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Migration guide

Move from Linear to Pike

Connect Linear, map each team or project to a Pike project, and run Import once when the last team moves. Budget five weeks from connection to cutover, then one month-end in Pike.

Available now

Pike reads Linear through the Linear API. Issues, sub-issues, cycles and labels import into the Pike projects you map them to.

  1. 1In Pike, go to Workspace settings → Integrations → Linear, click Add integration, and authorize Pike in the Linear popup.
  2. 2Map each Linear team or project to a Pike project. Set the points-to-hours ratio (default 1 point = 4 hours) and turn on Map cycles to phases if cycles match client sprints.
  3. 3While teams move one at a time, click Import data. Changes in Linear reach Pike in real time through Linear webhooks.
  4. 4When the last team moves, choose Import once. It copies the mapped projects, cycles as phases, issues and sub-issues as tasks, labels, and comments as text, then disconnects.

Pike does not write to Linear during the import or after it. Linear has no time log, so time logged in Pike exists in Pike only.

Available now

Use CSV when nobody with Linear admin rights can authorize Pike, or when you bring over a few projects as a one-off.

  1. 1A workspace admin goes to Settings → Administration → Import Export and clicks Export data. Linear emails a download link that expires after 12 hours.
  2. 2For one project or view, open the command menu (Cmd/Ctrl + K) and choose Export issues as CSV…. Members export up to 250 issues at a time and admins up to 2,000.
  3. 3Map Title, Description, Status, Assignee, Due Date and Cycle Name to the Tasks template. Convert Estimate to hours at your own ratio before you plan allocations.
  4. 4Upload projects, phases, members, then tasks under Workspace settings → Integrations → CSV, using the Pike template columns.

Linear’s CSV excludes attachment files. Links to them may appear in issue descriptions, so download any file you need before you close Linear.

Entity map

What each Linear record becomes in Pike

Column one uses Linear’s own labels. Linear has no client, rate, time or invoice records, so your team sets billing and logs time in Pike from day one. Pike matches assignees on the email of each Linear user.

Teams or projects

Pike: Projects

Carries over: The issues you map into each Pike project.

You set in Pike: Customer, project number, billing type, budget, hourly rate and team. Linear projects store none of these.

Template columns: projectNumber, title

Cycles

Pike: Phases

Carries over: Cycle and the issues in it, with Map cycles to phases on.

You set in Pike: Phase names, if you want client-facing names over cycle numbers.

Template columns: projectNumber, phase, startDate, endDate

Issues and sub-issues

Pike: Tasks

Carries over: Title, description, assignee, due date, labels, workflow state through the status mapping.

You set in Pike: Billable status. Linear issues record none.

Template columns: title, projectNumber, description, status, assigneeEmail, dueDate, phase

Estimate

Pike: Hours allocated

Carries over: Estimate points at the ratio you set. Default: 1 point = 4 hours.

You set in Pike: The ratio, on the integration page.

Members

Pike: Members

Carries over: Email, matched to the Pike member who signs in with it.

You set in Pike: Workspace role, team, position and cost profile.

Template columns: email, displayName

Comments

Pike: Task comments

Carries over: Comment text, through Import once.

You set in Pike: Nothing.

Linear entityPike entityWhat carries overWhat you set in PikeTemplate columns
Teams or projectsProjectsThe issues you map into each Pike project.Customer, project number, billing type, budget, hourly rate and team. Linear projects store none of these.projectNumber, title
CyclesPhasesCycle and the issues in it, with Map cycles to phases on.Phase names, if you want client-facing names over cycle numbers.projectNumber, phase, startDate, endDate
Issues and sub-issuesTasksTitle, description, assignee, due date, labels, workflow state through the status mapping.Billable status. Linear issues record none.title, projectNumber, description, status, assigneeEmail, dueDate, phase
EstimateHours allocatedEstimate points at the ratio you set. Default: 1 point = 4 hours.The ratio, on the integration page.
MembersMembersEmail, matched to the Pike member who signs in with it.Workspace role, team, position and cost profile.email, displayName
CommentsTask commentsComment text, through Import once.Nothing.

Linear stores no rates, budgets or time. Set billing type, budget and hourly rate on each Pike project, and a cost profile on each member, before the pilot team logs its first hour.

Estimate points become allocated hours at the ratio you set on the integration page. If your teams size points differently, set the ratio for the team that bills most and adjust allocations on the others after the import.

The plan

Seven steps out of Linear

The same steps as the main migration guide, with this tool's screens and settings.

  1. Week 1

    Migration owner, finance

    1

    1Week 1 · Migration owner, finance

    Freeze scope and export

    Pike reads Linear directly. The workspace export in week one is your archive copy.

    • Pick a cutover Friday and list the Linear teams and projects that move, with the client each one bills.
    • A workspace admin runs Export data and downloads the file within the 12 hours the link works.
    • Export the member list from Settings → Administration → Members with Export CSV. You match emails against it in week two.
    exports / rawdo not edit
    • customers.csvraw
    • projects.csvraw
    • tasks.csvraw
    • time-entries.csvraw
    • invoices.csvraw
    Cutover: Friday, week 5

    Done when: Archive export in one folder, a cutover Friday on the calendar, and a Linear admin named to authorize Pike.

  2. Week 1 to 2

    Operations lead

    2

    2Week 1 to 2 · Operations lead

    Clean the data in Linear

    Pike imports what Linear stores, so tidy workflow states and estimates in Linear before you connect.

