linear-usage_skill

Overview

This skill helps you create, organize, and manage Linear issues and projects using battle-tested issue-tracking principles. It focuses on clear issue writing, consistent labeling, pragmatic sprint planning, and reliable triage workflows. Use it to improve collaboration, reduce cycle time, and keep roadmaps aligned with team goals.

How this skill works

The skill inspects issue content and metadata to recommend improvements: clearer titles, complete descriptions, acceptance criteria, and correct labels. It guides priority and estimation choices, suggests cycle planning adjustments, and enforces triage steps to keep the backlog healthy. It also maps best practices for linking PRs and automating status transitions in Linear.

When to use it

• When creating new Linear issues (bug reports, feature requests, chores)
• During sprint or cycle planning to size and assign work
• When cleaning up or pruning labels and backlog items
• While triaging new issues to add missing context and priority
• When setting up project roadmaps or initiatives

Best practices

• Write concise, outcome-focused titles (describe problem or goal)
• Include context, current vs expected behavior, steps to reproduce, and acceptance criteria
• Use a small, consistent label taxonomy (15–25 labels) and prune quarterly
• Estimate with relative sizing (points), include testing and review time
• Plan capacity at 70–80% per cycle and break down items >5 points
• Link PRs and branches to the Linear issue ID to enable automation

Example use cases

• Convert a vague bug report into a reproducible bug issue with steps and acceptance criteria
• Run a 2-week cycle planning session: pull prioritized backlog items, assign owners, and identify blockers
• Set up labels for frontend/backend/api and map priority levels (P0–P3)
• Triage daily: add missing labels, assign owners, and close duplicates with clear links
• Create a roadmap item for a 3-month initiative and link related projects and issues