home / skills / jeremylongshore / claude-code-plugins-plus-skills / linear-hello-world

This skill helps you create and query Linear issues via the API to test connections and learn basic Linear operations.

npx playbooks add skill jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills --skill linear-hello-world

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: linear-hello-world
description: |
  Create your first Linear issue and query using the GraphQL API.
  Use when making initial API calls, testing Linear connection,
  or learning basic Linear operations.
  Trigger with phrases like "linear hello world", "first linear issue",
  "create linear issue", "linear API example", "test linear connection".
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash(npx:*), Grep
version: 1.0.0
license: MIT
author: Jeremy Longshore <[email protected]>
---

# Linear Hello World

## Overview
Create your first issue and execute basic queries with the Linear API.

## Prerequisites
- Linear SDK installed (`@linear/sdk`)
- Valid API key configured
- Access to at least one Linear team

## Instructions

### Step 1: Query Your Teams
```typescript
import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

const client = new LinearClient({ apiKey: process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY });

// Get all teams you have access to
const teams = await client.teams();
console.log("Your teams:");
teams.nodes.forEach(team => {
  console.log(`  - ${team.name} (${team.key})`);
});
```

### Step 2: Create Your First Issue
```typescript
// Get the first team
const team = teams.nodes[0];

// Create an issue
const issueCreate = await client.createIssue({
  teamId: team.id,
  title: "My first Linear issue from the API",
  description: "This issue was created using the Linear SDK!",
});

if (issueCreate.success) {
  const issue = await issueCreate.issue;
  console.log(`Created issue: ${issue?.identifier} - ${issue?.title}`);
  console.log(`URL: ${issue?.url}`);
}
```

### Step 3: Query Issues
```typescript
// Get recent issues from your team
const issues = await client.issues({
  filter: {
    team: { key: { eq: team.key } },
  },
  first: 10,
});

console.log("Recent issues:");
issues.nodes.forEach(issue => {
  console.log(`  ${issue.identifier}: ${issue.title} [${issue.state?.name}]`);
});
```

## Output
- List of teams you have access to
- Created issue with identifier and URL
- Query results showing recent issues

## Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| `Team not found` | Invalid team ID or no access | Use `client.teams()` to list accessible teams |
| `Validation error` | Missing required fields | Ensure title and teamId are provided |
| `Permission denied` | Insufficient permissions | Check API key scope in Linear settings |
| `Rate limited` | Too many requests | Add delays between requests |

## Examples

### Complete Hello World Script
```typescript
import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

async function helloLinear() {
  const client = new LinearClient({
    apiKey: process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY
  });

  // 1. Get current user
  const viewer = await client.viewer;
  console.log(`Hello, ${viewer.name}!`);

  // 2. List teams
  const teams = await client.teams();
  const team = teams.nodes[0];
  console.log(`Using team: ${team.name}`);

  // 3. Create issue
  const result = await client.createIssue({
    teamId: team.id,
    title: "Hello from Linear SDK!",
    description: "Testing the Linear API integration.",
    priority: 2, // Medium priority
  });

  if (result.success) {
    const issue = await result.issue;
    console.log(`Created: ${issue?.identifier}`);
  }

  // 4. Query issues
  const issues = await client.issues({ first: 5 });
  console.log(`\nYour latest ${issues.nodes.length} issues:`);
  issues.nodes.forEach(i => console.log(`  - ${i.identifier}: ${i.title}`));
}

helloLinear().catch(console.error);
```

### Using GraphQL Directly
```typescript
const query = `
  query Me {
    viewer {
      id
      name
      email
    }
  }
`;

const response = await fetch("https://api.linear.app/graphql", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Authorization": process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY,
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ query }),
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
```

## Resources
- [Linear SDK Getting Started](https://developers.linear.app/docs/sdk/getting-started)
- [GraphQL API Reference](https://developers.linear.app/docs/graphql/working-with-the-graphql-api)
- [Issue Object Reference](https://developers.linear.app/docs/graphql/schema#issue)

## Next Steps
After creating your first issue, proceed to `linear-sdk-patterns` for best practices.

Overview

This skill shows how to create your first Linear issue and run basic GraphQL queries against the Linear API. It provides a minimal, runnable example for listing teams, creating an issue, and querying recent issues. Use it to confirm API access and learn the simplest Linear SDK and GraphQL flows.

How this skill works

The skill runs a few core operations against the Linear API: it lists teams visible to the API key, creates a new issue in the selected team, and fetches recent issues. Examples include both the Linear SDK usage and a raw GraphQL POST so you can test either approach. It also documents common errors and fixes to get you started quickly.

When to use it

  • Verifying a new Linear API key or connection
  • Learning basic Linear SDK or GraphQL calls
  • Testing automation or CI that needs Linear access
  • Creating a reproducible demo issue for onboarding
  • Quick proof-of-concept integrations with Linear

Best practices

  • Keep your API key in secure environment variables, never hard-code it
  • Start by calling client.teams() to confirm accessible teams before creating issues
  • Validate required fields (title, teamId) to avoid validation errors
  • Handle permission and rate-limit errors with retries and exponential backoff
  • Log created issue identifier and URL for traceability

Example use cases

  • Run an initial smoke test to confirm Linear API connectivity
  • Build a simple automation that creates an issue from a webhook or script
  • Teach teammates how to use the Linear SDK with a live demo
  • Integrate a CI job that opens a Linear issue on test failures
  • Quickly retrieve recent issues for dashboarding or debugging

FAQ

What do I need before running the examples?

You need a valid Linear API key with appropriate scopes and access to at least one Linear team. Install the Linear SDK or use raw GraphQL requests.

I get a "Team not found" error — what should I do?

Call client.teams() or run the viewer query to list teams and confirm the correct team ID/key. Ensure your API key has access to that team.