How to assign tasks to team members on Linear

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

To assign tasks in Linear, open an issue and click the assignee field (person icon) to select team members. You can assign tasks when creating new issues or edit existing ones by clicking the assignee dropdown and choosing from your team members.

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Prerequisites

Active Linear workspace account
Team members added to your workspace
Existing issues or ability to create new ones
Appropriate permissions to assign tasks

Step-by-Step Instructions

Navigate to your Linear workspace

Log into Linear and select your workspace. Go to the Issues view from the sidebar to see all available tasks and issues in your current project or team.

Use the team filter at the top to focus on issues for a specific team if you're working across multiple teams.

Select or create an issue to assign

Click on an existing issue from the list, or create a new issue by clicking the New Issue button (+ icon) in the top toolbar. This will open the issue details panel or creation dialog.

Locate the assignee field

In the issue panel, find the Assignee field, which displays a person icon. If no one is assigned, it will show Unassigned. Click on this field to open the assignee dropdown menu.

The assignee field is typically located in the right sidebar of the issue details panel.

Choose team member from dropdown

Click the assignee dropdown to see a list of all team members in your workspace. Select the person you want to assign the task to by clicking their name. You can also type their name to search quickly through the list.

Only active team members with access to the current team/project will appear in the assignee list.

Confirm the assignment

Once you select a team member, their name and avatar will appear in the assignee field. The assignment is saved automatically - you'll see the change reflected immediately in the issue details.

The assigned team member will receive a notification about the new assignment if they have notifications enabled.

Verify assignment in team view

Return to the Issues view to confirm the assignment. You can filter by assignee using the filter bar at the top, or use the My Issues view to see tasks assigned to you specifically.

Use keyboard shortcut <code>Cmd/Ctrl + K</code> then type 'My Issues' to quickly navigate to your assigned tasks.

Bulk assign multiple issues (optional)

To assign multiple issues at once, select multiple issues by holding Cmd/Ctrl and clicking each issue. Then right-click and choose Edit Issues to bulk edit assignees across selected items.

Bulk assignment is useful when distributing similar tasks across your team or reassigning work during sprint planning.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Team member doesn't appear in assignee dropdown

Ensure the team member has been added to your workspace and has access to the current team/project. Check team permissions in Settings > Teams.

Cannot assign tasks to certain team members

Verify you have admin or appropriate permissions in the workspace. Some organizations restrict task assignment to specific roles. Contact your workspace admin if needed.

Assigned team member not receiving notifications

Check the team member's notification settings in their Profile > Notifications. Ensure email notifications are enabled and email address is verified.

Assignment changes not saving

Refresh the page and try again. If the issue persists, check your internet connection and verify you have edit permissions for the issue. Contact support if problems continue.

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