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Linear Issues MCP Server

Simple MCP server providing AI assistants read-only access to Linear issues via API tokens

Installation
Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "keegancsmith-linear-issues-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://placeholder.example.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "LINEAR_API_TOKEN": "YOUR_LINEAR_API_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

This MCP server provides read-only access to Linear issues for language models, letting you fetch issue details and comments through lightweight MCP endpoints. It enables you to integrate Linear data into prompts and workflows without exposing your Linear credentials beyond the required API token.

How to use

You run the MCP server as a local process and connect your MCP client to it. The server offers two tools you can invoke from your client: linear_get_issue to retrieve basic information about a Linear issue by URL or identifier, and linear_get_issue_with_comments to fetch the full issue data including all comments. Configure your client to point to the local MCP server process and supply your Linear API token as an environment variable. You then call the tools using the client’s MCP interface, passing the appropriate issue reference.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before starting: Node.js and npm installed on your system.

Install and run the MCP server using npx, which does not require a separate installation step for the server package.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear-issues": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@keegancsmith/linear-issues-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "LINEAR_API_TOKEN": "your_linear_api_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Additional notes

Configuration details show how you wire the MCP server into your client environment. The recommended runtime uses an environment variable for the Linear API token: LINEAR_API_TOKEN. Keep this token secure and do not share it in logs or prompts.

If you prefer to manage credentials outside the process, you can set the token in your shell environment before starting the MCP server and omit it from the per-server env block.

Usage patterns and tips

- Retrieve a single issue: ask your MCP client to execute linear_get_issue with a specific issue identifier or URL. The response includes basic issue data such as title, state, and assignees.

- Retrieve full discussion: use linear_get_issue_with_comments when you need the complete thread of comments and contextual details for an issue.

Available tools

linear_get_issue

Fetches basic details about a Linear issue by URL or identifier.

linear_get_issue_with_comments

Fetches complete information about a Linear issue including all comments.