Agent skill
linear-common-errors
Diagnose and fix common Linear API errors. Use when encountering Linear API errors, debugging integration issues, or troubleshooting authentication problems. Trigger with phrases like "linear error", "linear API error", "debug linear", "linear not working", "linear authentication error".
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/data/linear-common-errors
SKILL.md
Linear Common Errors
Overview
Quick reference for diagnosing and resolving common Linear API errors.
Prerequisites
- Linear SDK or API access configured
- Access to application logs
- Understanding of HTTP status codes
Error Categories
Authentication Errors (401/403)
Invalid API Key
Error: Authentication required
Code: UNAUTHENTICATED
Causes:
- API key is invalid, expired, or revoked
- Key format is incorrect (should start with
lin_api_) - Environment variable not loaded
Solutions:
// Verify key format
const apiKey = process.env.LINEAR_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey?.startsWith("lin_api_")) {
console.error("Invalid API key format");
}
// Test authentication
const client = new LinearClient({ apiKey });
try {
await client.viewer;
console.log("Authentication successful");
} catch (e) {
console.error("Authentication failed:", e);
}
Permission Denied
Error: You don't have permission to access this resource
Code: FORBIDDEN
Causes:
- API key doesn't have required scope
- User not a member of the team/organization
- Resource belongs to different workspace
Solutions:
- Check API key permissions in Linear Settings > API
- Verify team membership
- Regenerate key with correct permissions
Rate Limiting Errors (429)
Error: Rate limit exceeded
Code: RATE_LIMITED
Headers: X-RateLimit-Remaining: 0, Retry-After: 60
Causes:
- Too many requests in time window
- Burst of requests without throttling
Solutions:
// Implement exponential backoff
async function withRetry<T>(
fn: () => Promise<T>,
maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
try {
return await fn();
} catch (error: any) {
if (error?.extensions?.code === "RATE_LIMITED" && i < maxRetries - 1) {
const delay = Math.pow(2, i) * 1000;
console.log(`Rate limited, retrying in ${delay}ms...`);
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, delay));
continue;
}
throw error;
}
}
throw new Error("Max retries exceeded");
}
Validation Errors (400)
Error: Variable "$input" got invalid value
Code: BAD_USER_INPUT
Common Validation Failures:
| Field | Error | Fix |
|---|---|---|
teamId |
"Team not found" | Verify team exists and accessible |
priority |
"Invalid priority" | Use 0-4 (0=None, 1=Urgent, 4=Low) |
estimate |
"Invalid estimate" | Use team's configured values |
stateId |
"State not found" | State must belong to same team |
assigneeId |
"User not found" | User must be team member |
Debug Validation:
async function createIssueWithValidation(input: {
teamId: string;
title: string;
stateId?: string;
assigneeId?: string;
}) {
// Validate team exists
const team = await client.team(input.teamId);
if (!team) throw new Error(`Team not found: ${input.teamId}`);
// Validate state belongs to team
if (input.stateId) {
const states = await team.states();
if (!states.nodes.find(s => s.id === input.stateId)) {
throw new Error(`State ${input.stateId} not in team ${team.key}`);
}
}
// Validate assignee is team member
if (input.assigneeId) {
const members = await team.members();
if (!members.nodes.find(m => m.id === input.assigneeId)) {
throw new Error(`User ${input.assigneeId} not in team ${team.key}`);
}
}
return client.createIssue(input);
}
GraphQL Errors
Error: Cannot query field "nonExistent" on type "Issue"
Code: GRAPHQL_VALIDATION_FAILED
Causes:
- Field name typo
- Querying deprecated field
- SDK version mismatch with API
Solutions:
# Update SDK to latest
npm update @linear/sdk
# Check API schema
curl -H "Authorization: $LINEAR_API_KEY" \
https://api.linear.app/graphql \
-d '{"query": "{ __schema { types { name } } }"}'
Network Errors
Error: fetch failed
Cause: ECONNREFUSED / ETIMEDOUT
Solutions:
// Add timeout and retry
const controller = new AbortController();
const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 30000);
try {
const response = await fetch("https://api.linear.app/graphql", {
signal: controller.signal,
// ... other options
});
} finally {
clearTimeout(timeout);
}
Diagnostic Commands
Test API Connection
curl -s -H "Authorization: $LINEAR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"query": "{ viewer { name email } }"}' \
https://api.linear.app/graphql | jq
Check Rate Limit Status
curl -I -H "Authorization: $LINEAR_API_KEY" \
https://api.linear.app/graphql
# Look for: X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining
Validate Webhook Signature
import crypto from "crypto";
function verifyWebhookSignature(
body: string,
signature: string,
secret: string
): boolean {
const hmac = crypto.createHmac("sha256", secret);
const digest = hmac.update(body).digest("hex");
return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
Buffer.from(signature),
Buffer.from(digest)
);
}
Error Handling Pattern
import { LinearClient, LinearError } from "@linear/sdk";
async function safeLinearCall<T>(
operation: () => Promise<T>,
context: string
): Promise<T> {
try {
return await operation();
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof LinearError) {
console.error(`Linear API Error in ${context}:`, {
message: error.message,
type: error.type,
errors: error.errors,
});
// Handle specific error types
switch (error.type) {
case "AuthenticationError":
throw new Error("Please check your Linear API key");
case "RateLimitedError":
throw new Error("Too many requests, please retry later");
default:
throw error;
}
}
throw error;
}
}
Resources
Next Steps
Set up comprehensive debugging with linear-debug-bundle.
Recommended Agent Skills
Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.
agent-ops-spec
Manage specification documents in .agent/specs/. Use when user provides requirements, acceptance criteria, or feature descriptions that need to be tracked and validated against implementation.
agent-ops-state
Maintain .agent state files. Use at session start, after meaningful steps, and before concluding: read/update constitution/memory/focus/issues/baseline consistently.
agent-ops-spec
Manage specification documents in .agent/specs/. Use when user provides requirements, acceptance criteria, or feature descriptions that need to be tracked and validated against implementation.
agent-ops-testing
Test strategy, execution, and coverage analysis. Use when designing tests, running test suites, or analyzing test results beyond baseline checks.
agent-ops-testing
Test strategy, execution, and coverage analysis. Use when designing tests, running test suites, or analyzing test results beyond baseline checks.
agent-ops-state
Maintain .agent state files. Use at session start, after meaningful steps, and before concluding: read/update constitution/memory/focus/issues/baseline consistently.
Didn't find tool you were looking for?