REST API endpoints for labels
Use the REST API to manage labels for repositories, issues and pull requests.
About labels
You can use the REST API to manage labels for a repository and add or remove labels to issues and pull requests. Every pull request is an issue, but not every issue is a pull request. For this reason, "shared" actions for both features, like managing assignees, labels, and milestones, are provided within the Issues endpoints.
List labels for an issue
Lists all labels for an issue.
Fine-grained access tokens for "List labels for an issue"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (read)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "List labels for an issue"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
issue_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the issue. |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
per_page integer The number of results per page (max 100). For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
page integer The page number of the results to fetch. For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
HTTP response status codes for "List labels for an issue"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
301 | Moved permanently |
404 | Resource not found |
410 | Gone |
Code samples for "List labels for an issue"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/issues/ISSUE_NUMBER/labels
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
},
{
"id": 208045947,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDc=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/enhancement",
"name": "enhancement",
"description": "New feature or request",
"color": "a2eeef",
"default": false
}
]
Add labels to an issue
Adds labels to an issue. If you provide an empty array of labels, all labels are removed from the issue.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Add labels to an issue"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Add labels to an issue"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
issue_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the issue. |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
labels array of strings The names of the labels to add to the issue's existing labels. You can pass an empty array to remove all labels. Alternatively, you can pass a single label as a |
HTTP response status codes for "Add labels to an issue"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
301 | Moved permanently |
404 | Resource not found |
410 | Gone |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Add labels to an issue"
Request example
curl -L \
-X POST \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/issues/ISSUE_NUMBER/labels \
-d '{"labels":["bug","enhancement"]}'
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
},
{
"id": 208045947,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDc=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/enhancement",
"name": "enhancement",
"description": "New feature or request",
"color": "a2eeef",
"default": false
}
]
Set labels for an issue
Removes any previous labels and sets the new labels for an issue.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Set labels for an issue"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Set labels for an issue"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
issue_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the issue. |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
labels array of strings The names of the labels to set for the issue. The labels you set replace any existing labels. You can pass an empty array to remove all labels. Alternatively, you can pass a single label as a |
HTTP response status codes for "Set labels for an issue"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
301 | Moved permanently |
404 | Resource not found |
410 | Gone |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Set labels for an issue"
Request example
curl -L \
-X PUT \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/issues/ISSUE_NUMBER/labels \
-d '{"labels":["bug","enhancement"]}'
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
},
{
"id": 208045947,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDc=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/enhancement",
"name": "enhancement",
"description": "New feature or request",
"color": "a2eeef",
"default": false
}
]
Remove all labels from an issue
Removes all labels from an issue.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Remove all labels from an issue"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Remove all labels from an issue"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
issue_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the issue. |
HTTP response status codes for "Remove all labels from an issue"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
204 | No Content |
301 | Moved permanently |
404 | Resource not found |
410 | Gone |
Code samples for "Remove all labels from an issue"
Request example
curl -L \
-X DELETE \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/issues/ISSUE_NUMBER/labels
Response
Status: 204
Remove a label from an issue
Removes the specified label from the issue, and returns the remaining labels on the issue. This endpoint returns a 404 Not Found
status if the label does not exist.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Remove a label from an issue"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Remove a label from an issue"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
issue_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the issue. |
name string Required |
HTTP response status codes for "Remove a label from an issue"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
301 | Moved permanently |
404 | Resource not found |
410 | Gone |
Code samples for "Remove a label from an issue"
Request example
curl -L \
-X DELETE \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/issues/ISSUE_NUMBER/labels/NAME
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
}
]
List labels for a repository
Lists all labels for a repository.
