feat: add first-class labels filter to eliminate red ❌ noise on unrelated label events (#28737)

Author: Copilot

actions/setup/js/aw_context.cjs

@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ function resolveItemContext(payload) {
  *   comment_node_id: string,
  *   deployment_state: string,
  *   otel_trace_id: string,
- *   otel_parent_span_id: string
+ *   otel_parent_span_id: string,
+ *   trigger_label: string
  * }}
  * Properties:
  *   - item_type: Kind of entity that triggered the workflow (issue, pull_request,
@@ -135,6 +136,9 @@ function resolveItemContext(payload) {
  *     Empty string when OTLP is not configured or the parent setup step has
  *     not yet run.  Used by child workflow setup steps to link their setup
  *     span as a child of the parent's setup span for proper trace hierarchy.
+ *   - trigger_label: Name of the label that triggered the workflow for labeled/unlabeled
+ *     events (e.g. pull_request_target, issues, pull_request with labeled type).
+ *     Empty string for events that do not carry label information.
  */
 function buildAwContext() {
   const { item_type, item_number, comment_id, comment_node_id } = resolveItemContext(context.payload);
@@ -167,6 +171,10 @@ function buildAwContext() {
     // can link their setup span as a child of this span for proper trace hierarchy.
     // Empty string when OTLP is not configured or the parent setup step has not run yet.
     otel_parent_span_id: process.env.GITHUB_AW_OTEL_PARENT_SPAN_ID || "",
+    // trigger_label is the label name from labeled/unlabeled events (pull_request_target,
+    // issues, pull_request, etc.). Empty string for events without label data such as
+    // workflow_dispatch, push, or schedule.
+    trigger_label: context.payload?.label?.name ?? "",
   };
 }
 

