list_label

List labels from a repository

SERVERGitHub SOURCEoci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 20 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade D, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/github/list-label.md

WHAT IT DOES

What list_label does on GitHub

AI agents call list_label to retrieve information from GitHub without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`repo`	string	—	Repository name - required for all operations
`owner`	string	—	Repository owner (username or organization name) - required for all operations

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

RISK

Why list_label is rated Low

This tool queries and retrieves existing labels from a repository. It performs no creation, modification, deletion, or execution of code. The operation is informational only, making it a Read category risk with low severity since label lists are typically non-sensitive metadata.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'list_label' and description 'List labels from a repository' indicate a read-only operation that retrieves label data without modification or side effects.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs list_label safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and GitHub, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For list_label, this is the rule to start with:

list_label Allowed

list_label is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_label": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect GitHub, apply this rule, and every list_label call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about list_label

What does the list_label tool do? +

List labels from a repository. It is categorised as a Read tool in the GitHub MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

What parameters does list_label accept? +

list_label accepts 2 parameters: repo, owner. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.

How do I enforce a policy on list_label? +

Register the GitHub MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_label: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches GitHub. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_label? +

list_label is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit list_label? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_label rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block list_label completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for list_label. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides list_label? +

list_label is provided by the GitHub MCP server (oci:ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server:1.3.0). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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