Linear Core Workflow B: Projects & Cycles

Overview

Manage projects, cycles (sprints), milestones, and roadmaps using the Linear API. Projects group issues across teams with states (planned, started, paused, completed, canceled), target dates, and progress tracking. Cycles are time-boxed iterations (sprints) owned by a single team. Initiatives group projects at the organizational level.

Prerequisites

• Linear SDK configured with API key or OAuth token
• Understanding of Linear's hierarchy: Organization > Team > Cycle/Project > Issue
• Team access with project create permissions

Instructions

Step 1: Project CRUD

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

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

// List projects (optionally filter by team)
const projects = await client.projects({
  filter: {
    accessibleTeams: { some: { key: { eq: "ENG" } } },
    state: { nin: ["completed", "canceled"] },
  },
  orderBy: "updatedAt",
  first: 20,
});

for (const project of projects.nodes) {
  console.log(`${project.name} [${project.state}] — progress: ${Math.round(project.progress * 100)}%`);
}

// Create a project
const teams = await client.teams();
const eng = teams.nodes.find(t => t.key === "ENG")!;

const projectResult = await client.createProject({
  name: "Authentication Overhaul",
  description: "Modernize auth infrastructure with OAuth 2.0 + MFA.",
  teamIds: [eng.id],
  state: "planned",
  targetDate: "2026-06-30",
});

const project = await projectResult.project;
console.log(`Created project: ${project?.name} (${project?.id})`);

// Update project
await client.updateProject(project!.id, {
  state: "started",
  description: "Updated scope: includes SSO integration.",
});

// Get project by slug
const found = await client.projects({
  filter: { slugId: { eq: "auth-overhaul" } },
});

Step 2: Project Milestones

// Create milestones for a project
await client.createProjectMilestone({
  projectId: project!.id,
  name: "OAuth 2.0 Implementation",
  targetDate: "2026-04-15",
});

await client.createProjectMilestone({
  projectId: project!.id,
  name: "MFA Rollout",
  targetDate: "2026-05-30",
});

// List milestones
const milestones = await project!.projectMilestones();
for (const ms of milestones.nodes) {
  console.log(`  Milestone: ${ms.name} — target: ${ms.targetDate}`);
}

Step 3: Assign Issues to Projects

// Create issue directly in a project
await client.createIssue({
  teamId: eng.id,
  title: "Implement OAuth 2.0 login flow",
  projectId: project!.id,
  priority: 2,
});

// Move existing issue to project
await client.updateIssue("existing-issue-id", {
  projectId: project!.id,
});

// Get all issues in a project
const projectIssues = await project!.issues({ first: 100 });
for (const issue of projectIssues.nodes) {
  const state = await issue.state;
  console.log(`  ${issue.identifier}: ${issue.title} [${state?.name}]`);
}

Step 4: Cycle (Sprint) Management

// Get current and upcoming cycles for a team
const now = new Date().toISOString();
const cycles = await eng.cycles({
  filter: { endsAt: { gte: now } },
  orderBy: "startsAt",
});

for (const cycle of cycles.nodes) {
  console.log(`${cycle.name ?? "Unnamed"}: ${cycle.startsAt} → ${cycle.endsAt}`);
}

// Create a new 2-week cycle
const startsAt = new Date();
const endsAt = new Date();
endsAt.setDate(endsAt.getDate() + 14);

const cycleResult = await client.createCycle({
  teamId: eng.id,
  name: "Sprint 42",
  startsAt: startsAt.toISOString(),
  endsAt: endsAt.toISOString(),
});

const cycle = await cycleResult.cycle;
console.log(`Created cycle: ${cycle?.name}`);

// Add issues to cycle
const issueIds = ["issue-id-1", "issue-id-2", "issue-id-3"];
for (const issueId of issueIds) {
  await client.updateIssue(issueId, { cycleId: cycle!.id });
}