docs/adr/28737-first-class-labels-filter-for-labeled-events.md

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# ADR-28737: First-Class `on.labels` Filter for Label-Triggered Workflow Events
+
+**Date**: 2026-04-27
+**Status**: Draft
+**Deciders**: pelikhan, Copilot
+
+---
+
+## Part 1 — Narrative (Human-Friendly)
+
+### Context
+
+GitHub Actions does not provide a native label-name filter for events such as `pull_request_target` with `types: [labeled]`. Workflows that needed to respond only to specific labels had no clean mechanism — the only available workaround was to include an `exit 1` guard inside a workflow step. This caused every unrelated label-add event to show as a red ❌ failed run on CI dashboards rather than a clean gray ⊘ skip, degrading signal quality for teams monitoring pull request activity. The gh-aw compiler already provides analogous filters for contributor roles (`on.roles`) and bot identifiers (`on.bots`), establishing a precedent for injecting GitHub Actions `if:` expressions from frontmatter fields.
+
+### Decision
+
+We will add a first-class `on.labels` field to the gh-aw workflow frontmatter. When present, the compiler injects a job-level `if:` condition on the `pre_activation` job that skips the entire job when the triggering label does not match any of the listed names. Events that carry no label data (e.g., `workflow_dispatch`, `push`, `schedule`) are always allowed through via a `github.event.label.name == ''` guard, so non-labeled triggers are not inadvertently blocked. The field mirrors the existing `roles` and `bots` filter shape, accepting either a single string or an array. A `trigger_label` field is also added to the `aw_context` object so AI agents can read the triggering label name directly from their context payload.
+
+### Alternatives Considered
+
+#### Alternative 1: Step-level `exit 1` guard
+
+Workflow authors could add an explicit shell guard (e.g., `if [[ "${{ github.event.label.name }}" != "panel-review" ]]; then exit 1; fi`) inside the first pre-activation step. This was the de-facto workaround before this ADR. It was rejected because `exit 1` marks the job as **failed** (red ❌) rather than **skipped** (gray ⊘), adding persistent noise to CI dashboards and causing confusion when authors see failures on label events they deliberately did not intend to handle.
+
+#### Alternative 2: Step-level `if:` conditions injected on each generated step
+
+The compiler could inject a step-level `if:` expression on every generated step rather than a single job-level condition. This was rejected because it produces a more complex compiled output, still allows the job header to show as running in the GitHub UI (not a clean skip), and does not achieve the gray ⊘ appearance that a job-level `if:` provides.
+
+#### Alternative 3: Native GitHub Actions event filtering
+
+GitHub Actions supports filtering by branch name or file path at the event trigger level but does not support filtering by label name. There is no native `on.pull_request_target.labels` equivalent. This alternative is not viable and was not seriously considered.
+
+### Consequences
+
+#### Positive
+- Unmatched label events now appear as ⊘ Skipped rather than ❌ Failed, eliminating CI dashboard noise on repositories that use many labels.
+- The implementation follows the established `roles`/`bots` compiler pattern, keeping the frontmatter API and internal compiler code consistent and predictable.
+- The `trigger_label` field in `aw_context` gives AI agents access to the triggering label name without requiring payload inspection.
+
+#### Negative
+- The `on.labels` field is a gh-aw-specific frontmatter extension with no GitHub Actions native counterpart; users reading raw YAML may expect native behavior.
+- The `github.event.label.name == ''` pass-through guard is non-obvious in compiled output; readers may not immediately understand why non-labeled events are unconditionally allowed through.
+
+#### Neutral
+- The `hasSafeEventsOnly()` event-counting function must explicitly exclude `labels` from its loop, mirroring the existing exclusions for `roles`, `bots`, `command`, `stop-after`, and `reaction`.
+- The JSON schema (`main_workflow_schema.json`) is updated to reflect `on.labels` as a `oneOf` string-or-array field, aligning static validation with runtime behavior.
+
+---
+
+## Part 2 — Normative Specification (RFC 2119)
+
+> The key words **MUST**, **MUST NOT**, **REQUIRED**, **SHALL**, **SHALL NOT**, **SHOULD**, **SHOULD NOT**, **RECOMMENDED**, **MAY**, and **OPTIONAL** in this section are to be interpreted as described in [RFC 2119](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119).
+
+### Label Filter Field
+
+1. The `on.labels` frontmatter field **MUST** accept either a single non-empty string or a non-empty array of non-empty strings.
+2. Each label name value **MUST NOT** be an empty string.
+3. The `on.labels` array **MUST NOT** contain more than 50 entries.
+4. When `on.labels` is absent, the compiler **MUST NOT** inject any label-based `if:` condition into the compiled output.
+
+### Compiled Output
+
+1. When `on.labels` is set, the compiler **MUST** inject a job-level `if:` condition on the `pre_activation` job.
+2. The injected condition **MUST** evaluate to true when `github.event.label.name` is an empty string, passing through events that carry no label payload (e.g., `workflow_dispatch`, `push`, `schedule`).
+3. The injected condition **MUST** evaluate to true when `github.event.label.name` equals any of the label names specified in `on.labels`, using strict string equality (`==`).
+4. The injected condition **MUST NOT** use case-insensitive matching; label names **MUST** be matched exactly as specified in the frontmatter.
+5. When `on.labels` is combined with an existing job-level `if:` condition (e.g., from a top-level `if:` field), the compiler **MUST** combine both conditions using logical AND (`&&`), with the label condition as the first operand.
+
+### Event Counting
+
+1. The `labels` key under `on:` **MUST** be excluded from the event-type count computed by `hasSafeEventsOnly()`, consistent with the treatment of `roles`, `bots`, `command`, `stop-after`, and `reaction`.
+
+### Agent Context
+
+1. `buildAwContext()` **MUST** include a `trigger_label` field in the returned context object.
+2. `trigger_label` **MUST** be set to `context.payload?.label?.name` when a label payload is present, and **MUST** default to an empty string (`""`) for events without label data.
+
+### Conformance
+
+An implementation is considered conformant with this ADR if it satisfies all **MUST** and **MUST NOT** requirements above. Failure to meet any **MUST** or **MUST NOT** requirement constitutes non-conformance.
+
+---
+
+*This is a DRAFT ADR generated by the [Design Decision Gate](https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/25006216146) workflow. The PR author must review, complete, and finalize this document before the PR can merge.*

docs/src/content/docs/reference/frontmatter-full.md

@@ -816,6 +816,22 @@ on:
     # Array of Bot identifier/name (e.g., 'dependabot[bot]', 'renovate[bot]',
     # 'github-actions[bot]')
 
+  # Filter workflows triggered by pull_request_target (or other labeled events) to
+  # only fire when the triggering label matches one of these names. Generates a
+  # job-level if: condition on the pre-activation job so unmatched label events show
+  # as Skipped (⊘) rather than Failed (❌).
+  # (optional)
+  # This field supports multiple formats (oneOf):
+
+  # Option 1: Single label name that must match the triggering label (e.g.,
+  # 'panel-review')
+  labels: "example-value"
+
+  # Option 2: List of label names; the workflow fires when the triggering label
+  # matches any entry.
+  labels: []
+    # Array items: Label name (e.g., 'panel-review', 'needs-triage')
+
   # Environment name that requires manual approval before the workflow can run. Must
   # match a valid environment configured in the repository settings.
   # (optional)

