# External Trackers
Decapod is built to be a "good citizen" in your existing developer ecosystem. It does not replace your high-level project management tools (GitHub Issues, Linear, Jira); it provides the **operational bridge** to the repository.
## The Integration Pattern
1. **Management Layer (External):** A human creates an issue in Linear (e.g., `DEV-456`).
2. **Operational Layer (Decapod):** An agent adds a Decapod todo that references the external issue (see [CLI Reference](../reference/cli.md#task-tracking)).
```bash
decapod todo add "Fix regression in auth" --ref "DEV-456"
```
3. **Execution (Isolated):** The agent claims the todo and enters its isolated workspace (see [Workspace Isolation](workspace-isolation.md)).
4. **Proof (Verification):** The agent marks the task as done, satisfying the Decapod proof gates (see [Proof & Validation](../concepts/proof.md)).
5. **Sync (Closure):** The passing Decapod state provides the "green light" to close the external Linear issue.
## Why This Bridge Matters
External trackers are "blind" to the repository state. They don't know if an agent is currently corrupting a worktree or if the implementation violates a security policy. Decapod provides the **technical proof** that the work associated with an external issue is actually correct and compliant.