Labels

gh label list returns only the first 30 labels. Always pass --limit when the result decides whether a label exists, or the answer will be wrong on any repository with a larger label set.

Search names and descriptions, and return structured output:

Sort by name instead of creation order:

Create Label

Only the name is required. Color is six hex characters without a leading #; a random color is assigned when it is omitted. Description must be 100 characters or fewer.

Creating a label that already exists fails. Use --force to create it or update its color and description if it is already there, which makes seeding a label set repeatable:

Rename or Recolor Label

Send only what changes. --name sets the new name.

Delete Label

Deleting a label removes it from every issue and pull request that carries it. --yes is required when running without a prompt. Delete a label only when explicitly requested.

Copy Labels Between Repositories

Clones the source repository’s labels into the current one, skipping names that already exist. --force overwrites them instead.

View an Issue’s Labels

Add Labels to an Issue

Adds to the labels already on the issue. Repeat the flag for several labels.

Remove Labels from an Issue

Replace All Labels on an Issue

gh issue edit adds and removes but cannot replace the whole set. Use the API endpoint for that: PUT drops the existing labels and sets the ones supplied.

Remove All Labels from an Issue

Default Labels

GitHub creates these labels in a new repository: accessibility, bug, documentation, duplicate, enhancement, good first issue, help wanted, invalid, question, wontfix.

Maintainers can rename or delete any of them, so check rather than assume. The isDefault field separates them from labels the repository added:

Usage Rules

• List the repository’s labels before applying them, so the names used match the repository’s existing taxonomy. Pass --limit when doing so; the default of 30 silently hides the rest.
• Create a label explicitly, with a color and description, rather than relying on a name appearing as a side effect of labelling an issue.
• Color is six hexadecimal characters with no leading #.
• Description must be 100 characters or fewer.
• Use --add-label and --remove-label to change part of an issue’s labels. They leave the other labels intact.
• Replace an issue’s whole label set only when replacement is explicitly requested. Read the current labels first, and prefer add and remove otherwise: PUT discards every label not named in the call.
• Label names are matched case-insensitively and stored with the case given.
• Quote label names that contain spaces.
• Pass --yes to gh label delete when running without a prompt, and ask before deleting: the label disappears from every issue that carries it.
• Prefer issue types over labels for categorization when the organization has issue types configured.