Labels Sync

Labels Sync: GitHub Label Synchronization

Purpose

Synchronize GitHub repository labels with a predefined set of standard labels, or export the current repository labels as reusable JSON. The skill can compare the repo against a JSON definition, apply the missing changes, or return the repo's current label definitions in copy-ready form.

When to Use This Skill

Use when the user asks to:

• "Sync labels", "update labels", "fix labels"
• "Check labels", "show label differences", "preview label changes"
• "Manage GitHub labels", "set up labels"
• "Apply standard labels to this repo"
• "Export labels", "get current labels", "show labels JSON", "copy labels to another repo"

Trigger phrases: "labels-sync", "labels sync", "sync labels", "label sync", "github labels", "check labels", "export labels", "get labels"

Operations

For sync and check flows, the script compares repository labels against the defined list and reports:

• CREATE: Labels in the definition but not in the repository
• UPDATE: Labels that exist but have different name case, description, or color
• DELETE: Labels in the repository but not in the definition
• UNCHANGED: Labels that match exactly

For export flows, the script reads the current repository labels and returns a normalized JSON array with:

• name
• description
• color

Execution Steps

Step 1: Determine Intent

From the command arguments or conversation context, determine the user's intent:

Apply changes if user explicitly requests (keywords in args or context):

• apply, sync, update, fix, set, enforce
• Example: labels-sync apply or "sync my labels"

Report only if user wants to check (keywords):

• check, list, show, preview, dry-run, diff
• Example: labels-sync check or "show label differences"

Export current labels if user wants reusable output (keywords):

• get, export, read, copy, json
• Example: labels-sync get or "export current labels so I can copy them to another repo"

If intent is unclear or no arguments are provided, use AskUserQuestion when available. Otherwise ask in normal chat with a short numbered list and wait for the user's reply:

1. Check (Recommended) — Compare the repo labels against the bundled definition
2. Get — Export the repo's current labels as reusable JSON
3. Apply — Sync the repo labels to match the bundled definition

Step 2: Export Current Labels When Requested

For get/export mode, fetch and return the current repository labels directly:

scripts/sync-labels.sh --get

Return the output in a fenced json block so the user can copy it into another repository later. Keep the fields in the reusable definition shape:

[
  {
    "name": "bug",
    "description": "Something isn't working",
    "color": "B60205"
  }
]

If the user explicitly asks for only name and color, summarize those fields in the prose response, but keep the script output in the full reusable format unless they ask to omit descriptions.

Step 3: Read Label Definitions for Sync/Check

Read the label definitions from the bundled JSON file:

references/labels.json

Use the Read tool to load the file contents.

Skip this step for get/export mode.

Step 4: Execute Sync Script

Pipe the label JSON to the sync script:

For dry-run (report only):

cat references/labels.json | scripts/sync-labels.sh

For applying changes, add --apply flag:

cat references/labels.json | scripts/sync-labels.sh --apply

Step 5: Present Results

Parse the JSON output and present as a readable markdown report:

Labels to Create

| Name | Description | Color | |------|-------------|-------| | ... | ... | ... |

Labels to Update

| Name | Field | From | To | |------|-------|------|-----| | ... | ... | ... | ... |

Labels to Delete

| Name | |------| | ... |

Unchanged Labels

• label1, label2, label3...

If no changes are needed, report that all labels are already in sync.

If changes were applied, confirm success. If any errors occurred, report them.

For get/export mode, prefer returning the exact JSON in a fenced code block first, then optionally add a short summary table of label names and colors if that helps the user scan it.

Customization

To customize the label set, edit the JSON file at:

references/labels.json

Each label entry requires three fields:

• name — Label name (case-sensitive)
• description — Short description
• color — Hex color without # prefix (e.g., B60205)

Bundled Files

• scripts/sync-labels.sh — Generic sync/export script (exports current labels, or reads stdin JSON, diffs via jq, and applies via gh)
• references/labels.json — Label definitions (single source of truth)

Prerequisites

• gh CLI authenticated (gh auth login)
• jq installed
• Must be run from within a GitHub repository

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: edloidas
• Source: edloidas/skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.