linear-app-setup

Overview

Set up a Linear agent app so the assistant operates under its own identity in a Linear workspace — creating issues, commenting, updating status, etc. as itself.

Linear agent apps act as their own entity in the workspace. They're free (don't count as billable users), can be @mentioned, and can be delegated issues.

Total manual effort: ~3 interactions — create the app, grab the API key, (optionally) upload an avatar.

Prerequisites

• User must be a workspace admin in Linear
• User must be logged into Linear in their browser

Setup Flow

Step 1: Create the Application

Direct the user to create a new application:

Open https://linear.app/settings/api/applications/new to create a new application.

Guide them through the form:

Click Create when done.

Step 2: Generate an API Key for the App

After creating the app, the user should generate a personal API key scoped to this app identity. This is how the assistant authenticates — simpler and more reliable than the full OAuth token refresh flow.

Direct the user:

On the app's settings page, look for the option to create an API key for this application. Copy the key.

Prompt for the API key via secure UI:

assistant credentials prompt --service linear --field api_key \
  --label "Linear App API Key" \
  --placeholder "lin_api_xxxxxxxxxx" \
  --description "API key for your Linear app (used to authenticate API requests)" \
  --allowed-domains "api.linear.app" \
  --allowed-tools "bash" \
  --injection-templates '[{"hostPattern":"api.linear.app","injectionType":"header","headerName":"Authorization","valuePrefix":"Bearer "}]'

Step 3: Verify

After storing the key, verify the connection:

curl -s -X POST https://api.linear.app/graphql \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query":"{ viewer { id name email } }"}'

Run with network_mode: "proxied" and the linear credential. A successful response returns the app's identity:

{
  "data": {
    "viewer": {
      "id": "...",
      "name": "MyAssistant",
      "email": "...@oauthapp.linear.app"
    }
  }
}

The @oauthapp.linear.app email confirms it's an app actor, not a user.

Step 4: Set the App Avatar (Optional)

Linear doesn't support setting the avatar via API — it must be uploaded through the web UI.

If the assistant has an avatar, send it to the user:

<vellum-attachment source="sandbox" path="data/avatar/avatar-image.png" />

Then direct them to the app settings page:

Go to https://linear.app/settings/api, find your app, and upload the avatar image under the app icon.

App Identity

The app appears as a distinct entity in Linear:

• Issues it creates show the app as creator
• Comments it posts show the app's name and avatar
• It appears in mention menus if app:mentionable scope is enabled
• Issues can be delegated to it if app:assignable scope is enabled — delegation sets the app as delegate, not assignee, so humans keep ownership

Acting on Behalf of a User

When the agent performs an action that originated from a specific user in a third-party system, use createAsUser and displayIconUrl to attribute it:

mutation {
  issueCreate(
    input: {
      title: "Bug report"
      teamId: "TEAM_UUID"
      createAsUser: "Jane"
      displayIconUrl: "https://example.com/jane-avatar.png"
    }
  ) {
    success
    issue {
      identifier
      url
    }
  }
}

This renders as "Jane (via AppName)" in Linear.

Team Access

After installation, workspace admins can modify the app's team access at any time through the app's details page in Linear settings.

Important Notes

• The app's name and icon are how it appears everywhere in Linear — pick something short, recognizable, and unique.
• Agent apps are free — they don't count toward the workspace's billable user seats.
• The app gets a unique user ID per workspace.