5 GitHub → Linear automation patterns every engineering team should have

The combination of GitHub webhooks and Linear's structured issue model is one of the most powerful workflows in modern engineering. Here are five automation patterns that pay off immediately — and how to set each one up in Deviera.

1. CI failure on main → urgent Linear issue

When CI fails on your main branch, every engineer on the team is blocked. But without a structured issue, the failure is handled ad-hoc: someone mentions it in Slack, someone else investigates, a third person opens a PR — with no tracking or accountability.

The fix: trigger type github_ci_failed + branch filter main → action create_linear_issue with Urgent priority. The issue includes the workflow name, commit SHA, and a direct link to the failing run. When CI passes again, Deviera auto-closes the issue.

2. Bug-labeled issue → high-priority Linear issue

GitHub issues are great for community triage. Linear is where engineering work gets tracked. The gap between them means bugs often sit in GitHub without ever making it into a sprint.

Fix: trigger github_issue_labeled + label filter bug → create a Linear issue with High priority. The description includes the full GitHub issue body, a link back to the original, and a standardised reproduction checklist template.

3. Stale PR (48 h) → Linear issue + PR comment

PRs that sit without review are a compounding problem. Merge conflicts accumulate, context decays, and the author loses momentum. A gentle automated nudge — both in Linear and directly on the PR — is usually all it takes.

Fix: trigger github_pr_stale (scanned proactively every 6 hours) + thresholdstaleHours: 48 → create a Linear issue with the reviewers listed + post a PR comment with a link to the Linear issue so the author knows it's been flagged.

4. Deployment failure → critical Linear issue (auto-closes)

A failed Vercel deployment with no tracking is a reliability risk. If the person who notices fixes it without creating a ticket, the pattern never surfaces in retrospectives.

Fix: trigger vercel_deployment_failed → create a Linear issue with Critical priority. When the next deployment succeeds (vercel_deployment_ready), Deviera automatically resolves the Linear issue and emits a resolved event in the Signal Feed.

5. PR merged to main → changelog entry

Engineering changelog hygiene is chronically neglected. Merges happen, features ship, and nobody writes it down. A lightweight automation closes the gap.

Fix: trigger github_pr_merged + branch filter main → create a Linear issue in a dedicated "Changelog" team with Normal priority. The issue is pre-populated with the PR title, author, and a link to the merged diff — one click to publish to your changelog or Notion.

Getting started

All five of these patterns are available as built-in templates in Deviera. Go to Dashboard → Automations → Templates and enable them with one click. Each template is fully customisable — edit the Linear team, priority, title template, and description after enabling.