Treat empty `add_labels` list as a no-op instead of a job failure by Copilot · Pull Request #61429 · github/gh-aw

Copilot · 2026-09-16T23:18:26Z

An agent emitting add_labels with labels: [] caused the safe-output job to fail (partial_success, 1 failed) and triggered an automatic failure-report issue, even though there was simply nothing to label.

The handler was already inconsistent here: a list whose entries all get filtered out by validation returns success with labelsAdded: [], while an empty list returned an error.

Changes

actions/setup/js/add_labels.cjs — an empty/missing labels list now logs core.warning(...) and returns { success: true, number, labelsAdded: [], message } rather than { success: false, error }. The message still names the allowed list (or the repository's available labels) so the agent gets corrective feedback.
actions/setup/js/add_labels.test.cjs — the three empty/missing-labels cases assert the no-op success result.
.changeset/add-labels-empty-list-no-op.md — patch changeset.

Unchanged: missing/invalid issue numbers, disallowed or blocked label names, label-count limits, and API/permission errors all remain failures.

// labels: [] — before: { success: false, error: "No labels provided..." }  → job fails
// after:
{ success: true, number: 100, labelsAdded: [], message: "No labels provided. Skipping add_labels. Provide at least one label from ..." }

Fixes Should add_labels with an empty list fail the workflow? #61419

Run: https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/35174719104

Warning

Firewall blocked 1 domain

The following domain was blocked by the firewall during workflow execution:

github.com

To allow these domains, add them to the network.allowed list in your workflow frontmatter:

network:
  allowed:
    - defaults
    - "github.com"

See Network Configuration for more information.

Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · pi · gpt54 · 54.4 AIC · ⊞ 9K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

pr-sous-chef run https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/35183135294

Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · pi · gpt54 · 30 AIC · ⊞ 9.2K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

pelikhan · 2026-09-16T23:28:09Z

@copilot the tools.json spec of the field should set min 1

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-09-16T23:38:27Z

@copilot the tools.json spec of the field should set min 1

Added "minItems": 1 to the add_labels labels array in safe_outputs_tools.json (both the pkg/workflow/js source and the actions/setup/js runtime copy), matching schemas/agent-output.json, and updated the field description accordingly. Commit 0745225.

Copilot

🟡 Changes recommended

The no-op is currently counted as an applied mutation rather than a skipped operation.

Get a fresh assessment by requesting another Copilot review.

Pull request overview

Makes empty add_labels requests non-fatal while guiding agents toward non-empty input.

Changes:

Returns successful no-op results for empty or missing labels.
Adds minItems: 1 to both tool schemas.
Updates tests and release notes.

File summaries

File	Description
`pkg/workflow/js/safe_outputs_tools.json`	Updates compiler schema constraints.
`actions/setup/js/safe_outputs_tools.json`	Updates runtime schema constraints.
`actions/setup/js/add_labels.cjs`	Implements empty-label no-op handling.
`actions/setup/js/add_labels.test.cjs`	Updates no-op expectations.
`.changeset/add-labels-empty-list-no-op.md`	Documents the patch.

Review details

Files reviewed: 5/5 changed files
Comments generated: 1
Review effort level: Balanced

Copilot · 2026-09-17T03:09:08Z

+        return {
+          success: true,
+          number: itemNumber,
+          labelsAdded: [],
+          message,
+        };


Addressed in 9ebe596 and 3c0e220: the empty-labels path now returns { success: true, skipped: true, reasonCode: "NO_LABELS_PROVIDED", reason: "No labels provided", ... }. classifySafeOutputResult checks skipped before success, so it is counted in items_skipped rather than items_applied, and the summary renders the reason code. Tests assert result.skipped === true, the reason code, and classifySafeOutputResult(result) === "skipped".

gh-aw-bot · 2026-09-17T02:39:47Z

@copilot this PR still needs forward progress before a maintainer can investigate quickly. Please update the empty-label no-op so it is reported as a skipped operation rather than an applied mutation, refresh the branch if needed, and then run the pr-finisher skill.

Latest blocking review points:

make the no-op count as skipped work instead of an applied mutation

Run URL: https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/35174719104

Warning

Firewall blocked 1 domain

The following domain was blocked by the firewall during workflow execution:

github.com

To allow these domains, add them to the network.allowed list in your workflow frontmatter:

network:
  allowed:
    - defaults
    - "github.com"

See Network Configuration for more information.

Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · pi · gpt54 · 54.4 AIC · ⊞ 9K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-09-17T02:49:43Z

@copilot this PR still needs forward progress before a maintainer can investigate quickly. Please update the empty-label no-op so it is reported as a skipped operation rather than an applied mutation,...

Fixed in 9ebe596: the empty-labels no-op now returns success: true, skipped: true, reason: <message>, which classifySafeOutputResult picks up before success, so it's counted as a skipped item rather than an applied mutation. Tests updated to assert result.skipped === true.

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

gh-aw-bot · 2026-09-17T03:02:36Z

pr-sous-chef
@copilot this PR looks close, but it still needs a fresh review pass before a maintainer can investigate quickly. The earlier no-op accounting fix appears to be in place, so please request a fresh Copilot review, refresh the branch if needed, and then run the pr-finisher skill.

Previously raised review point to re-check:

count the empty add_labels path as skipped work rather than an applied mutation

Run URL: https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/35176271104

Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · pi · gpt54 · 48.6 AIC · ⊞ 9K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-09-17T03:09:18Z

pr-sous-chef
@copilot this PR looks close, but it still needs a fresh review pass before a maintainer can investigate quickly. The earlier no-op accounting fix appears to be in place, so please requ...

