Retrospective Template for Linear (2026)
Linear cycle completion data provides the quantitative foundation for productive retrospectives. This template structures your retro around Linear cycle metrics and converts action items into Linear issues for accountability.
Review your Linear cycle report before the retrospective to ground the discussion in real data.
Template sections
4 sections covering the complete retrospective workflow.
Cycle Metrics
Pull data from the Linear cycle completion view: total issues planned vs. completed, scope changes during the cycle, and issues that slipped to the next cycle. Linear displays this on the Cycles page as a progress bar and completion percentage.
Project Progress
Review Linear project progress from the cycle. Which projects advanced? Which are at risk? Use the project progress bar and milestone dates to assess whether the team is on track for project deadlines.
Discussion Format
Use a Keep/Drop/Try format: Keep (practices that helped the team deliver), Drop (practices that slowed the team down), Try (new practices to experiment with next cycle). Limit to 2-3 items per category for actionable outcomes.
Action Items as Issues
Create Linear issues for each retrospective action item. Label them "Retro Action" and add them to the next cycle. This ensures action items are visible during planning and tracked alongside regular development work. Review completion at the next retro.
Copy-paste template
# Cycle [N] Retrospective ## Cycle Metrics (from Linear) - Planned: [X] issues | Completed: [Y] issues - Completion: [Y/X]% - Scope change: [+/-Z] issues - Slipped to next cycle: [List] ## Project Progress | Project | Progress | Status | |---|---|---| | [Project] | [X]% | [On track / At risk] | ## Keep 1. [Practice to continue] ## Drop 1. [Practice to stop] ## Try 1. [New practice to experiment with] ## Action Items - [ ] [Action] — Linear issue: [Identifier] — Owner: [Name]
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