Getting set up
Joining the workspace, your personal setup, and one-time team configuration.
Join the workspace
- Go to linear.app/your-company.
- Sign in with your company SSO, or with Google or email where your workspace is configured that way.
- Install the desktop and mobile apps from linear.app/download. Most people keep the desktop app open through the day and use mobile to stay on top of notifications.
Can’t get in? Ask a workspace admin to invite you from Members in the sidebar, or to confirm your SSO group includes Linear.
Set yourself up
These are individual settings, done once when you join.
| Setting | Why it matters | Where |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub account | Your commits, pull requests, and review activity are attributed to you in Linear rather than appearing as generic GitHub activity. | Settings → Integrations → [GitHub](https://linear.app/settings/integrations/github) |
| Notifications | Controls what reaches your Inbox, email, and Slack, and trimming this early keeps the Inbox useful. | Settings → [Notifications](https://linear.app/settings/account/notifications) |
| Linear MCP | Connects AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to Linear, so they can find, create, and update issues for you. | Per client, see the MCP docs |
| Slack or Teams | Create issues from conversations, post project updates to channels, and sync threads. | Settings → Integrations → [Slack / Teams](https://linear.app/settings/integrations/slack) |
Join an existing team
Most people belong to one or two teams, and joining is how their work reaches your sidebar.
- Select the + next to Your teams in the sidebar to browse the workspace’s teams.
- Open your team and select Join. Its Triage, Issues, Cycles, and Projects appear under Your teams.
Create a team
If the team you need doesn’t exist yet, create and configure it in one sitting. This is a one-time job, usually the lead’s.
- Select + New team from the sidebar.
- Name it and set its identifier, the short prefix that appears in its issue IDs, like ENG-142.
- Work through the settings below.
| Setting | What it doe | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Triage | A dedicated inbox where issues from other teams and integrations land for review. | Team settings → Triage |
| Cycles | Repeating working periods that give the team a planning rhythm. | Team settings → Cycles |
| Estimates | Adds an effort field to issues for capacity planning. | Team settings → General |
| Issue statuses | Customizes workflow states and the automations between them. | Team settings → Issue statuses & automations |
| Slack notifications | Routes team activity to a channel of your choice. | Team settings → Slack notifications |
Invite your teammates
- Open Members from the sidebar.
- Select + Invite and enter email addresses, separated by commas.
- Assign each person to their teams before sending, so they land in the right place on first sign-in.
Go deeper
- MCP server. Connecting AI tools to Linear, client by client.
- GitHub. The workspace integration and personal account connection.
- Start guide. Linear’s own onboarding resources, including a demo workspace.