json - Output as JSON
• --help - Show help

Output (default - compact list):

Found 3 issue(s):

1. LUDDY-320 - Filtering System - Progressive Disclosure UX
   Status: In Progress | Assignee: Unassigned | Team: LUDDY

2. LUDDY-321 - FilterChip and FilterChipGroup Atoms
   Status: Backlog | Assignee: Unassigned | Team: LUDDY

3. LUDDY-323 - Filter Logic & State Management
   Status: Backlog | Assignee: Unassigned | Team: LUDDY

Then use the identifier from search results with get_issue.py

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get_issue.py - Fetch issue details

Retrieve full Linear issue details including title, description, state, assignee, team, and labels.

Usage:

python scripts/get_issue.py <issue-id> [--json]

Arguments:

• <issue-id> - Linear issue identifier (e.g., ENG-123, DES-45)

Options:

• --json - Output as JSON (for parsing in scripts)
• --help - Show help message

Output (default - human readable):

ENG-123: Fix login bug
Status: In Progress
Priority: High
Assignee: John Doe ([e-mail])
Team: Engineering
Labels: bug, p1

Description:
Users unable to login with SSO on mobile Safari. Started after
the recent auth middleware update.

URL: https://linear.app/workspace/issue/ENG-123/...
Created: 2024-12-15
Updated: 2024-12-16

Output (--json):

{
  "id": "issue_uuid",
  "identifier": "ENG-123",
  "title": "Fix login bug",
  "description": "Users unable to login...",
  "state": {
    "name": "In Progress",
    "type": "started"
  },
  "priority": "High",
  "assignee": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "[e-mail]"
  },
  "team": {
    "name": "Engineering",
    "key": "ENG"
  },
  "labels": [
    {"name": "bug", "color": "#ff0000"}
  ],
  "url": "https://linear.app/...",
  "created_at": "2024-12-15T10:30:00",
  "updated_at": "2024-12-16T14:22:00"
}

Environment Setup

1. Get your Linear API key from Settings > API in your Linear workspace
2. Copy .env.example to .env in the skill directory:

   cp .env.example .env
   

3. Edit .env and add your key:

   LINEAR_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   

Alternative: Export directly without .env:

export LINEAR_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

Note: The script checks for .env in:

1. Skill directory (.claude/skills/linear-skills/.env)
2. Project root (fallback)
3. Current working directory (fallback)

Requirements

• Python 3.9+
• Linear API key (get from workspace Settings > API)
• Zero external dependencies - uses only Python stdlib (urllib, json, argparse)

Installation

No dependencies to install! Just set up your .env file and run.

Why This Skill?

The full Linear MCP can be context-heavy when you only read issues. This lightweight skill:

Benefits:

• Zero Dependencies: Pure Python stdlib
• Lightweight: Direct GraphQL queries, minimal overhead
• Read-Only: Perfect for lookups and searching
• Optimized Output: 3-7 lines by default, JSON on demand
• Context Efficient: Saves significant tokens vs full Linear MCP
• Fast: No SDK initialization, direct API calls

When to use this skill:

• Searching for issues by keyword
• Getting issue details and status
• Quick lookups without modifying anything
• Reducing context overhead

When to use the full Linear MCP instead:

• Creating new issues
• Updating status, assignees, labels, or milestones
• Adding comments or attachments
• Complex workflows that require write access

Examples

Get issue and see description:

python scripts/get_issue.py ENG-123

Parse issue data in a script:

python scripts/get_issue.py ENG-123 --json | jq '.description'

Use with Claude Code: Simply ask: "Get issue ENG-123" and this skill will be invoked automatically.

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Use these scripts directly or let Claude Code invoke them automatically when your request matches the skill description.