pkg/parser/schemas/main_workflow_schema.json

@@ -1828,6 +1828,24 @@
                 "description": "Bot identifier/name (e.g., 'dependabot[bot]', 'renovate[bot]', 'github-actions[bot]')"
               }
             },
+            "labels": {
+              "description": "Filter workflows triggered by pull_request_target (or other labeled events) to only fire when the triggering label matches one of these names. Generates a job-level if: condition on the pre-activation job so unmatched label events show as Skipped (\u2298) rather than Failed (\u274c).",
+              "oneOf": [
+                {
+                  "$ref": "#/$defs/non_empty_string",
+                  "description": "Single label name that must match the triggering label (e.g., 'panel-review')"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "description": "List of label names; the workflow fires when the triggering label matches any entry.",
+                  "items": {
+                    "$ref": "#/$defs/non_empty_string"
+                  },
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "maxItems": 50
+                }
+              ]
+            },
             "manual-approval": {
               "type": "string",
               "description": "Environment name that requires manual approval before the workflow can run. Must match a valid environment configured in the repository settings."
@@ -9335,6 +9353,11 @@
     }
   ],
   "$defs": {
+    "non_empty_string": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "minLength": 1,
+      "description": "A non-empty string value."
+    },
     "templatable_boolean": {
       "description": "A boolean value that may also be specified as a GitHub Actions expression string that resolves to a boolean at runtime (e.g. '${{ inputs.my-flag }}').",
       "oneOf": [

pkg/workflow/compiler_jobs.go

@@ -268,10 +268,14 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildPreActivationAndActivationJobs(data *WorkflowData, front
 	hasRateLimit := data.RateLimit != nil
 	hasOnSteps := len(data.OnSteps) > 0
 	hasOnNeeds := len(data.OnNeeds) > 0
-	compilerJobsLog.Printf("Job configuration: needsPermissionCheck=%v, hasStopTime=%v, hasSkipIfMatch=%v, hasSkipIfNoMatch=%v, hasSkipRoles=%v, hasSkipBots=%v, hasCommand=%v, hasRateLimit=%v, hasOnSteps=%v, hasOnNeeds=%v", needsPermissionCheck, hasStopTime, hasSkipIfMatch, hasSkipIfNoMatch, hasSkipRoles, hasSkipBots, hasCommandTrigger, hasRateLimit, hasOnSteps, hasOnNeeds)
-
-	// Build pre-activation job if needed (combines membership checks, stop-time validation, skip-if-match check, skip-if-no-match check, skip-roles check, skip-bots check, rate limit check, command position check, and on.steps injection)
-	if needsPermissionCheck || hasStopTime || hasSkipIfMatch || hasSkipIfNoMatch || hasSkipRoles || hasSkipBots || hasCommandTrigger || hasRateLimit || hasOnSteps || hasOnNeeds {
+	hasLabelNames := len(data.LabelNames) > 0
+	compilerJobsLog.Printf("Job configuration: needsPermissionCheck=%v, hasStopTime=%v, hasSkipIfMatch=%v, hasSkipIfNoMatch=%v, hasSkipRoles=%v, hasSkipBots=%v, hasCommand=%v, hasRateLimit=%v, hasOnSteps=%v, hasOnNeeds=%v, hasLabelNames=%v", needsPermissionCheck, hasStopTime, hasSkipIfMatch, hasSkipIfNoMatch, hasSkipRoles, hasSkipBots, hasCommandTrigger, hasRateLimit, hasOnSteps, hasOnNeeds, hasLabelNames)
+
+	// Build pre-activation job if needed. The job combines:
+	//   - membership checks, stop-time validation, skip-if-match/no-match checks
+	//   - skip-roles/bots checks, rate limit check, command position check
+	//   - on.steps injection, label-names filter
+	if needsPermissionCheck || hasStopTime || hasSkipIfMatch || hasSkipIfNoMatch || hasSkipRoles || hasSkipBots || hasCommandTrigger || hasRateLimit || hasOnSteps || hasOnNeeds || hasLabelNames {
 		compilerJobsLog.Print("Building pre-activation job")
 		preActivationJob, err := c.buildPreActivationJob(data, needsPermissionCheck)
 		if err != nil {

pkg/workflow/compiler_orchestrator_workflow.go

@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) extractAdditionalConfigurations(
 
 	workflowData.Roles = c.extractRoles(frontmatter)
 	workflowData.Bots = c.extractBots(frontmatter)
+	workflowData.LabelNames = c.extractLabelNames(frontmatter)
 	workflowData.RateLimit = c.extractRateLimitConfig(frontmatter)
 	workflowData.SkipRoles = c.mergeSkipRoles(c.extractSkipRoles(frontmatter), importsResult.MergedSkipRoles)
 	workflowData.SkipBots = c.mergeSkipBots(c.extractSkipBots(frontmatter), importsResult.MergedSkipBots)

pkg/workflow/compiler_pre_activation_job.go

@@ -421,6 +421,22 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildPreActivationJob(data *WorkflowData, needsPermissionChec
 		jobIfCondition = data.If
 	}
 
