How Do You Connect Linear to Zendesk? Native App vs AI Agent (2026)

You connect Linear to Zendesk in one of two ways: install Linear's native Zendesk app, which Linear includes only on its Business plan ($16 per user a month billed yearly) and Enterprise plan, or build a Custom Tool that lets your AI agent call Linear's GraphQL API from inside a ticket on its own.

Framing first. Macha runs on top of the Zendesk you already use. It's an AI-agent layer, not a Zendesk or Linear replacement. Your agents keep working in Zendesk; Macha reads the ticket, reasons, and reaches into Linear to file, link, or check status.

What does Linear's native Zendesk app do, and where does it stop?

Linear offers a native Zendesk integration. You install it from the Zendesk Marketplace and it adds a Linear widget to the ticket sidebar. From there an agent can create a Linear issue from the ticket (optionally with help from the Linear Agent) or link an existing one. Linear issue details show inside Zendesk, and the ticket link shows on the Linear issue. When a linked issue moves to Done or Canceled, Linear reopens the Zendesk ticket so someone can follow up with the customer, and Linear comments can post to the ticket as internal notes. If a human agent triaging and filing issues is all you need, that may be enough.

Where it stops:

• A person starts every action. The widget lets a human create or link an issue. It doesn't let an AI agent decide mid-conversation that a message is a bug worth filing, write the title and description, and file it.
• It's plan-gated. Linear's docs say the integration "is available on our Business and Enterprise plans." Linear's pricing page lists Business at $16 per user a month billed yearly; Free and Basic don't include it.
• It's fixed. You get the fields and flow the app exposes, not the specific issue payload, team routing, or status query your workflow needs.

For a lot of teams the sidebar widget is fine. For anyone who wants their AI agent to use Linear itself, there's a lighter path.

Why give the AI agent live access to Linear?

Because the agent can do the work, not just offer a button. A customer reports a crash in Zendesk; the agent recognizes a genuine bug, files a Linear issue with a clean title and repro steps pulled from the conversation, and later reads the issue's status back to answer "yes, engineering has this fixed in the next release." That's what a Custom Tool enables.

How do you connect Linear to Zendesk with a Custom Tool?

A Custom Tool is a single action you define once and point at Linear's API. Custom API tools are included on every Macha plan, and you don't write code.

1. Point it at the Linear API. Linear exposes a GraphQL API that accepts an API key or OAuth; you give Macha the endpoint and credentials. The built-in Sidekick can scaffold the request from a plain-English description if you'd rather not fill in the form.

2. Define the action. Give it a label and a description the AI uses to decide when to call it, for example "Create a Linear issue from a bug report" or "Get the status of a Linear issue by ID". Set the method and URL (a GraphQL mutation or query against the Linear API, with placeholders for the fields the agent fills), and choose Read or Write. Checking status is a Read; creating an issue is a Write, which requires confirmation before it runs.

3. The agent uses it live. Once the tool exists, the agent calls it mid-ticket, filing the issue from a bug report or reading a linked issue's state, and reasons over what comes back to answer the customer or take the next step.

How do Read and Write tools keep Linear safe?

Because a Custom Tool can reach into Linear, the guardrails matter. Read tools (status lookups) run freely; Write tools (create an issue, add a comment, change a label) require confirmation. Each tool is scoped to one action and permissioned per agent, and every call is audited. Linear's API key or OAuth handles credentials, so secrets never sit in the conversation.

Teams usually build a few Linear tools and group them, such as "create issue", "get issue status" and "link to existing", next to tools for their other systems.

Should you use the native app or a Custom Tool?

• Use the native Linear app if you want a human agent to create or link issues from the ticket sidebar, you like the automatic ticket reopening when an issue closes, and you're on Linear Business or Enterprise.
• Use a Custom Tool when you want your AI agent to file or look up Linear issues on its own, you need a specific issue payload or query the app doesn't expose, or you're on Linear Free or Basic. The two can run side by side.

You also don't have to build the Linear tool yourself. Macha is the done-for-you option: the Macha team analyzes your past tickets, builds and tests the Linear tool, the knowledge base and the agent on your existing help desk, and runs it in safe mode, with drafts as internal notes, until the drafts are right. That's included on the trial and every plan at about $0.40 a ticket, which includes setup and a dedicated success manager who handles your changes, such as a new team or label to route issues to.

What else can the agent do once it reaches Linear?

The same pattern covers more: file a bug with repro steps, read an issue's status to update the customer, add a comment linking the ticket, route to the right team, or check whether a fix has shipped. Custom Tools aren't Linear-specific, so the same approach connects your CRM, billing system, or internal API. The Custom Tools integration directory lists 200+ tools, and the pillar on building custom Zendesk integrations covers the wider pattern.

In short: Linear's native app puts a create-issue button in the sidebar for a human to click, on Business or Enterprise. A Custom Tool puts Linear in your AI agent's hands, filing issues and reading status in context, with Read/Write guardrails and an audit trail.

Ready to try it? See how Custom Tools work, browse the integration directory, or start a free trial with $50 of free usage and wire up your first Linear tool.

Frequently asked questions

Does Zendesk have a native Linear integration? Yes. Linear's native Zendesk app installs from the Marketplace, adds a widget to the ticket sidebar, and lets a human agent create or link issues. Linear includes it on its Business and Enterprise plans. A Custom Tool adds AI-agent-driven issue creation and lookups.

Which Linear plan do I need for the Zendesk integration? Business or Enterprise. Linear's pricing page lists Business at $16 per user a month billed yearly and Enterprise at a custom price; Free and Basic don't include the Zendesk integration.

Do I need an engineer to connect Linear to Zendesk this way? No. The Macha team builds and tests the Linear tool for you as part of setup, included on the trial and every plan. If you'd rather build it yourself, you describe the action in plain English and Macha's Sidekick scaffolds the Linear request, auth, and parameters. Technical teams can go deeper with full control over the GraphQL query or mutation, headers, and response mapping.

Can the agent create issues in Linear, or only read them? Both. Reads (status lookups) run freely; writes such as creating an issue or adding a comment require a confirmation step, and you control which agents can use them.

Is it secure? Yes. The tool is scoped to a single action, permissioned per agent, authenticated via Linear's API key or OAuth, and every call is audited.