Fine-grained access tokens for "List labels for a repository"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (read)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "List labels for a repository"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
per_page integer The number of results per page (max 100). For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
page integer The page number of the results to fetch. For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
HTTP response status codes for "List labels for a repository"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
404 | Resource not found |
Code samples for "List labels for a repository"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/labels
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
},
{
"id": 208045947,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDc=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/enhancement",
"name": "enhancement",
"description": "New feature or request",
"color": "a2eeef",
"default": false
}
]
Create a label
Creates a label for the specified repository with the given name and color. The name and color parameters are required. The color must be a valid hexadecimal color code.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Create a label"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Create a label"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
name string RequiredThe name of the label. Emoji can be added to label names, using either native emoji or colon-style markup. For example, typing |
color string The hexadecimal color code for the label, without the leading |
description string A short description of the label. Must be 100 characters or fewer. |
HTTP response status codes for "Create a label"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
201 | Created |
404 | Resource not found |
422 | Validation failed, or the endpoint has been spammed. |
Code samples for "Create a label"
Request example
curl -L \
-X POST \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/labels \
-d '{"name":"bug","description":"Something isn'\''t working","color":"f29513"}'
Response
Status: 201
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
}
Get a label
Gets a label using the given name.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Get a label"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (read)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "Get a label"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
name string Required |
HTTP response status codes for "Get a label"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
404 | Resource not found |
Code samples for "Get a label"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/labels/NAME
Response
Status: 200
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
}
Update a label
Updates a label using the given label name.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Update a label"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Update a label"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
name string Required |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
new_name string The new name of the label. Emoji can be added to label names, using either native emoji or colon-style markup. For example, typing |
color string The hexadecimal color code for the label, without the leading |
description string A short description of the label. Must be 100 characters or fewer. |
HTTP response status codes for "Update a label"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
Code samples for "Update a label"
Request example
curl -L \
-X PATCH \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/labels/NAME \
-d '{"new_name":"bug :bug:","description":"Small bug fix required","color":"b01f26"}'
Response
Status: 200
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug%20:bug:",
"name": "bug :bug:",
"description": "Small bug fix required",
"color": "b01f26",
"default": true
}
Delete a label
Deletes a label using the given label name.
Fine-grained access tokens for "Delete a label"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (write)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (write)
Parameters for "Delete a label"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
name string Required |
HTTP response status codes for "Delete a label"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
204 | No Content |
Code samples for "Delete a label"
Request example
curl -L \
-X DELETE \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/labels/NAME
Response
Status: 204
List labels for issues in a milestone
Lists labels for issues in a milestone.
Fine-grained access tokens for "List labels for issues in a milestone"
This endpoint works with the following fine-grained token types:
- GitHub App user access tokens
- GitHub App installation access tokens
- Fine-grained personal access tokens
The fine-grained token must have at least one of the following permission sets:
- "Issues" repository permissions (read)
- "Pull requests" repository permissions (read)
This endpoint can be used without authentication or the aforementioned permissions if only public resources are requested.
Parameters for "List labels for issues in a milestone"
Name, Type, Description |
---|
accept string Setting to |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
owner string RequiredThe account owner of the repository. The name is not case sensitive. |
repo string RequiredThe name of the repository without the |
milestone_number integer RequiredThe number that identifies the milestone. |
Name, Type, Description |
---|
per_page integer The number of results per page (max 100). For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
page integer The page number of the results to fetch. For more information, see "Using pagination in the REST API." Default: |
HTTP response status codes for "List labels for issues in a milestone"
Status code | Description |
---|---|
200 | OK |
Code samples for "List labels for issues in a milestone"
Request example
curl -L \
-H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR-TOKEN>" \
-H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
https://api.github.com/repos/OWNER/REPO/milestones/MILESTONE_NUMBER/labels
Response
Status: 200
[
{
"id": 208045946,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDY=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/bug",
"name": "bug",
"description": "Something isn't working",
"color": "f29513",
"default": true
},
{
"id": 208045947,
"node_id": "MDU6TGFiZWwyMDgwNDU5NDc=",
"url": "https://api.github.com/repos/octocat/Hello-World/labels/enhancement",
"name": "enhancement",
"description": "New feature or request",
"color": "a2eeef",
"default": false
}
]