Is Linear CLI an official Linear product?

No. Linear CLI is a community-built open-source tool by schpet (Peter Schilling). It is not maintained by Linear the company. However, it is the most popular Linear CLI with 455 stars on GitHub and is actively maintained with regular releases. Linear does not offer its own CLI tool.

How do you authenticate Linear CLI?

Create a personal API key at linear.app/settings/account/security (requires member access, not available for guest accounts). Then run linear auth login and paste your key. Credentials are stored in your OS keyring (macOS Keychain, Linux libsecret, Windows Credential Manager) as of v1.11.0. For multi-workspace setups, see the authentication docs.

Does Linear CLI work with Jujutsu (jj)?

Yes. Set vcs to jj in your .linear.toml config or LINEAR_VCS environment variable. The CLI detects issues from Linear-issue trailers in jj commit descriptions. Use linear issue start to automatically add the trailer, or add it manually with jj describe.

Can AI agents use Linear CLI?

Yes. The CLI includes a Claude Code skill that you can install via the plugin marketplace. For other agents, install the skill via skills.sh. The skill provides structured instructions for creating issues, updating status, and managing workflows programmatically.

How is this different from Linear's MCP server?

Linear CLI is a terminal tool for human developers that also works with agents. Linear's official MCP server is an AI-native integration that lets agents interact with Linear data directly via the Model Context Protocol. Use the CLI if you want terminal workflows like branch creation and PR generation. Use the MCP server if you only need agent-to-Linear data access.

Linear CLI

455 stars

open-source macOS Cross-platform Actively maintained

Manage Linear issues, branches, and PRs from the terminal. Git and jj aware, agent friendly, with built-in skills for AI coding workflows.

When to use

Linear CLI is the fastest way to manage Linear issues without leaving the terminal. If your team uses Linear for project management and you spend your day in a terminal or editor, this tool eliminates the constant context-switching between your code and the Linear web app.The core workflow is seamless: run linear issue start to pick an issue, and the CLI creates a properly named git branch, marks the issue as started in Linear, and puts you on that branch. When you are done, linear issue pr creates a GitHub pull request with the title and description pre-filled from your Linear issue. No copy-pasting between tabs, no manually formatting branch names to match Linear's expected patterns.Agent compatibility is where this tool really shines. The CLI ships with a Claude Code skill that lets AI agents create issues, update status, and manage your Linear workflow alongside your code. This means your AI coding assistant can file bugs it discovers, update issue status as it works, and keep Linear in sync without you touching the web UI at all.The tool supports both git and jj (Jujutsu) version control systems. For jj users, it detects issues from Linear-issue trailers in commit descriptions. Configuration is per-repo via .linear.toml files, so different projects can target different Linear teams and workspaces.If you work in a codebase that tracks work in Linear, install this on day one. The setup takes two minutes — create an API key, run linear auth login, then linear config in your repo — and the time savings compound every day.

When to skip

Skip this tool if your team does not use Linear. It is built exclusively for Linear.app and has no support for Jira, Asana, GitHub Issues, or any other project management platform. If you use a different issue tracker, look for a CLI that targets your specific platform.If you prefer the Linear web app or desktop app for issue management, this CLI will not change your habits. Linear's web interface is exceptionally well-designed, and some workflows — like triaging a backlog, reorganizing project boards, or reviewing initiative timelines — are genuinely better with a visual interface. The CLI focuses on the developer inner loop: starting issues, viewing context, and creating PRs.This is a community tool, not an official Linear product. While it is actively maintained with 50 forks and regular releases, it depends on Linear's GraphQL API and a personal API key. If your organization has strict policies about third-party tools accessing your project management data, you may need security approval before installing. The API key requires member access — guest accounts cannot use this CLI.For AI agent workflows that do not need CLI features, consider Linear's official MCP server instead. Linear launched native MCP support in February 2026 with coverage for initiatives, project milestones, and updates. If you only need agents to read and write Linear data, the MCP server may be a more direct integration than routing through a CLI.If you only interact with Linear a few times per week and mostly for reading, the overhead of setting up the CLI, managing API keys, and learning the commands may not justify the investment.

Key Commands

linear issue list List unstarted issues assigned to you, with optional state and sort filters

linear issue start Choose an issue to start, creates a git branch and marks the issue as started

linear issue pr Create a GitHub PR with title and body pre-filled from the Linear issue

linear issue create Create a new issue interactively or with flags for title, description, project, and milestone

linear issue view View the current branch's issue details in the terminal, browser, or Linear desktop app

linear config Set up your repo with team, workspace, and VCS settings

linear document list List and filter Linear documents by project or issue

GitHub Stats

repo schpet/linear-cli

stars 455

language TypeScript

license ISC

last commit Mar 11, 2026

Links

GitHub repository github.com/schpet/linear-cli Release notes github.com/schpet/linear-cli/releases npm package www.npmjs.com/package/@schpet/linear-cli JSR package jsr.io/@schpet/linear-cli Claude Code skill skills.sh/schpet/linear-cli/linear-cli

Alternatives

tool	description
Linear CLI	current tool
linearis	CLI tool for Linear.app with JSON output, smart ID resolution, and optimized GraphQL queries. Designed for scripting and piping.
linctl	A Linear CLI tool built with agents in mind, implemented in Go with structured JSON output.
lnr	Lightweight Linear CLI written in TypeScript. Simpler feature set focused on core issue operations.
linear-cli (Rust)	A Rust-based CLI for Linear published on crates.io. Covers issues, projects, cycles, and more.

FAQ

Is Linear CLI an official Linear product?: No. Linear CLI is a community-built open-source tool by schpet (Peter Schilling). It is not maintained by Linear the company. However, it is the most popular Linear CLI with 455 stars on GitHub and is actively maintained with regular releases. Linear does not offer its own CLI tool.
How do you authenticate Linear CLI?: Create a personal API key at linear.app/settings/account/security (requires member access, not available for guest accounts). Then run linear auth login and paste your key. Credentials are stored in your OS keyring (macOS Keychain, Linux libsecret, Windows Credential Manager) as of v1.11.0. For multi-workspace setups, see the authentication docs.
Does Linear CLI work with Jujutsu (jj)?: Yes. Set vcs to jj in your .linear.toml config or LINEAR_VCS environment variable. The CLI detects issues from Linear-issue trailers in jj commit descriptions. Use linear issue start to automatically add the trailer, or add it manually with jj describe.
Can AI agents use Linear CLI?: Yes. The CLI includes a Claude Code skill that you can install via the plugin marketplace. For other agents, install the skill via skills.sh. The skill provides structured instructions for creating issues, updating status, and managing workflows programmatically.
How is this different from Linear's MCP server?: Linear CLI is a terminal tool for human developers that also works with agents. Linear's official MCP server is an AI-native integration that lets agents interact with Linear data directly via the Model Context Protocol. Use the CLI if you want terminal workflows like branch creation and PR generation. Use the MCP server if you only need agent-to-Linear data access.