How to Use Linear with Zo

Linear is fast and opinionated — which is why developers like it. But managing issues still means context-switching: opening Linear, scanning the board, updating statuses, writing comments, grooming the backlog. Connect Linear to Zo and do all of that from the same place you write code, check email, and manage everything else.

Connect Linear

Go to Settings > Integrations > Linear and authorize Zo to access your workspace. Your Zo can read issues, create new ones, update statuses, add comments, and track sprints.

Check your work at a glance

Instead of opening Linear and scanning the board, ask:

• "Show my open Linear issues"
• "What's in the current sprint?"
• "List all high-priority bugs assigned to me"
• "What issues did I close this week?"
• "How many issues are in each status column right now?"

For quick status checks during the day, this is faster than switching to the Linear app. From SMS or Telegram, text "What's left in my sprint?" and get an instant snapshot without opening your laptop.

Create and update issues

Manage issues from chat instead of filling out forms:

Create issues:

• "Create a bug report: search results page crashes when query is empty. Priority: high."
• "Create a feature request: add dark mode support to the settings page. Assign to me."
• "Create an issue: refactor the auth middleware to use the new token validation pattern. Label it tech-debt."

Update existing issues:

• "Move issue ENG-142 to 'In Review'"
• "Add a comment to ENG-98: 'Blocked on API changes from backend team — ETA next Tuesday'"
• "Assign ENG-200 to me and set priority to urgent"
• "Close ENG-175 — the fix shipped in today's release"

Batch updates:

Sprint planning with AI

Sprint planning usually means the team staring at a backlog, estimating effort, and dragging issues into the sprint. Your Zo can do the prep work:

This doesn't replace the planning meeting, but it gives you a starting point so you're not staring at a cold backlog. Walk into planning with a pre-sorted, pre-estimated shortlist.

Standup prep

Morning standups work better when everyone shows up prepared. Instead of trying to remember what you did yesterday:

Your Zo checks your issue activity, reads comments and status changes from the last 24 hours, and gives you a clean summary you can read directly in standup.

For automated standup reports:

Backlog grooming

The backlog is where issues go to be forgotten. Without regular grooming, it becomes a graveyard of outdated feature requests and stale bugs. Your Zo can do the triage pass that nobody wants to do:

Running a backlog grooming pass weekly keeps your Linear workspace clean and your sprint planning faster.

Turn emails and conversations into issues

Work often arrives through email, Slack, or conversation. Instead of manually creating issues from context scattered across tools:

• "The email from QA about the login bug — create a Linear issue from it with the details. Priority: high. Assign to me."
• "Create a Linear issue from this: 'The checkout page doesn't handle expired credit cards gracefully — users get a blank screen instead of an error message.'"

Combine with Gmail for automated issue creation:

Cross-reference with other tools

Linear issues don't exist in isolation. They connect to documents, calendar events, and communication channels:

Linear + Notion:

Linear + Calendar:

• "Check my Linear for this sprint's deadlines. Add them to my Google Calendar as all-day reminders."

Linear + email:

Weekly engineering reports

Generate reports from your Linear data without spreadsheets:

These reports turn Linear from a task board into a data source for team health and velocity tracking.

Getting started

Connect Linear in Settings > Integrations and check your sprint:

From there, try creating an issue from chat, running a backlog grooming pass, or setting up an automated standup report. The less time you spend in Linear's UI, the more time you spend actually building.