How to consolidate Linear and Asana tasks in one list (without migrating data or stopping their use)

Managing tasks in Linear for development and Asana for client projects is practical until you waste time switching between apps. The solution isn’t migrating data or abandoning tools that already work, but consolidating Linear and Asana tasks in one list where you can see, prioritize, and act without duplicating effort. Foco Plus makes this possible with its Connections, which automatically bring what’s assigned to you in both platforms into a unified dashboard, keeping the original data intact and synchronized.

Why consolidate Linear and Asana tasks in one place

Using two separate task managers has advantages: Linear is optimized for technical workflows (issues, sprints), and Asana for visual collaboration (timelines, dependencies). But when you work in both simultaneously, concrete problems arise:

• Loss of context: Checking two apps means remembering which task belongs to which project or client, especially if you use different labels or priorities in each.
• Duplicated effort: Marking a task as done in Linear doesn’t update Asana, and vice versa. If you use both for tracking, you end up repeating actions manually.
• Lack of global prioritization: An urgent task in Linear might go unnoticed if you only check Asana, and the reverse. Without a unified view, it’s easy to overlook critical deadlines.
• Scattered notifications: Each app sends its own alerts, fragmenting your attention and increasing the risk of missing tight deadlines.

The typical alternative—exporting data or using generic integrations like Zapier—often fails because: 1) it requires complex setups, 2) it doesn’t keep data synchronized in real time, or 3) it forces you to abandon native features of Linear or Asana that already work for you. Foco solves this by bringing only what you need (tasks assigned to you) into a dashboard where you can manage them alongside your other work (clients, personal projects) without leaving your workflow.

How to set up Foco’s Connections for Linear and Asana

Step 1: Access Connections in Foco Plus

Open Foco on desktop or mobile, go to Settings > Connections, and select Linear and Asana. Both use OAuth, so you only need to log in to your accounts when prompted. Foco doesn’t store your credentials: it uses temporary tokens that you can revoke at any time from the original apps.

Step 2: Choose the 'destination workspace' for each connection

Each connection must point to a workspace in Foco (a task container with a name and color). You have two options:

• Automatic (recommended for starters): Foco analyzes the content of each task (title, project, labels) and assigns it to the most relevant workspace you’ve already created. For example, if in Linear you’re assigned an issue for the 'Mobile App' project and in Foco you have a workspace called 'Mobile App Development', the task will go there.
• Fixed: You manually select a Foco workspace for all tasks coming from that connection. Useful if you want all Linear tasks to go to a workspace called 'Development' and all Asana tasks to 'Clients'.

You can change this setting at any time. If you use the automatic option, review the first tasks that arrive to manually adjust those Foco didn’t assign correctly.

Step 3: Enable two-way synchronization (optional)

By default, Foco only reads tasks from Linear and Asana. But if you enable the 'Complete in origin too' option, marking a task as done in Foco will automatically update it in the original app. In Linear, the issue will be closed, and in Asana, it will be marked as completed. This avoids having to repeat the action in both platforms.

Two-way synchronization isn’t mandatory, but it’s the key to consolidating Linear and Asana tasks without duplicating work: you close the task once, and it’s reflected everywhere.

How to view and manage unified tasks in Foco

Choose the view that best fits your workflow

Foco offers three views for working with your tasks, accessible via the View button at the top:

• List: Groups tasks by date (Today, This Week, Later, No Date) and shows a collapsible section for completed tasks. Ideal for prioritizing by deadlines. Linear and Asana tasks appear mixed, each with the color of its workspace (e.g., blue for 'Development', green for 'Clients').
• Kanban: Customizable columns (e.g., 'To Do', 'In Progress', 'Blocked', 'Done'). On desktop, you drag tasks between columns; on mobile, you use tabs. Useful for visualizing the status of technical flows (Linear) and client projects (Asana) in one board.
• Calendar: Shows tasks with due dates in a weekly or monthly view (on mobile, day by day). Events from Google Calendar or Outlook also appear here, letting you see meetings and deadlines in one place.

Filter by workspace to focus on one area

In Panorama mode, you see all tasks from all your workspaces at once, each with its color. If you need to focus only on Linear or Asana tasks, enter Focus mode by selecting the corresponding workspace. For example, clicking on 'Development' will show only Linear issues, and selecting 'Clients' will show only Asana tasks. This reduces visual noise and helps you make progress in one area without distractions.

