How to use Linear's board view
Switch your Linear issues from a list to a board so work shows as status columns, then scan cards and add new issues straight into a column.
Quick answer
Open your team's Issues page, click Display options, and choose Board. Linear then lays your issues out as columns grouped by status, such as Todo and In Progress. Each issue appears as a card with its ID, title and priority, and you can add a new issue from the column itself.
Steps at a glance
- Open the team's Issues page.
- Click Display options.
- Choose the Board layout.
- Read the status columns.
- Scan the issue cards.
- Add a new issue to a column.
Interactive demo
Summary
Linear's board view shows your issues as cards in columns grouped by status. It makes it easy to see what is waiting and what is underway without reading through a list. You switch to it from the Display options menu.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1
Open display options
Open your team's Issues page, where issues show as a list under headings like **In Progress** and **Todo**. Click **Display options** in the top right to open the view settings.
Step 2
Switch to the board layout
At the top of the menu you will see two layout tabs, **List** and **Board**. Click **Board** to change how the page is laid out. The menu also lists **Grouping**, which is set to **Status**.
Step 3
Read your issues as columns by status
Close the menu and your issues now sit in side-by-side columns. **Todo** holds the waiting issues and **In Progress** holds the work underway, so you can see how work is spread at a glance.
Step 4
Hover a card to see its details
Each issue is a card showing its ID, status, title, priority and creation date. Move your cursor over a card, such as **ARC-4**, to read those details before you decide what to open.
Step 5
Add an issue to a column
Use the **Add new issue** control in a column to create an issue directly in that status. The new card then appears in the column it was created in.
Why this matters
You are about to plan the week and a long list hides how much work is stuck in Todo versus underway. Switching to the board shows every status as its own column, so you can see the spread and add work where it belongs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go back to the list?
Yes. Open **Display options** and click **List** to return to the list layout.
What are the columns based on?
The columns follow the **Grouping** setting in **Display options**, which was set to **Status** in this view.
Related guides
Continue with more step-by-step guides for getting work done.
How to group issues in LinearLearn how to group issues in Linear by priority using Display options and the Grouping menu, so your team can scan its work by urgency at a glance.
How to change issue status in LinearChange the status of a Linear issue from Todo to In Progress with the status menu on the issue page, then confirm the move in the activity feed.
How to create an issue in LinearCreate an issue in Linear from the sidebar: name it, add a description, set a priority and confirm it lands in your team's issue list in under a minute.
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