Linear MCP Server – A Go‑Based Integration for Linear

The Linear MCP Server is a lightweight, self‑contained service written in Go that exposes the Linear issue tracking API through the Model Context Protocol. By translating Linear’s REST endpoints into MCP tools, it allows AI assistants such as Claude or Cline to read from and write to Linear projects without any custom code. For developers, this means a single point of entry for all Linear operations—issue creation, updates, searches, and comment handling—integrated directly into the AI workflow.

What Problem Does It Solve?

Linear’s native API requires authentication, rate‑limiting logic, and careful handling of identifiers. Developers normally write wrappers or use SDKs to interact with it, which adds maintenance overhead and can expose secrets in client code. The Linear MCP Server abstracts these concerns: it runs as a background service, manages the API key securely via environment variables, and automatically enforces Linear’s rate limits. Once configured, an AI assistant can invoke high‑level tools like or without dealing with HTTP details, authentication headers, or pagination.

Core Capabilities

• Issue Lifecycle Management – Create new issues, update existing ones, and establish parent‑child relationships. The server also supports assigning labels and teams during creation.
• Search & Retrieval – Find issues by query, fetch all issues assigned to a user, or retrieve detailed information for a specific issue. These tools return structured JSON that the AI can ingest and reason over.
• Comment Operations – Add comments to issues or reply to existing comments. A standout feature is URL‑aware comment handling: users can paste a Linear comment URL directly, and the server extracts the necessary identifiers automatically.
• Team Information – Retrieve metadata about Linear teams, enabling context‑aware decision making in the assistant.
• Read‑Only vs Write Modes – By default, the server runs in a safe read‑only mode that disables all mutating tools. Developers can explicitly enable write access with a flag, giving fine‑grained control over what the AI can modify.

Real‑World Use Cases

• Developer Onboarding – An assistant can automatically create onboarding tickets, assign them to the relevant team, and add initial comments with guidance.
• Automated Issue Triaging – The AI can search for open issues matching a pattern, add labels, or move them between teams based on natural language input.
• Sprint Planning – During planning sessions, the assistant can pull all user‑assigned issues, summarize them, and even create new sub‑issues directly from chat.
• Continuous Feedback Loops – When a code review comment is posted, the AI can automatically generate a Linear issue linked to that comment, streamlining bug tracking.

Integration with AI Workflows

The server communicates over stdin/stdout using the MCP protocol, making it compatible with any AI assistant that supports MCP. A simple command automates the installation of the binary and configures the assistant’s tool list, including auto‑approval options for read‑only tools. Developers can choose to auto‑approve specific tools, reducing the friction of manual approvals during development or production use.

Unique Advantages

• Zero‑Dependency Wrapper – No external SDKs; a single Go binary handles all HTTP interactions, authentication, and rate limiting.
• URL‑Aware Commenting – Eliminates manual ID extraction, speeding up comment workflows.
• Granular Access Control – The read‑only default protects Linear data, while explicit write flags give developers control over mutation permissions.
• Cross‑Platform Availability – Pre-built binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows simplify deployment in diverse environments.

In summary, the Linear MCP Server turns Linear’s API into a set of declarative tools that AI assistants can call with ease, enabling powerful, automated issue tracking and project management workflows while keeping security and maintainability at the forefront.