Step 5: Cycle Metrics

async function getCycleMetrics(cycleId: string) {
  const cycle = await client.cycle(cycleId);
  const issues = await cycle.issues();

  const byState = new Map<string, number>();
  let totalEstimate = 0;
  let completedEstimate = 0;

  for (const issue of issues.nodes) {
    const state = await issue.state;
    const name = state?.name ?? "Unknown";
    byState.set(name, (byState.get(name) ?? 0) + 1);

    totalEstimate += issue.estimate ?? 0;
    if (state?.type === "completed") {
      completedEstimate += issue.estimate ?? 0;
    }
  }

  return {
    totalIssues: issues.nodes.length,
    stateBreakdown: Object.fromEntries(byState),
    totalPoints: totalEstimate,
    completedPoints: completedEstimate,
    burndown: totalEstimate ? Math.round((completedEstimate / totalEstimate) * 100) : 0,
  };
}

const metrics = await getCycleMetrics(cycle!.id);
console.log(`Sprint progress: ${metrics.burndown}% (${metrics.completedPoints}/${metrics.totalPoints} pts)`);

Step 6: Sprint Rollover

async function rolloverCycle(fromCycleId: string, toCycleId: string) {
  const fromCycle = await client.cycle(fromCycleId);
  const unfinished = await fromCycle.issues({
    filter: { state: { type: { nin: ["completed", "canceled"] } } },
  });

  let moved = 0;
  for (const issue of unfinished.nodes) {
    await client.updateIssue(issue.id, { cycleId: toCycleId });
    moved++;
  }

  console.log(`Rolled over ${moved} unfinished issues`);
  return moved;
}

Step 7: Team Velocity

async function calculateVelocity(teamKey: string, sprintCount = 3) {
  const teams = await client.teams({ filter: { key: { eq: teamKey } } });
  const team = teams.nodes[0];

  // Get completed cycles
  const cycles = await team.cycles({
    filter: { completedAt: { neq: null } },
    orderBy: "completedAt",
    first: sprintCount,
  });

  const velocities = await Promise.all(
    cycles.nodes.map(async (cycle) => {
      const completed = await cycle.issues({
        filter: { state: { type: { eq: "completed" } } },
      });
      return completed.nodes.reduce((sum, i) => sum + (i.estimate ?? 0), 0);
    })
  );

  const avg = velocities.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0) / velocities.length;
  return { velocities, average: Math.round(avg * 10) / 10 };
}

const velocity = await calculateVelocity("ENG");
console.log(`Average velocity: ${velocity.average} pts/sprint`);

Step 8: Roadmap View

async function getRoadmap(monthsAhead = 6) {
  const futureDate = new Date();
  futureDate.setMonth(futureDate.getMonth() + monthsAhead);

  const projects = await client.projects({
    filter: {
      state: { nin: ["completed", "canceled"] },
      targetDate: { lte: futureDate.toISOString() },
    },
    orderBy: "targetDate",
  });

  return projects.nodes.map(p => ({
    name: p.name,
    state: p.state,
    progress: `${Math.round(p.progress * 100)}%`,
    targetDate: p.targetDate,
  }));
}

const roadmap = await getRoadmap();
console.table(roadmap);

Error Handling

Examples

Sprint Planning Flow

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

  const startsAt = new Date();
  const endsAt = new Date();
  endsAt.setDate(endsAt.getDate() + durationDays);

  const cycleResult = await client.createCycle({
    teamId: team.id,
    name: `Sprint ${new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)}`,
    startsAt: startsAt.toISOString(),
    endsAt: endsAt.toISOString(),
  });

  const cycle = await cycleResult.cycle;
  for (const id of issueIds) {
    await client.updateIssue(id, { cycleId: cycle!.id });
  }

  console.log(`Sprint created: ${cycle?.name} (${issueIds.length} issues)`);
  return cycle;
}

Resources

• Project Model Schema
• Cycle Model Schema
• Linear Roadmaps Documentation