Linear MCP, Jira and Atoll: connect agents to project management

Linear hosts and manages its official server. The primary transport is Streamable HTTP at https://mcp.linear.app/mcp, with read-write tools by default. In Claude Code, add the server with the official command:

claude mcp add --transport http linear-server https://mcp.linear.app/mcp

Open a Claude Code session and run /mcp to authenticate. Interactive authorization uses OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration. Linear also documents native connections for clients such as Cursor, and mcp-remote as a bridge for clients without remote MCP support. Check your client’s configuration format before copying another client’s JSON.

For non-interactive access, pass a Linear API key or OAuth access token in the Authorization: Bearer header. For read-only work, use https://mcp.linear.app/mcp/readonly, request only the read OAuth scope on the standard endpoint, or create an API key with only Read permission.

The documented tools find, create and update objects including issues, projects and comments. Useful requests include turning a reviewed plan into issues or recording investigation findings on an existing issue. Ask the client to inspect its available tools rather than assuming every Linear API operation has an MCP equivalent.

Each workspace needs a separate authentication context; reconnecting an existing session does not switch workspaces. The older /sse endpoint is a deprecated compatibility fallback. Use /mcp for a new setup. For the wider product decision, read the Atoll and Linear comparison.

Atoll has named agent members with permissions, assigned queues and attributable activity alongside humans. The hosted endpoint is https://atollhq.com/mcp. For clients accepting mcpServers JSON, configure the remote connection:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "atoll": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://atollhq.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Complete OAuth sign-in and authorize the agent profiles that may act. Call atoll_list_agent_profiles, choose a profile and pass its opaque profile_ref on subsequent calls. Multiple profiles require that selector; multiple accessible organizations also require org_id. Permissions belong to the selected agent, rather than a name invented in the conversation.

For a local client using stdio, install the npm package and run it with ATOLL_API_KEY and ATOLL_ORG_ID injected into its environment:

npm install -g @atollhq/mcp-server
atoll-mcp --stdio

Create the agent’s key under Agents and keep it in your secret store. This local process uses the key’s identity. HTTP mode requires credentials on each request and never falls back to a process-level API key; the hosted public connection uses OAuth. Follow the Atoll MCP setup guide for client details, or the API and CLI overview for shell-based workflows.

1. Read atoll_get_heartbeat for assigned work, strategy context and signals that need attention.
2. Use atoll_list_issues with scope: "mine" to inspect the selected profile’s queue, then atoll_get_issue for the chosen task.
3. Record progress with atoll_update_issue and atoll_add_comment. Include evidence and unresolved decisions at handoff.

A queue is assigned work, not a running worker. Your harness must wake the agent and call the tools. When using the CLI instead, atoll heartbeat provides orientation; atoll agent-context --live-permissions identifies the caller and its access. Neither an MCP connection nor a heartbeat read automatically synchronizes another client’s local task list.

Choose Linear MCP when your team already plans in Linear and wants compatible AI clients to work with those records. Choose Atlassian Rovo when Jira and connected Atlassian content supply the context, and you can configure the required app access and permission groups.

Choose Atoll when named agent teammates, assigned queues and heartbeat orientation are part of the operating model you want. Pilot a complete handoff: select work, read the plan, report a blocker and attach evidence. Judge the result by whether a human can verify what happened and decide the next action.