Skip to main content

require-github-issue-template-labels

Require labels in GitHub issue template YAML files.

Targeted pattern scope​

This rule reads each *.yml / *.yaml GitHub issue form file inside .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ and checks that the top-level YAML document contains a labels: key. It intentionally ignores config.yml / config.yaml, which are GitHub issue template settings files rather than issue forms.

What this rule reports​

This rule reports GitHub issue form files that do not declare a top-level labels: field.

Why this rule exists​

GitHub issue templates with labels automatically apply those labels when the issue is opened, enabling triage automation, board views, and SLA tracking. Without labels, issues land in a triage backlog with no categorisation, and teams must manually label every issue — a tedious and error-prone process that leads to label drift.

❌ Incorrect​

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
name: Bug Report
description: Report a bug
body:
  - type: input
    id: title
    attributes:
      label: Summary

✅ Correct​

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
name: Bug Report
description: Report a bug
labels:
  - "type: bug"
  - "status: triage"
body:
  - type: input
    id: title
    attributes:
      label: Summary

ESLint flat config example​

import repoPlugin from "eslint-plugin-repo";

export default [
  repoPlugin.configs.github,
  {
    plugins: { "repo-compliance": repoPlugin },
    rules: {
      "repo-compliance/require-github-issue-template-labels": "warn",
    },
  },
];

When not to use it​

Disable this rule if your team intentionally avoids automated labelling (e.g. all labels are applied manually after triage review) or if your issue templates are legacy Markdown forms rather than structured YAML.

Rule catalog ID: R050

Further reading​