Linear Get Issue Skill

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 ([email protected])
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": "[email protected]"
  },
  "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.