    • List the workflow states in each team that moves. Each one maps to a Pike task status.
    • Estimate open issues on projects you bill by time. An unestimated issue imports with no allocated hours.
    • Check every assignee signs in to Linear with the email they will use in Pike.
    customers.csvbefore / after
    • Acme
    • ACME Ltd
    • Acme retainer

    Acme

    C-104 · T&M · 1,250/h

    Done when: Every workflow state has a Pike status. Open billable issues have estimates.

  3. Week 2

    Workspace admin

    3

    3Week 2 · Workspace admin

    Build the workspace shell

    Linear has no clients or rates, so admins set up every commercial detail in Pike before the first import.

    • Connect your accounting system and run its Import data, so customers come from the ledger.
    • Create one Pike project per Linear team or project, with customer, billing type, budget and hourly rate.
    • Set a cost profile for everyone who will log billable time.
    Workspace setup
    • Teams and roles
    • Templates and labels
    • Cost profiles12 of 12
    • Accounting connected
    • Invite everyoneweek 4

    Done when: Every mapped Linear team or project has a Pike project with a customer, billing type and budget.

  4. Week 2 to 3

    Workspace admin

    4

    4Week 2 to 3 · Workspace admin

    Connect and import

    Map teams and projects, set the points ratio, then import. The stepper imports cycles as phases before the issues in them.

    • Add the Linear integration, map every team or project, and set the points-to-hours ratio.
    • Click Import data and retry anything listed under Sync issues.
    • Compare issue counts on three projects with Linear, and check each synced task shows its Linear identifier.
    Import datain order
    • Customers48
    • Projects112
    • Members19
    • Tasks1,430
    • Time entries
    • Deals

    Done when: Issue counts on every mapped project match Linear.

  5. Week 3 to 4

    Delivery lead, finance

    5

    5Week 3 to 4 · Delivery lead, finance

    Time in Pike, issues still in Linear

    Linear has no time log, so every team logs time in Pike from the first week. Move planning for one team with an invoice due.

    • All teams log time in Pike against synced tasks. The pilot team also plans its issues in Pike.
    • Finance approves the pilot team’s time in Time admin and sends one invoice from Pike.
    • Compare logged hours with allocated hours on the pilot project. A wide gap means the points ratio needs a change.

    Old tool

    Rest of team

    logs as before

    keep syncing

    Pike

    Pilot team

    approved, invoiced

    Done when: One invoice sent from Pike. Every member logs time in Pike.

  6. Week 4 to 5

    Migration owner

    6

    6Week 4 to 5 · Migration owner

    Cutover weekend

    Close Linear on Friday evening with Import once, then suspend the people who no longer need it.

    • Friday: run Import once so comments copy as text, and check last week’s issues in Pike.
    • Suspend users under Settings → Administration → Members with Suspend user…. Suspended users lose access at once and drop off the next billing cycle.
    • Monday: everyone plans and logs time in Pike. Pin one message with links to log time, find tasks and ask for help.

    Fri

    Approve. Sync. Read-only.

    Sat, Sun

    Rest.

    Mon

    All in Pike. Demo at 10:00.

    Done when: Time admin shows every active member by Monday afternoon. No Linear issue changed after Friday.

  7. Week 5 to 8

    Finance

    7

    7Week 5 to 8 · Finance

    First month-end in Pike

    Done when finance closes a month without opening Linear.

    • Approve all time, invoice every billable project from Pike and send the invoices to accounting.
    • Cancel or downgrade under Settings → Administration → Billing. Linear applies the change at the end of the subscription period and gives no refund mid-subscription.
    • After cancellation Linear deletes nothing, but a workspace over 250 issues can no longer create issues. Keep the week one export with two owners.
    Baselinebefore / Pike
    Days to invoice
    Unbilled hours at close
    Margin by project

    Done when: Month closed in Pike. Linear export saved with two owners. Linear plan changed.

Rebuild

Set these up in Pike by hand

  • Clients and billingSet customer, billing type, budget and rate on each project.Pike docs
  • Capacity from estimatesReview allocated hours per person after the points conversion.Pike docs
  • Cost ratesSet a cost profile for every member who logs time.Pike docs
  • Timesheet approversChoose who approves time for each team in Time admin.Pike docs

Questions

Moving from Linear: common questions

Can engineers keep working in Linear?

Yes. Leave the integration connected and Linear issues sync into Pike tasks in real time. Engineers log time in Pike against those tasks, and delivery leads see budget burn and margin there.

How do Linear estimates turn into hours?

Pike multiplies estimate points by the points-to-hours ratio you set, 4 hours per point by default. The result is the hours allocated on the task, which feeds capacity planning.

Does Pike import Linear projects as Pike projects?

You map each Linear team or project to a Pike project you create first. Pike imports the issues into it, because the Pike project also needs a customer, billing type and budget that Linear does not record.

What happens to our Linear workspace after we cancel?

Linear’s billing page states that nothing is deleted on cancellation. A workspace with over 250 issues can no longer create new issues, and every member becomes an admin on the free plan.

Support through the move and after it

Migration support comes with every plan: we map your exports, run the imports with you and check the counts before cutover. After go-live, hypercare until the first month-end closes in Pike. Then we hand over to your admins and stay close for as long as you use Pike. Email hello@usepike.com with your source tool and we will say which route fits.

  • Switch playbook
  • Linear integration
  • Migration guide for every tool

Linear documentation used for this guide

  • Linear: Exporting data
  • Linear: Members and roles
  • Linear: Billing and plans
  • Linear developers

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