codyswanngt/linear-add-journey

Add Validation Journey to Existing Linear Issue

Read an existing Linear Issue, analyze the change type, and append a Validation Journey section to the description with appropriate verification steps based on the project's verification patterns.

This skill is the destination of the lisa:tracker-add-journey shim when tracker = "linear".

Configuration

Reads linear.workspace, linear.teamKey from .lisa.config.json (with .local override).

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS: <IDENTIFIER> — Linear Issue identifier (e.g. ENG-123).

Workflow

Step 1: Read the Issue

Fetch via mcp__linear-server__get_issue and extract: title, description (markdown), labels, project, parent, attachments.

Step 2: Check for Existing Journey

If the description already contains a ## Validation Journey section, report and stop — never overwrite an existing journey without explicit instruction.

Step 3: Analyze the Change Type

Examine the description, acceptance criteria, and codebase to determine the change type:

1. API/GraphQL — New or modified endpoints, request/response schemas
2. Database migration — Schema changes, new tables/columns, indexes
3. Background job/queue — New job processors, queue consumers, event handlers
4. Library/utility — Exported functions, shared modules, npm package changes
5. Security fix — Auth, authorization, input validation, OWASP vulnerabilities
6. Authentication/authorization — Role-based access, session management, tokens
7. UI/frontend — Components, flows, browser-driven verification

Use Explore agents or read the codebase to understand which files are affected and what verification approach is appropriate.

Step 4: Map Change Type to Verification Pattern

| Change Type | Verification Approach | |---|---| | API/GraphQL | curl commands verifying endpoints, status codes, response schemas | | Database migration | Migration execution + schema verification + rollback check | | Background job/queue | Enqueue + process + state change verification | | Library/utility | Test execution + build verification + export check | | Security fix | Exploit reproduction pre-fix + exploit failure post-fix | | Auth/authz | Multi-role verification with explicit status codes | | UI/frontend | Playwright browser flow + visual evidence |

Step 5: Draft the Validation Journey (markdown)

Linear descriptions are markdown. Use ## and ### headings — not Jira wiki markup.

## Validation Journey

### Prerequisites
- List required services, database, env vars

### Steps
1. Verify current state before changes
2. Apply the change
3. Verify expected new state [EVIDENCE: state-name]
4. Test error/edge cases [EVIDENCE: error-case]
5. Verify rollback if applicable [EVIDENCE: rollback]

### Assertions
- Describe what must be true after verification

Guidelines for Drafting

1. 2–5 evidence markers — Focus on proving the change works and handles errors.
2. Concrete, runnable steps — Run \curl -s localhost:3000/health | jq .status`` not "Check the endpoint".
3. Include environment setup — Database connection, running services, env vars.
4. Evidence names in kebab-case — api-response, schema-check, rate-limit-hit.
5. Assertions are measurable — "Returns 200 with {status: ok}" not "API works correctly".
6. Cover happy path and error path — At minimum, one success and one failure evidence marker.
7. On a leaf work unit, the markers are binding — For a Bug / Task / Sub-task / Improvement, every [EVIDENCE: name] here is the item's evidence manifest: validation gate S14 requires at least one, and the item cannot be closed until each named artifact is captured and attached (see the "Per-Work-Unit Evidence Contract" in the verification rule). Name only evidence you intend to capture — and name all of it.

Step 6: Present to User for Approval

Display the drafted journey and ask for confirmation before appending.

Step 7: Append to Issue Description

After approval, fetch the current description, append the new Validation Journey section, and update via mcp__linear-server__save_issue({id, description: <new-description>}). Preserve all existing description content — never overwrite.

Step 8: Verify

Re-fetch the issue and confirm the section is present.

When to Use This Skill

• Issue was created before the Validation Journey convention was established
• Issue was created manually without following lisa:linear-create guidelines
• Issue needs a journey added or updated based on implementation progress
• Before starting work on an Issue, to ensure verification steps are documented