Linear Shortcuts
Linear is built around keyboard shortcuts. The entire tool operates without a mouse once you know the key combinations. Shortcuts reduce the time spent on navigation so you spend more time on actual work. Most experienced Linear users navigate entirely from the keyboard.
Why Shortcuts Matter in Linear
Every action taken with a mouse requires a hand movement, a visual search, a click, and sometimes a second click to confirm. A keyboard shortcut collapses all of that into one keypress. For actions you repeat dozens of times each day — creating issues, changing status, assigning work — shortcuts add up to significant time savings.
Creating a new issue (Mouse): → Move hand to mouse → Find "New Issue" button on screen → Click it → Dialog opens ≈ 4–6 seconds Creating a new issue (Shortcut): → Press C → Dialog opens ≈ 0.5 seconds
The Command Menu
The Command Menu is the most important shortcut in Linear. Press Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows/Linux) to open it from anywhere. Type any action name, issue title, or team name to jump directly to it.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ⌘K Search or run a command… │ │ ───────────────────────────────────────│ │ 📋 Create new issue │ │ 🔍 ENG-88 – Add dark mode │ │ 📁 Go to Mobile App project │ │ ⚙️ Open team settings │ │ 👤 Assign to Alice │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Global Navigation Shortcuts
These shortcuts work from any screen inside Linear.
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open Command Menu | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Create new issue | C | C |
| Open search | / | / |
| Go to My Issues | G then M | G then M |
| Go to Inbox | G then I | G then I |
| Go to Active Cycle | G then C | G then C |
| Go to Roadmap | G then R | G then R |
| Go to Settings | G then S | G then S |
Issue List Shortcuts
These shortcuts work when you're viewing a list of issues.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open selected issue | Enter or O |
| Move selection up | ↑ or K |
| Move selection down | ↓ or J |
| Select multiple issues | Shift + ↑ / ↓ |
| Mark selected issue as Done | D |
| Mark selected issue as Cancelled | Shift + D |
| Set priority on selected issue | P, then 1–4 |
| Assign selected issue | A |
Inside an Open Issue
These shortcuts work when you have an individual issue open.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Add a comment | R |
| Change status | S |
| Change priority | P |
| Change assignee | A |
| Add to cycle | Shift + C |
| Add to project | Shift + P |
| Set due date | Shift + D |
| Add label | L |
| Close issue panel | Esc |
View Switching Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Switch to List view | Shift + 1 |
| Switch to Board view | Shift + 2 |
| Switch to Table view | Shift + 3 |
View the Full Shortcut Reference
Press ? from anywhere in Linear to open the full shortcut reference guide. This overlay lists every available keyboard shortcut organized by category. Keep it open in a browser tab for your first week of using Linear until the most common shortcuts become second nature.
Learning Shortcut Priority Order
| Week | Shortcuts to Learn |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | C (new issue), / (search), Cmd+K (command menu), G+M (my issues) |
| Week 2 | P (priority), A (assign), S (status), D (done), G+I (inbox) |
| Week 3+ | Bulk selection shortcuts, view switching, cycle and label shortcuts |