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Authentication

Commands use a Linear API key. Credential resolution is exact and ordered:

  1. --api-key <key>
  2. LINEAR_API_KEY
  3. api_key in ~/.config/linear-cli/config.yaml

The command flag wins over the environment; the environment wins over the config file.

LINEAR_API_KEY=lin_api_environment linear-cli team list
linear-cli --api-key lin_api_override team list
linear-cli auth login --token lin_api_saved

auth login writes api_key to the local config file. It requires --token; it does not prompt. auth whoami confirms the authenticated user. user me is an alias for auth whoami.

Keep tokens out of command history​

Prefer LINEAR_API_KEY from a process environment, secret manager, or CI secret. Avoid putting --api-key and auth login --token values directly in checked-in scripts, logs, or process listings. See AI agents for a safe invocation pattern.