What is Linear Mcp Server

Linear-MCP-Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation that connects Claude, an AI assistant, to Linear project management systems. It allows users to retrieve, create, and manage issues and projects seamlessly using Linear’s GraphQL API.

Use cases

Use cases for Linear-MCP-Server include managing project issues, updating project statuses, assigning tasks to team members, and facilitating team collaboration through comments and project creation.

How to use

To use Linear-MCP-Server, install it via Smithery or manually configure it in your MCP settings. After installation, you can run the server with your Linear API token and connect it to Claude Desktop for easy access to project management functionalities.

Key features

Key features include access to Linear’s GraphQL API, authentication via Linear API key, the ability to retrieve and modify user, team, project, and issue data, create and update issues, manage labels, and create projects.

Where to use

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Linear MCP Server

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

Features

• 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
• Comprehensive documentation of available tools

Installation

Installing via Smithery (Recommended)

To install Linear MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @emmett.deen/linear-mcp-server --client claude

Manual Configuration

After installation, add the following to your MCP settings file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@emmett.deen/linear-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_KEY": "your_linear_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Client-Specific Configuration Locations

• Claude Desktop: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Claude VSCode Extension: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
• GoMCP: ~/.config/gomcp/config.yaml

Manual Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Linear-MCP-Server.git
cd Linear-MCP-Server

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Build the project

npm run build

4. Create a .env file with your Linear API token

LINEAR_API_KEY=your_linear_api_key_here

5. Start the server

npm start

Available Tools

See TOOLS.md for a complete list of available tools and planned features.

Overview

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

• Retrieve issues, projects, teams, and other data from Linear
• Create and update issues
• Change issue status
• Assign issues to team members
• Add comments
• Create projects and teams

The server uses Linear’s GraphQL API and authenticates via user tokens (not OAuth) for simplicity.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

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

Installation

# Install globally
npm install -g @emmett.deen/linear-mcp-server

# Or clone and install locally
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Linear-MCP-Server.git
cd Linear-MCP-Server
npm install
npm link  # Makes the package available globally

Running the Server

Run the server with your Linear API token:

linear-mcp-server --token YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN

Or set the token in your environment and run without arguments:

export LINEAR_API_TOKEN=YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN
linear-mcp-server

Using with Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop:

1. Enable Developer Mode in Claude Desktop (from the menu bar)
2. Go to Settings > Developer options
3. Click “Add Server”
4. Configure with the following settings:
   • Name: Linear MCP Server
   • Type: Local Process
   • Command: linear-mcp-server
   • Arguments: --token YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN

Alternatively, manually edit the config file:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": [
      {
        "name": "Linear MCP Server",
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "linear-mcp-server",
          "args": [
            "--token",
            "YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN"
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

5. Save the config
6. Restart Claude Desktop (quit completely and reopen)
7. You should now see Linear MCP Server available as a tool in Claude

Example Claude Prompts

Once connected to Claude Desktop, you can use prompts like:

• “Show me all my Linear issues”
• “Create a new issue titled ‘Fix login bug’ in the Frontend team”
• “Change the status of issue FE-123 to ‘In Progress’”
• “Assign issue BE-456 to John Smith”
• “Add a comment to issue UI-789: ‘This needs to be fixed by Friday’”

Development

To develop locally:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Linear-MCP-Server.git
cd Linear-MCP-Server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run in development mode
npm run dev -- --token YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN

Extending the Server

To add new tools to the server:

1. Follow the implementation guide in the TOOLS.md document
2. Make sure to follow the established code structure in the src/ directory
3. Update the documentation to reflect your changes

Developing and Contributing

Setup Development Environment

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Linear-MCP-Server.git
cd Linear-MCP-Server

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Start in development mode

npm run dev

Publishing to npm

To publish this package to npm:

1. Update the version in package.json

npm version patch  # or minor, or major

2. Build the project

npm run build

3. Make sure you’ve already logged in to npm

npm login

4. Publish to npm

npm publish --access public

5. For Smithery registry, you’ll need to work with the Smithery team to get your server listed in their catalog.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.