Linear Slack Integration: What Is It and How to Do It Properly

What is the Linear app?

Linear is a streamlined issue-tracking and project-management tool designed for modern software teams. With its clean interface and intuitive workflow, Linear helps teams prioritize tasks, track progress, and manage projects efficiently. It's built to minimize distractions and keep teams focused on what matters most—building great products.

What about Linear task management?

Linear task management refers to the streamlined approach to managing projects and tasks using the Linear app. With the Linear app, you get to cut through the clutter and keep things crystal clear. The tool allows teams to organize their work into projects, set priorities, and track progress through various stages. In short, Linear project management helps teams to break down complex projects into manageable tasks with set deadlines to ensure timely completion.

Who uses Linear?

Linear is the go-to project management tool for a wide range of teams, from startups to established enterprises. It offers comprehensive features for issue tracking, project planning, and workflow management.

Pretty much everyone who’s in the business of getting things done can use Linear:

• Software development teams, who appreciate being able to track issues and keep their projects moving forward without a hitch.
• Product teams for keeping tasks organized and priorities clear.
• Design teams, who rely on it to make their creative workflows as seamless as their designs.
• Any team tackling project-based work and aiming to boost their efficiency and teamwork.

What is Linear Slack integration?

Linear Slack integration bridges the gap between project management and team communication. By connecting Linear with Slack, your teams can receive updates, notifications, and reminders about their projects directly in their Slack channels. This integration allows for seamless communication about project progress, issue assignments, and updates without having to leave the Slack environment.

Benefits of integrating Linear with Slack

Integrating Linear with Slack offers a multitude of benefits that can significantly enhance the efficiency and productivity of any team. Here are some of the key advantages:

Centralized communication

The biggest upside of Slack Linear integrations is centralized communication. This means no more hopping between apps to catch up on updates or chat about tasks—everything happens right there in Slack, as it unfolds. This centralization ensures that all team members are on the same page, enhancing collaboration.

Streamlined workflows

Automating notifications and updates through Slack streamlines workflows, reducing manual updates and checks.

Teams can customize notifications for specific projects or tasks, ensuring that they receive relevant information without being overwhelmed. According to research, 62% of workers find it hard to understand the status of projects they’re working on.

Integrating Slack with Linear allows teams to focus more on their work and less on managing the communication around it.

Faster decision making

With project updates and discussions happening in real-time within Slack, decision-making becomes faster. Teams can quickly gather feedback, make decisions, and adjust project directions as needed, without delays caused by communication lags.

Improved remote collaboration

For remote or distributed teams, Linear Slack integration is particularly beneficial. It bridges the gap between different time zones and physical locations, ensuring that remote team members have immediate access to project updates and can contribute to discussions as if they were in the same room.

Reduced context switching

Context switching can kill productivity. By reducing the need to switch between Linear for project management and Slack for communication, teams can maintain focus, leading to higher productivity and less time wasted navigating between tools.

Alright, we've gone through the basics. So, how do you get Linear and Slack to work together? Here’s the Thena way.

How to integrate Linear with Slack using Thena

Integrating Linear with Slack doesn't have to be a daunting task, thanks to Thena. Let’s break down the steps:

Initial setup

Step 1: Enable Linear integration: Navigate to the Thena Web App, go to Global Settings, select Integrations, and choose Linear.

Step 2: Click "Connect" to initiate the setup: This process involves OAuth authentication, where you'll grant the Thena Linear App access to your Thena workspace.

Step 3: Use User Access Token if possible: The integration utilizes the user token from the person who connects Linear, meaning new tickets in Linear appear under this user. For consistency and easy identification, it's advisable to use a service account, like thena@yourdomain.com, for this purpose.

Linking Linear tickets to requests

If you have created a Linear ticket and want to link it up with your Slack, here’s what you’ve got to do:

Step 1: Attach existing Linear tickets: Paste the URL of an existing Linear ticket into the Internal Triage Thread or the Internal Thread on the Request Drawer. The ticket will automatically link to the request.

Step 2: Search for Linear tickets: Use the External Links section in the Request Drawer to find and attach Linear tickets. This makes managing related tickets easier.

Creating new Linear tickets

Likewise, you can create new Linear tickets from either Linear or Slack.

From the Request Drawer

Open External Links in the Request Drawer to create a new Linear ticket. If you have multiple External Link integrations, choose Linear as the destination. The ticket will link back to the Thena Request.

From Slack

Use the Slack Additional Actions modal to create a new Linear ticket. Enter the title and description, and it'll automatically link to the Thena Request, enhancing cross-platform collaboration.

Thena also allows, if needed, to unlink a Linear ticket from a Request using the Request Drawer. In addition, once a ticket is linked, you can receive updates on any changes in status, title, due date, and last update timeline. You'll see these updates in the Webapp external ticket preview, the Internal Triage channel thread, and the Activities tab in the Request Drawer.

Conclusion

Linear Slack integration is about bringing your project management and team conversations together, ensuring everyone stays in the loop, and enhancing teamwork.

‍Are you ready to transform your project management and team communication into a seamless, integrated experience? Thena is here to make it happen. Sign up today to streamline Linear task management, reduce manual entry, and keep your team aligned.