Secure Cross-Tool Issue Tracking: Private Linear to Public GitHub
Your private Linear team discusses confidential work, but engineers still need to know it exists in the codebase. Notis creates a public GitHub tracking issue with just enough detail so the team can plan accordingly.
Trigger
Private Team Issue Created
Fires when a new issue appears in a private Linear team (polled with the connected user's token).
Action
Add assignees to an issue
Adds or removes assignees for a github issue; changes are silently ignored if the authenticated user lacks push access to the repository.
Why this helps
Private Linear team work is invisible to the broader engineering team. This creates blind spots in codebase planning and causes engineers to duplicate effort on tasks they don't know exist.
- Keep secret work visible to engineers without exposing details
- Prevent wasted effort from duplicate coding on hidden tasks
- Maintain privacy while improving team coordination
- Enable faster planning by acknowledging private work exists
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Linear (with private team access) and GitHub to Notis
- 2Create an automation: 'When a new issue is created in our private Linear team, create a GitHub tracking issue with just the title and a note that this is a private initiative'
- 3Set trigger to 'Private team issue created'
- 4Configure the prompt to exclude description details or sensitive labels
- 5Test by creating a private Linear issue and verifying a clean GitHub stub appears without sensitive info
Questions about this workflow
How much detail should the GitHub issue include?
That's up to you. Your automation can say 'just copy the title and add a link back to Linear' or 'include the priority level but omit the description'.
Can I prevent the GitHub issue from being visible to the public?
Use GitHub's private repository setting or create the tracking issue in a private repo. Your automation can specify the repository.
What if we want comments on the GitHub tracking issue to update Linear?
Create a second automation going the opposite direction: 'When someone comments on the GitHub tracking issue, add a comment to Linear' using a webhook trigger.
Can we update the GitHub issue if the Linear issue status changes?
Yes, use a separate 'status sync' automation similar to the one in the public workflow collection.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Linear to GitHub. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Linear triggers
GitHub actions
Comment Received Trigger
Triggered when a comment is received.
Accept a repository invitation
Accepts a pending repository invitation that has been issued to the authenticated user.
Issue Created Trigger
Triggered when a new issue is created.
List repositories starred by the authenticated user
Deprecated: lists repositories starred by the authenticated user, including star creation timestamps; use 'list repositories starred by the authenticated user' instead.
Issue Updated Trigger
Triggered when an issue is updated. For example labels are changed, issue status is changed, etc.
List stargazers
Deprecated: lists users who have starred a repository; use `list stargazers` instead.
Private Team Comment Created
Fires when a new comment is posted on an issue in a private Linear team (polled with the connected user's token).
Star a repository for the authenticated user
Deprecated: stars a repository for the authenticated user; use `star a repository for the authenticated user` instead.
Private Team Issue Created
Fires when a new issue appears in a private Linear team (polled with the connected user's token).
Add email for auth user
Adds one or more email addresses (which will be initially unverified) to the authenticated user's github account; use this to associate new emails, noting an email verified for another account will error, while an existing email for the current user is accepted.
Private Team Issue Properties Updated
Fires when properties on an issue change in a private Linear team (polled with the connected user's token).
Add app access restrictions
Replaces github app access restrictions for an existing protected branch; requires a json array of app slugs in the request body, where apps must be installed and have 'contents' write permissions.
Project Created
Fires when a new Linear project is created. Covers projects in both public and private teams — polls with the connected user's token, so visibility matches what the connected user can see in Linear.
Add a repository collaborator
Adds a github user as a repository collaborator, or updates their permission if already a collaborator; `permission` applies to organization-owned repositories (personal ones default to 'push' and ignore this field), and an invitation may be created or permissions updated directly.
Project Properties Updated
Fires when properties on a Linear project change (status, lead, target date, priority, etc.). Covers projects in both public and private teams — polls with the connected user's token.
Add a repository to an app installation
Adds a repository to a github app installation, granting the app access; requires authenticated user to have admin rights for the repository and access to the installation.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Not just Linear and GitHub. Any combination from 985+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Save your first hour today.
7 days free trial with 20$ free usage included.
No card. Works with personal or business GitHub.