How to set up cycles for sprints on Linear

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Set up cycles in Linear by navigating to team settings, enabling cycles, configuring duration and start dates, then creating your first cycle and assigning issues to it. Cycles in Linear serve as sprint containers to organize work into time-boxed iterations.

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Prerequisites

Linear workspace admin or team lead permissions
Basic understanding of agile sprint methodology
Team created in Linear workspace
Issues or project backlog ready to organize

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access team settings and enable cycles

Navigate to your team's page in Linear and click the Settings tab in the top navigation. Scroll down to find the Cycles section and toggle the Enable cycles switch to activate cycle functionality for your team.

Only team leads and workspace admins can enable cycles for a team

Configure cycle duration and schedule

In the cycles settings, set your Cycle duration (typically 1-4 weeks for sprints). Choose your Cycle start day from the dropdown menu and set the First cycle start date to establish when your sprint schedule begins. Linear will automatically generate future cycles based on these settings.

Most teams use 2-week cycles as a good balance between planning overhead and delivery frequency

Set up cycle auto-archive preferences

Configure the Auto-archive completed cycles setting to automatically move finished cycles out of your active view. Set the Archive after value to determine how long completed cycles remain visible before archiving (recommended: 2-4 weeks).

Create your first cycle

Click Cycles in the left sidebar, then click the + New cycle button. Enter a cycle name following your team's naming convention (e.g., "Sprint 2024-12" or "Cycle 15"). The start and end dates will auto-populate based on your configured schedule, but you can adjust them if needed.

Use consistent naming conventions to make cycles easily identifiable in reports and filters

Add issues to your cycle

From the cycle view, click Add issues or drag issues from your backlog directly into the cycle. You can also assign issues to cycles from the issue detail view by selecting the cycle in the Cycle field. Use the cycle's capacity indicator to avoid overcommitting your team.

Start with fewer issues than you think you can complete to build realistic velocity estimates

Set cycle goals and description

Click on your cycle name to open the cycle details page. Add a Description that outlines the cycle's main objectives and any important context. Use the Goals section to define specific, measurable outcomes you want to achieve during this sprint.

Clear cycle goals help the team stay focused and provide context for stakeholder updates

Configure cycle notifications

In the cycle settings, enable Cycle notifications to get automatic updates when cycles start, end, or when issues are at risk of not completing. Set up Slack integration or email notifications to keep your team informed about cycle progress and upcoming deadlines.

Set notifications to go out 1-2 days before cycle end to give teams time to adjust scope

Start tracking and monitor progress

Once your cycle is active, monitor progress using the Cycle overview page which shows completion percentages, burndown data, and at-risk issues. Use the Cycle insights tab to track velocity and identify bottlenecks. Update issue statuses regularly to maintain accurate progress visibility.

Review cycle progress in daily standups and adjust scope if needed to meet cycle commitments

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Cycles option not appearing in team settings

Ensure you have team lead or workspace admin permissions. If you're on a free plan, cycles may only be available for paid Linear subscriptions. Contact your workspace admin to upgrade if needed.

Issues not showing up when trying to add them to a cycle

Check that issues belong to the same team as the cycle - cross-team issue assignment to cycles requires specific permissions. Also verify issues aren't already assigned to another active cycle using the cycle:unset filter.

Cycle dates don't align with team's existing sprint schedule

Adjust the First cycle start date in team settings to match your current sprint schedule. You can also manually override individual cycle dates when creating them, though this may affect future auto-generated cycles.

Team velocity metrics showing inaccurate data

Ensure all issues have proper Estimate points assigned and that team members are consistently updating issue statuses. Check that completed cycles have been properly closed rather than left open, as this affects velocity calculations.

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