Linear Core Workflow A: Issue Lifecycle

Overview

Master issue lifecycle management: creating, updating, transitioning, and organizing issues.

Prerequisites

• Linear SDK configured
• Access to target team(s)
• Understanding of Linear's issue model

Instructions

Step 1: Create Issues

import { LinearClient } from "@linear/sdk";

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

async function createIssue(options: {
  teamKey: string;
  title: string;
  description?: string;
  priority?: 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4; // 0=None, 1=Urgent, 2=High, 3=Medium, 4=Low
  estimate?: number;
  labelIds?: string[];
  assigneeId?: string;
}) {
  const teams = await client.teams({ filter: { key: { eq: options.teamKey } } });
  const team = teams.nodes[0];

  if (!team) throw new Error(`Team ${options.teamKey} not found`);

  const result = await client.createIssue({
    teamId: team.id,
    title: options.title,
    description: options.description,
    priority: options.priority ?? 0,
    estimate: options.estimate,
    labelIds: options.labelIds,
    assigneeId: options.assigneeId,
  });

  if (!result.success) {
    throw new Error("Failed to create issue");
  }

  return result.issue;
}

Step 2: Update Issues

async function updateIssue(
  issueId: string,
  updates: {
    title?: string;
    description?: string;
    priority?: number;
    stateId?: string;
    assigneeId?: string;
    estimate?: number;
  }
) {
  const result = await client.updateIssue(issueId, updates);

  if (!result.success) {
    throw new Error("Failed to update issue");
  }

  return result.issue;
}

// Update by identifier (e.g., "ENG-123")
async function updateByIdentifier(identifier: string, updates: Record<string, unknown>) {
  const issue = await client.issue(identifier);
  return client.updateIssue(issue.id, updates);
}

Step 3: State Transitions

async function getWorkflowStates(teamKey: string) {
  const teams = await client.teams({ filter: { key: { eq: teamKey } } });
  const team = teams.nodes[0];

  const states = await team.states();
  return states.nodes.sort((a, b) => a.position - b.position);
}

async function transitionIssue(issueId: string, stateName: string) {
  const issue = await client.issue(issueId);
  const team = await issue.team;
  const states = await team?.states();

  const targetState = states?.nodes.find(
    s => s.name.toLowerCase() === stateName.toLowerCase()
  );

  if (!targetState) {
    throw new Error(`State "${stateName}" not found`);
  }

  return client.updateIssue(issueId, { stateId: targetState.id });
}

// Common transitions
async function markInProgress(issueId: string) {
  return transitionIssue(issueId, "In Progress");
}

async function markDone(issueId: string) {
  return transitionIssue(issueId, "Done");
}

Step 4: Issue Relationships

// Create sub-issue
async function createSubIssue(parentId: string, title: string) {
  const parent = await client.issue(parentId);
  const team = await parent.team;

  return client.createIssue({
    teamId: team!.id,
    title,
    parentId,
  });
}

// Link issues (blocking relationship)
async function addBlockingRelation(blockingId: string, blockedById: string) {
  return client.createIssueRelation({
    issueId: blockingId,
    relatedIssueId: blockedById,
    type: "blocks",
  });
}

// Get sub-issues
async function getSubIssues(parentId: string) {
  const parent = await client.issue(parentId);
  const children = await parent.children();
  return children.nodes;
}

Step 5: Comments and Activity

async function addComment(issueId: string, body: string) {
  return client.createComment({
    issueId,
    body,
  });
}

async function getComments(issueId: string) {
  const issue = await client.issue(issueId);
  const comments = await issue.comments();
  return comments.nodes;
}

Output

• Issue creation with all metadata
• Bulk update capabilities
• State transition handling
• Parent/child relationships
• Blocking relationships
• Comments and activity

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
Issue not found	Invalid ID or identifier	Verify issue exists
State not found	Team workflow mismatch	List states for correct team
Validation error	Invalid field value	Check field constraints
Circular dependency	Self-blocking issue	Validate relationships

Examples

Complete Issue Creation Flow

async function createFeatureIssue(options: {
  teamKey: string;
  title: string;
  description: string;
  priority: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4;
}) {
  // Get team and default state
  const teams = await client.teams({ filter: { key: { eq: options.teamKey } } });
  const team = teams.nodes[0];

  // Get "Backlog" state
  const states = await team.states();
  const backlog = states.nodes.find(s => s.name === "Backlog");

  // Create issue
  const result = await client.createIssue({
    teamId: team.id,
    title: options.title,
    description: options.description,
    priority: options.priority,
    stateId: backlog?.id,
  });

  const issue = await result.issue;

  // Add initial comment
  await client.createComment({
    issueId: issue!.id,
    body: "Issue created via API integration",
  });

  return issue;
}

Resources

• Issue Object Reference
• Workflow States
• Issue Relations

Next Steps

Continue to linear-core-workflow-b for project and cycle management.