+	// When labels is specified, add a job-level if: condition to the pre-activation job.
+	// This causes the entire job to be skipped (gray ⊘) rather than failed (red ❌) when
+	// the triggering label does not match, keeping CI dashboards noise-free.
+	// workflow_dispatch is always allowed so manual runs are not blocked.
+	if len(data.LabelNames) > 0 {
+		labelIfCondition := buildLabelNamesCondition(data.LabelNames)
+		if jobIfCondition != "" {
+			jobIfCondition = RenderCondition(BuildAnd(
+				&ExpressionNode{Expression: labelIfCondition},
+				&ExpressionNode{Expression: jobIfCondition},
+			))
+		} else {
+			jobIfCondition = labelIfCondition
+		}
+	}
+
 	// In script mode, explicitly add a cleanup step (mirrors post.js in dev/release/action mode).
 	if c.actionMode.IsScript() {
 		steps = append(steps, c.generateScriptModeCleanupStep())
@@ -440,6 +456,34 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildPreActivationJob(data *WorkflowData, needsPermissionChec
 	return job, nil
 }
 
+// buildLabelNamesCondition constructs the GitHub Actions if: expression for labels filtering.
+// The generated condition passes when:
+//   - the event has no label object (github.event.label == null), which covers
+//     workflow_dispatch, push, schedule, and any other non-labeled events, OR
+//   - the triggering label name matches any of the specified names.
+//
+// Using github.event.label == null (rather than checking the name) is semantically
+// clearer and handles cases where GitHub Actions evaluates missing nested properties
+// as null before coercing to empty string.
+func buildLabelNamesCondition(labelNames []string) string {
+	// Pass through events without a label payload.
+	// github.event.label is null for workflow_dispatch, push, schedule, etc.
+	noLabelEvent := ConditionNode(BuildEquals(
+		BuildPropertyAccess("github.event.label"),
+		BuildNullLiteral(),
+	))
+
+	result := noLabelEvent
+	for _, name := range labelNames {
+		result = BuildOr(result, BuildEquals(
+			BuildPropertyAccess("github.event.label.name"),
+			BuildStringLiteral(name),
+		))
+	}
+
+	return result.Render()
+}
+
 // generateReportSkipStep generates the "Report skip reason" step for the pre-activation job.
 // The step runs with if: always() and writes skip reasons to the GitHub Actions job summary
 // extractPreActivationCustomFields extracts custom steps and outputs from jobs.pre-activation field in frontmatter.

pkg/workflow/compiler_types.go

@@ -472,6 +472,7 @@ type WorkflowData struct {
 	SandboxConfig                 *SandboxConfig                  // parsed sandbox configuration (AWF or SRT)
 	SafeOutputs                   *SafeOutputsConfig              // output configuration for automatic output routes
 	MCPScripts                    *MCPScriptsConfig               // mcp-scripts configuration for custom MCP tools
+	LabelNames                    []string                        // label names that must match for pull_request_target labeled events (on.labels)
 	Roles                         []string                        // permission levels required to trigger workflow
 	Bots                          []string                        // allow list of bot identifiers that can trigger workflow
 	RateLimit                     *RateLimitConfig                // rate limiting configuration for workflow triggers

pkg/workflow/expression_nodes.go

@@ -169,7 +169,9 @@ type StringLiteralNode struct {
 }
 
 func (s *StringLiteralNode) Render() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", s.Value)
+	// GitHub Actions single-quoted strings escape embedded single quotes by doubling them.
+	escaped := strings.ReplaceAll(s.Value, "'", "''")
+	return fmt.Sprintf("'%s'", escaped)
 }
 
 // BooleanLiteralNode represents a boolean literal value

pkg/workflow/expressions_test.go

@@ -273,6 +273,16 @@ func TestStringLiteralNode_Render(t *testing.T) {
 			value:    "issue-123",
 			expected: "'issue-123'",
 		},
+		{
+			name:     "string with single quote",
+			value:    "can't-repro",
+			expected: "'can''t-repro'",
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "string with multiple single quotes",
+			value:    "it's a bug (it's real)",
+			expected: "'it''s a bug (it''s real)'",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {