# Add labels to an issue

> Add labels to an issue or a pull request, keeping the ones it has.

<div class="g1t-endpoint"><span class="g1t-method" data-method="post">POST</span><code>/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/{number}/labels</code></div>

A name the repository does not have yet is created when you have the Write role or higher; without it, you may use the repository's labels on what you opened. Each label added is an issue.labeled or pull.labeled event. Returns its labels now, at most 20.

Returns its labels now, by name.

- **Authentication:** Required. Send an [access token](/reference/api/#authentication) as `Authorization: Bearer`.
- **MCP tool:** [`issue`](/reference/mcp/#issue) with `action` `add_labels`, and the same inputs
- **Scope:** An access token needs [`issues:write`](/guides/authentication/#scopes).

## Path parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `owner` | string | Yes | The workspace that owns the repository. |
| `name` | string | Yes | The repository's name. |
| `number` | integer | Yes | The number shown after the #. Issues and pull requests share one sequence. |

## Body parameters

Send a JSON object. Names are `snake_case`, as in responses; the `camelCase` spelling is accepted too.

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `labels` | array of strings | Yes | Label names, e.g. ["bug", "help wanted"]. Names the repository does not have yet are created for someone with the Write role. |

## Example request

```sh
curl -X POST https://api.g1t.sh/repos/flagon-io/hello/issues/12/labels \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $G1T_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "labels": [
      "help wanted"
    ]
  }'
```

## Example response

A successful request answers `200` with:

```json
[
  "bug",
  "help wanted"
]
```

## Errors

A failed request answers with one of these statuses and a body like `{"error": {"code": "not_found", "message": "Repository not found."}}`. See [errors](/reference/api/#errors).

| Status | Code | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthenticated` | A token is required, or the one sent is not valid. |
| 403 | `forbidden` | The token is valid but not allowed to do this, such as a member-only change or an agent token outside its repository. |
| 404 | `not_found` | It does not exist, or you cannot see it. |
| 409 | `conflict` | The request conflicts with the current state. |
| 422 | `invalid` | The input is not valid. `message` says which field and why. |