# Retain App: Linear Export

**Categories:** Connectors

**Published:** January 17, 2026

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Retain’s Linear integration lets you export tasks from Retain into ****Linear issues**** on **[linear.app](https://linear.app/)**.



Exports are ****local-first****: Retain only sends the tasks you explicitly select. Nothing syncs silently in the background



### What You Can Do



* Connect your Linear account to Retain.
* Export a single task, or export all tasks from a memory.
* Choose the target ****team**** (required) and ****project**** (optional).
* Prevent duplicates with built-in idempotency.

### Requirements



* A Linear workspace on ****[linear.app](https://linear.app/)**** with at least one team.
* A Retain account with task data. (Tasks are created automatically each time you summarize your notes.)

### Connect Your Linear Account



Open the Retain app.



Go to ****Account → Tasks****.



Under ****Linear****, click ****Connect****.



Complete the Linear OAuth flow in your browser.



You’ll be redirected back to Retain.



If you don’t see the ****Tasks**** tab, your build may not include this feature or your account may be restricted by feature flags.



### Export Tasks to Linear



You can export tasks in two main ways:



#### A) Export a Single Task



Select a task.



Open the context menu.



Choose ****Export to Linear → Export task****.



Pick a team and an optional project.



Click ****Export****.



#### B) Export All Tasks From a Memory



Open a memory that contains tasks.



Open the context menu.



Choose ****Export to Linear → Export all tasks from memory****.



Pick a team and an optional project.



Click ****Export****.



### What Gets Exported



Retain fields are mapped to Linear fields like this:



```text
| Retain Field        | Linear Field            | Notes                              |
|---------------------|-------------------------|------------------------------------|
| `task.name`         | `title`                 | Task title                         |
| `task.description`  | `description`           | Task body / details. Includes link to Retain task for deduplication.                |
| `task.priority`     | `priority`              | Priority mapping                   |
| `task.status`       | `stateId`               | Optional; maps to Linear workflow  |
| `workspace.name`    | `label`                 | Optional; used for categorization  |
```

****Notes****



* Priority is mapped to Linear priority values (0–4).
* State mapping is optional and depends on your workflow settings.
* Labels are optional.

### Avoiding Duplicates



Retain uses a stable externalId when creating issues:



retain:{taskId}:{teamId}



On export, Retain checks for an existing Linear issue with the same externalId. If it exists, Retain skips creation and returns the existing issue.



### Troubleshooting



#### “No Linear provider found”



You’re not connected, or the provider was removed. Reconnect from ****Account → Tasks****.



#### “Linear authentication failed”



Your token expired or was revoked. Reconnect the account.



#### Export dialog shows no teams



Your Linear connection may be incomplete or expired. Refresh the provider in ****Account → Tasks****, then reopen the export dialog.



#### Nothing happens after clicking Export



Check your network connection and try again. If the issue persists, disconnect and reconnect Linear.



### Disconnect Linear



Go to ****Account → Tasks****.



Click ****Disconnect**** next to your Linear account.



This removes the provider from Retain. It does ****not**** delete issues in Linear.



### Privacy and Security



* Tokens are stored server-side in encrypted storage.
* The Linear client secret is never sent to the client.
* Retain only exports tasks you explicitly choose.

### FAQ



****Does this sync tasks both ways?****



No. Export is one-way and local-first.



****2. Can I export to multiple teams?****



Yes. Choose the team each time you export.



****3. Will re-exporting create duplicates?****



No. Exports are deduplicated by tracking the URL added to the linear ticket.



**Important: Do not delete the URL in the description to avoid the tickets from being recreated.**



****4. Can I update existing Linear issues from Retain?****



Not yet. The current flow creates issues or skips duplicates.



Helpful links:



* Linear: ****https://linear.app****