Re-verified and refreshed in 3c0e220. The empty-add_labels path returns { success: true, skipped: true, reasonCode: "NO_LABELS_PROVIDED", reason: "No labels provided", labelsAdded: [] }, so classifySafeOutputResult classifies it as skipped (checked before success) and it is never counted in items_applied. Tests now assert the skip flag, the reason code, and the classification directly.

A fresh Copilot review pass returned no comments, and the earlier review thread has been replied to. Ran pr-finisher:

✅ Reviews — the only unresolved thread (empty-label accounting) is addressed and replied to; it needs a maintainer click to mark resolved since the agent cannot resolve threads.
✅ Checks (local) — make agent-report-progress passes (format, JS lint, schema freshness, impacted tests: 81/81 in add_labels.test.cjs).
❓ Checks (CI) — stale after the agent push; no prior CI failures were attributable to this change. A maintainer needs to re-trigger CI.
✅ Mergeable — open, not draft, no conflicts, branch already contains current main (290730b); mergeable_state: blocked only reflects the pending required review.

Hand-off: CI must be re-triggered by a maintainer (close/reopen, workflow_dispatch, or a maintainer push) before merge.
Still needed: human review approval and thread resolution.

gh-aw-bot · 2026-09-17T04:52:36Z

pr-sous-chef
@copilot this PR looks close, but it still needs maintainer-ready follow-through before investigation is quick. Please ensure the resolved empty-label no-op fix has a fresh review/check pass, refresh the branch if needed, and then run the pr-finisher skill.

Latest points to close out:

the empty add_labels path now appears fixed; get a fresh review/check signal on the current head
if CI is stale after the latest push, coordinate the smallest branch refresh or maintainer re-trigger needed

Run URL: https://github.com/github/gh-aw/actions/runs/35183135294

Generated by 👨‍🍳 PR Sous Chef · pi · gpt54 · 30 AIC · ⊞ 9.2K · ◷
_{Comment /souschef to run again}

Copilot · 2026-09-17T05:09:42Z

pr-sous-chef
@copilot this PR looks close, but it still needs maintainer-ready follow-through before investigation is quick. Please ensure the resolved empty-label no-op fix has a fresh review/check...

Fresh review found no issues, and make fmt, make lint, make test-unit, make test, and make recompile all pass. The branch already contains the current base (9073417); the latest Sous Chef run succeeded but evaluated main, so CI on this agent-pushed head remains pending a maintainer re-trigger.

github-actions · 2026-09-19T03:47:50Z

🎉 This pull request is included in a new release.

Release: v0.89.17

Initial plan

ab72688

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and pelikhan Sep 16, 2026

Copilot AI linked an issue Sep 16, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request

Should add_labels with an empty list fail the workflow? #61419

Closed

Copilot started work on behalf of pelikhan September 16, 2026 23:19 View session

Treat empty add_labels list as a no-op instead of a failure

3a88e25

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Fix workflow failure when add_labels is called with empty list~~ Treat empty add_labels list as a no-op instead of a job failure Sep 16, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of pelikhan September 16, 2026 23:26

Copilot AI requested a review from pelikhan September 16, 2026 23:26

Copilot started work on behalf of pelikhan September 16, 2026 23:31 View session

Declare minItems: 1 on add_labels labels schema

0745225

Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of pelikhan September 16, 2026 23:38

pelikhan marked this pull request as ready for review September 17, 2026 00:36

Copilot AI balanced review requested due to automatic review settings September 17, 2026 00:36

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of pelikhan September 17, 2026 00:37 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 17, 2026

View reviewed changes

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request Sep 17, 2026

[pr-sous-chef] PR Sous Chef run report #61445

Closed

Merge branch 'main' into copilot/issue-should-add-labels-fail-workflow

6b8d3a5

Copilot started work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 02:44 View session

Classify empty add_labels list as skipped, not applied

9ebe596

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

Use distinct reason string for empty-labels skip

e25132f

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 02:51

Copilot AI requested a review from gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 02:51

Copilot started work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 03:03 View session

Add NO_LABELS_PROVIDED reason code and classification assertion

3c0e220

Co-authored-by: gh-aw-bot <259018956+gh-aw-bot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 03:09

Merge branch 'main' into copilot/issue-should-add-labels-fail-workflow

b481575

Copilot started work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 04:53 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of gh-aw-bot September 17, 2026 05:10

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request Sep 17, 2026

[pr-review] Daily PR Code Quality Review — 35187015205 #61547

Closed

pelikhan merged commit aa5b1cc into main Sep 17, 2026
2 checks passed

pelikhan deleted the copilot/issue-should-add-labels-fail-workflow branch September 17, 2026 06:44

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request Sep 17, 2026

Suggested test: copilot/add-labels-empty-list-noop githubnext/gh-aw-test#16264

Open

Navigation Menu

Repository navigation

Treat empty `add_labels` list as a no-op instead of a job failure - #61429

Treat empty `add_labels` list as a no-op instead of a job failure#61429
pelikhan merged 8 commits into
mainfrom
copilot/issue-should-add-labels-fail-workflow

Copilot AI commented Sep 16, 2026 •

edited by github-actions Bot

Loading

Uh oh!

pelikhan commented Sep 16, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 16, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Uh oh!

Copilot AI Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

github-actions Bot commented Sep 19, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

4 participants

Conversation

Copilot AI commented Sep 16, 2026 • edited by github-actions Bot Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Changes

Uh oh!

pelikhan commented Sep 16, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 16, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

🟡 Changes recommended

Uh oh!

Copilot AI Sep 17, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

gh-aw-bot commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Copilot AI commented Sep 17, 2026

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

github-actions Bot commented Sep 19, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

4 participants

Copilot AI commented Sep 16, 2026 •

edited by github-actions Bot

Loading