Move Linear issues to GitHub Issues
Drop a Linear exportCSV, up to 1,000 issues
Export from Linear
- 1As a workspace admin, open Settings > Administration > Import Export and select Export data. Linear emails a download link that expires after 12 hours.
- 2Or open any issue view, project or issue list, press Ctrl/Cmd + K and choose Export issues as CSV. Members can export 250 issues at a time, admins 2,000.
- 3Open the CSV from the email or download. Linear's CSV has no comments or attachment files.
Import into GitHub Issues
- 1Select Continue in importer above, or download the CSV and drop it into the CSV to GitHub Issues importer.
- 2Match Linear people to GitHub logins.
- 3Sign in with GitHub, pick the repository and import.
- 4Moving a large team? Gitsu's own Linear import reads Linear's API and moves comments and history too.
Field mapping
| Linear | GitHub Issues | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Title | Unchanged. |
| Description | Body | Unchanged. |
| ID | Dedupe marker | Unchanged. |
| Status | State | Converted by a rule specific to Linear. |
| Assignee | Assignee | Unchanged. |
| Labels | Labels | Split into a list at ",". |
| Priority | Labels | Converted by a rule specific to Linear. |
| Cycle Number, Cycle Name | Milestone | Converted by a rule specific to Linear. |
| Created | Created date | Dates become ISO timestamps. |
| Updated | Updated date | Dates become ISO timestamps. |
| Completed, Canceled | Closed date | Dates become ISO timestamps. |
| Comments (not in Linear's CSV) | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
| Attachment files (links may sit in descriptions) | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
| Images hosted by Linear (they open only for people signed in to Linear) | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
| Change history | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
| Sub-issue and blocking links (Parent issue and Blocked by are written as text) | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
| Initiatives, SLAs and cycle scheduling (written as text only) | Not moved | Stays in Linear. |
FAQ
Does my Linear export leave my browser?
No. The file is read and converted in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. Only when you continue in the importer and sign in with GitHub do the converted issues go through Gitsu's server to GitHub, and Gitsu keeps no copy.
Are comments and attachments moved?
No. Linear's CSV export has no comments, and it does not include attachment files, so neither can come across from the file. Images hosted by Linear open only for people signed in to Linear, so they show broken on GitHub. Gitsu's own Linear import reads Linear's API instead and moves comments and history, which makes it the stronger option for a large team.
What happens to sub-issues?
Each sub-issue becomes its own GitHub issue. The converter writes its parent as a line such as "Parent issue: ACM-3" at the end of the issue body, and blocking and related issues are written the same way. No GitHub sub-issue or blocked-by links are created.
How many Linear issues can I import?
The importer takes up to 1,000 issues at a time, and Linear's own export is capped too: a view export holds 250 issues for members and 2,000 for admins, while an admin's workspace export has no such cap. Past 1,000 issues, split the CSV into parts and import them one after the other, or use Gitsu's own Linear import, which reads Linear's API.
Where do statuses, priorities, cycles and projects go?
Done and Canceled issues are imported closed, and every other status stays open. Priority becomes a label such as "Priority: High", and a cycle becomes a milestone. The Linear project, estimate, due date and every other column are written at the end of the issue body, so nothing in the file is dropped.
Run your new GitHub issues in Gitsu, or bring the comments and history across with its Linear import.
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