Leverage advanced fields to prioritize

Tasks coming from Linear and Asana include their original data (title, description, due date), but in Foco you can enrich them with additional fields to manage them better:

• Priority: Mark a task as important or urgent to make it stand out in your list. Foco uses colors (red for urgent, yellow for important) that are visible in all views.
• Duration: Add how long you estimate the task will take (in minutes). Useful for planning your day when mixing technical issues (Linear) with client deliverables (Asana).
• Labels: Add colored labels to categorize tasks by type (e.g., 'bug', 'documentation', 'meeting') or by client. Labels are unlimited and visible in all views.
• Assignees: If you collaborate with others in Foco, assign tasks to team members. They’ll only see tasks from workspaces they have access to.

What happens with recurring tasks and reminders

Foco respects the recurrence of tasks coming from Linear or Asana, but with an important nuance: recurrence is only managed in the original app. For example, if in Asana you have a recurring task 'Review weekly report', completing it in Foco will mark it as done in Asana, but the next occurrence will be generated there, not in Foco. This avoids conflicts between platforms.

For reminders, Foco uses those already set in Linear or Asana, but you can add new ones from the app. For instance, if a Linear issue doesn’t have a reminder but you want to be notified 1 hour before it’s due, add it in Foco, and it will sync with Linear if you have 'Complete in origin too' enabled.

How to consolidate Linear and Asana tasks without losing what already works

The key to consolidating Linear and Asana tasks without friction is to use Foco as a control panel, not a replacement. This means:

• Keep native workflows: Use Linear for managing sprints, pull requests, or code reviews, and Asana for timelines, dependencies, or attached files. Foco doesn’t replicate these features, but it lets you see what’s assigned to you in both without leaving your workflow.
• Use Foco to prioritize: Instead of checking Linear and Asana separately, do it in Foco to decide what deserves your attention today. For example, if in Panorama you see 3 overdue Linear issues and 2 overdue Asana tasks, you can sort them by priority and tackle them in order.
• Leverage color to identify contexts: Assign a different color to each workspace (e.g., red for 'Development', blue for 'Clients'). That way, when you see a task in your list, you’ll know at a glance if it’s a technical bug or a client deliverable, without having to open the original app.
• Close tasks once: With two-way synchronization enabled, marking a task as done in Foco closes it in Linear or Asana. This eliminates duplicated effort and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

Compared to alternatives like spreadsheets or note-taking apps, Foco wins because it’s designed specifically for those managing multiple workspaces at once. A spreadsheet can list Linear and Asana tasks, but it won’t let you drag them in a kanban, assign color-coded priorities, or sync them with the origin. Apps like Todoist or Trello lack native integrations with Linear or Asana, forcing manual setups or using external tools like Zapier, which add complexity and don’t always work in real time.

Practical example: A day managing Linear and Asana in Foco

Imagine starting your day with these tasks in Foco (Panorama mode, List view):

• Today (red): 'Fix login bug' (Linear, workspace 'Development'), 'Send proposal to client X' (Asana, workspace 'Clients').
• This Week (yellow): 'Review PR #42' (Linear), 'Prepare meeting with client Y' (Asana).
• No Date (gray): 'Document API' (Linear), 'Update report template' (Asana).

Steps you’d follow:

• 1. Prioritize: Mark 'Fix login bug' as urgent (red) and 'Send proposal to client X' as important (yellow).
• 2. Focus: Enter Focus mode for the 'Development' workspace to work only on Linear issues. Use the Kanban view to move 'Fix login bug' to 'In Progress' and 'Review PR #42' to 'To Do'.
• 3. Plan: Assign 60 minutes to 'Fix login bug' and 30 minutes to 'Send proposal to client X'. In the Calendar view, drag both tasks to time blocks in your schedule.
• 4. Close: When you finish 'Fix login bug', mark it as done in Foco. With two-way sync enabled, the issue closes automatically in Linear.
• 5. Review: At the end of the day, in Panorama mode, you see only 'Send proposal to client X' remains pending. You’ll tackle it first tomorrow.

Conclusion: Fewer switches, more action

Consolidating Linear and Asana tasks in one list isn’t about replacing tools, but eliminating the friction of using them separately. Foco gives you a unified dashboard where you can see, prioritize, and act on what’s assigned to you in both platforms, without migrating data or abandoning workflows that already work. With Connections, two-way synchronization, and flexible views, you reduce the time wasted switching between apps and gain clarity to focus on what matters: making progress in your work.

If you manage technical tasks in Linear and client projects in Asana, try unifying them in Foco for a week. The difference isn’t in having fewer tools, but in having fewer distractions.