Github Labels

---
model: haiku
created: 2025-12-16
modified: 2026-02-06
reviewed: 2025-12-16
name: github-labels
description: |
  Discover and apply labels to GitHub PRs and issues using the gh CLI. Use when
  you need to list available labels, add or remove labels on pull requests or issues,
  or create new labels for a repository.
allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Grep, Glob
---

# GitHub Labels

Reference for discovering and applying labels to GitHub PRs and issues.

## Discovering Available Labels

```bash
# List all labels with details
gh label list --json name,description,color --limit 50

# Search for specific labels
gh label list --search "bug"

# Output as simple list
gh label list --json name -q '.[].name'
```

## Adding Labels to PRs

```bash
# Single label
gh pr create --label "bug"

# Multiple labels (repeat flag)
gh pr create --label "bug" --label "priority:high"

# Comma-separated
gh pr create --label "bug,priority:high"

# Add to existing PR
gh pr edit 123 --add-label "ready-for-review"
```

## Adding Labels to Issues

```bash
# Create with labels
gh issue create --label "bug,needs-triage"

# Add to existing issue
gh issue edit 123 --add-label "in-progress"

# Remove label
gh issue edit 123 --remove-label "needs-triage"
```

## Common Label Categories

| Category | Examples |
|----------|----------|
| Type | `bug`, `feature`, `enhancement`, `documentation`, `chore` |
| Priority | `priority:critical`, `priority:high`, `priority:medium`, `priority:low` |
| Status | `needs-triage`, `in-progress`, `blocked`, `ready-for-review` |
| Area | `frontend`, `backend`, `infrastructure`, `testing`, `ci-cd` |

## Label Inheritance Pattern

When creating a PR from an issue:
1. Read issue labels via `gh issue view N --json labels`
2. Apply same labels to PR: `gh pr create --label "label1,label2"`

This maintains traceability and consistent categorization.