home / skills / ampcode / amp-contrib / work-on-linear-issue

work-on-linear-issue skill

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This skill helps you plan and prepare a Linear issue implementation by fetching details and guiding through a thorough pre-work plan.

npx playbooks add skill ampcode/amp-contrib --skill work-on-linear-issue

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: work-on-linear-issue
description: Fetches a Linear issue and creates a comprehensive plan for implementation.
---

# Work on Linear Issue

Fetches issue details from Linear and guides you through creating a comprehensive implementation plan.

## When to Use

- When starting work on a Linear issue
- When you need to analyze and plan implementation for an issue
- When onboarding to a new task from Linear

## Prerequisites

- `LINEAR_API_KEY` environment variable must be set (can also be in `.env` file)
- `curl` and `jq` must be installed

## Usage

```bash
builtin:///skills/scripts/work-on-linear-issue <issue-abbreviation>
```

Examples:

```bash
builtin:///skills/scripts/work-on-linear-issue MC-123
builtin:///skills/scripts/work-on-linear-issue https://linear.app/abc/issue/MC-123/issue-title
```

## Workflow

"AI models are geniuses who start from scratch on every task." — Noam Brown

Onboard yourself to the current task:
• Use ultrathink.
• Explore the codebase.
• Ask questions if needed.

Goal: Be fully prepared to start working on the task.

Take as long as you need to prepare. Over-preparation is better than under-preparation.

## Planning Tasks

1. Review the issue details fetched from Linear
2. Examine relevant parts of the codebase
3. Analyze existing patterns and potential issues
4. Create a comprehensive plan considering:
   - Required code changes
   - Potential impacts on other parts of the system
   - Necessary tests to be written or updated
   - Documentation updates
   - Performance considerations
   - Security implications
   - Backwards compatibility (if applicable)
   - Reference links to featurebase or user request sources

5. Think deeply about edge cases, potential challenges, and best practices
6. **ASK FOR EXPLICIT APPROVAL** before starting on the TODO list

Remember: Your task is to create a plan, not to implement changes. Focus on providing a thorough, well-thought-out strategy, then ASK FOR APPROVAL BEFORE STARTING WORK.

Overview

This skill fetches a Linear issue and produces a concise, actionable implementation plan. It guides you through analyzing the issue, inspecting the codebase, and listing required changes, tests, and documentation. The output is a structured TODO list you can present for approval before starting work.

How this skill works

The skill retrieves issue details from Linear using the LINEAR_API_KEY and parses the response. It inspects the issue title, description, labels, and links, then synthesizes a step-by-step plan covering code changes, tests, docs, performance, and security. The plan highlights edge cases, dependencies, and potential impacts on other systems.

When to use it

Starting work on a Linear issue and needing a clear implementation strategy
Onboarding to a new task where codebase context and risks must be assessed
Preparing a reviewable TODO list to get approval before coding
Identifying tests, docs, and backwards compatibility work for a change
Assessing performance and security implications before implementation

Best practices

Ensure LINEAR_API_KEY is set and curl + jq are installed before running
Provide the issue abbreviation or full Linear URL to fetch correctly
Explore relevant code paths and reproduce the issue locally if possible
List explicit acceptance criteria and required tests in the plan
Call out backwards-compatibility and migration steps when applicable
Always request explicit approval before starting implementation

Example use cases

You receive MC-123 and need a prioritized list of code edits, tests, and docs to implement it
Onboarding a new teammate by converting a Linear issue into a stepwise implementation plan
Evaluating whether a feature change requires schema or migration work
Preparing a changelist that highlights security and performance considerations for review
Turning a vague feature request into concrete development tasks and acceptance tests

FAQ

What do I need to run this skill?

Set the LINEAR_API_KEY environment variable and have curl and jq installed.

Does this skill implement code changes?

No. It generates a comprehensive plan and TODO list; you must request approval before implementing.