Linear MCP Server

Linear MCP Server is an open-source Model Context Protocol server, originally built by Jer Hadfield, that exposes Linear's issue-tracking system as a set of tools any MCP-aware LLM client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Zed, Continue, custom agents) can call. Once configured with a Linear API key, the LLM can create, update, search, and list Linear issues through natural language, treating the tracker as a first-class agent surface rather than a separate app the user has to context-switch into.

The server ships as an npm package (`linear-mcp-server`) and can be installed manually in Claude Desktop's config or automatically via Smithery. It wraps Linear's GraphQL API in a small set of well-scoped tools: `linear_create_issue`, `linear_update_issue`, `linear_search_issues`, `linear_get_user_issues`, `linear_add_comment`, and a couple of resource endpoints for browsing issues and teams. Filters cover team, assignee, status, priority, labels, and free-text query, which is enough to power practical workflows like triage, stand-up summarisation, or bulk relabeling.

IMPORTANT: the project is now deprecated by its author, who recommends migrating to Linear's official remote MCP endpoint at `https://mcp.linear.app/sse`, launched May 2025. The self-hosted server still works and remains a useful reference implementation, especially for teams that want to run MCP locally, extend the tool surface, or study a real-world GraphQL-to-MCP adapter. Good for solo developers and small engineering teams who want their coding agent to file bugs, update tickets, and pull assigned work without leaving the editor; less appropriate as a long-term production integration now that a first-party alternative exists.