Linear MCP Server

Connect an AI assistant to Linear for retrieving, creating, and managing issues and projects.

Local serverstdioGo 3

What is the Linear MCP server?

Linear MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Linear directly instead of describing what you should do. Connect an AI assistant to Linear for retrieving, creating, and managing issues and projects.

What you get

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation for the Linear GraphQL API that enables AI assistants to interact with Linear project management systems.

Linear-MCP-Server bridges the gap between Claude (AI assistant) and Linear (project management tool) by implementing the MCP protocol. This allows Claude to:

  • Access to Linear's GraphQL API through MCP tools
  • Authentication via Linear API key
  • Retrieve and modify data related to users, teams, projects, and issues
  • Create, update and comment on issues
  • Add and remove labels
  • Create projects

What the assistant can call

Once Linear is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server
  • Installation — The Installation tool exposed by this server

Setting it up

The server ships on npm as @smithery/cli, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

Configuration and credentials

You will need 3 environment variables: LINEAR_API_KEY, LINEAR_API_TOKEN, YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

  • Node.js (v18+) - NPM or Yarn - Linear API token

Choosing this one

This sits in the planning and project tracking group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Linear's toolset — Prerequisites, Installation — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by emmett-deen; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Linear's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Before you rely on it

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the linear mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
PrerequisitesThe Prerequisites tool exposed by this server.
InstallationThe Installation tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Linear MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear-3": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "LINEAR_API_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Node.js (v18+) - NPM or Yarn - Linear API token
VariableDescriptionRequired
LINEAR_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
LINEAR_API_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Linear to Prerequisites.
  • Use Linear to Installation.

Frequently asked questions

You can retrieve Linear data, create and update issues, add comments, change issue statuses, assign issues, and even create projects and teams, all through your AI assistant.