# Create a label

> Create a label, named by label.

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

Names are lowercase and unique in a repository, at most 50 characters; color is six hex digits (one is chosen from the name when left out), description at most 100 characters. Needs the Write role or higher; applying labels and milestones needs Triage.

- **Authentication:** Required. Send an [access token](/reference/api/#authentication) as `Authorization: Bearer`.
- **MCP tool:** [`repository`](/reference/mcp/#repository) with `action` `create_label`, 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. |

## Body parameters

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

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `label` | string | Yes | Its name: lowercase, at most 50 characters, e.g. "good first issue". |
| `color` | string | No | Six hex digits, with or without #, e.g. "d73a4a". Chosen from the name when left out. |
| `description` | string | No | What it means, at most 100 characters. |

## Example request

```sh
curl -X POST https://api.g1t.sh/repos/flagon-io/hello/labels \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $G1T_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "label": "area: cli",
    "color": "1d76db",
    "description": "The command-line tool"
  }'
```

## Example response

A successful request answers `200` with:

```json
{
  "name": "area: cli",
  "color": "1d76db",
  "description": "The command-line tool",
  "issues": 0,
  "pulls": 0
}
```

## 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. |