fix(issues): report silently dropped labels (#3195)

Compare requested labels with the authoritative issue returned by create and update writes, and return a precise partial-failure result when GitHub omits them.

Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: SamMorrowDrums

pkg/github/issues.go

@@ -2941,6 +2941,50 @@ func resolveIssueTypeID(ctx context.Context, client *github.Client, owner, repo,
 	return "", resp, fmt.Errorf("issue type %q was not found in %s/%s", issueTypeName, owner, repo)
 }
 
+func unappliedIssueLabelsError(requested []string, issue *github.Issue) error {
+	applied := make([]string, 0, len(issue.Labels))
+	for _, label := range issue.Labels {
+		if label != nil {
+			applied = append(applied, label.GetName())
+		}
+	}
+
+	missing := issueLabelDifference(requested, applied)
+	unexpected := issueLabelDifference(applied, requested)
+	if len(missing) == 0 && len(unexpected) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf(
+		"requested=%q, applied=%q, missing=%q, unexpected=%q, issue_url=%q; the caller may lack AddLabelsToLabelable permission",
+		requested,
+		applied,
+		missing,
+		unexpected,
+		issue.GetHTMLURL(),
+	)
+}
+
+func issueLabelDifference(labels, other []string) []string {
+	var difference []string
+	for _, label := range labels {
+		if containsIssueLabel(other, label) || containsIssueLabel(difference, label) {
+			continue
+		}
+		difference = append(difference, label)
+	}
+	return difference
+}
+
+func containsIssueLabel(labels []string, target string) bool {
+	for _, label := range labels {
+		if strings.EqualFold(label, target) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func CreateIssue(ctx context.Context, client *github.Client, owner string, repo string, title string, body string, assignees []string, labels []string, milestoneNum int, issueType string, issueFieldValues []*github.IssueRequestFieldValue) (*mcp.CallToolResult, error) {
 	if title == "" {
 		return utils.NewToolResultError("missing required parameter: title"), nil
@@ -2981,6 +3025,12 @@ func CreateIssue(ctx context.Context, client *github.Client, owner string, repo
 		return ghErrors.NewGitHubAPIStatusErrorResponse(ctx, "failed to create issue", resp, body), nil
 	}
 
+	if len(labels) > 0 {
+		if err := unappliedIssueLabelsError(labels, issue); err != nil {
+			return ghErrors.NewGitHubAPIErrorResponse(ctx, "issue created but requested labels were not fully applied", resp, err), nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Return minimal response with just essential information
 	minimalResponse := MinimalResponse{
 		ID:  fmt.Sprintf("%d", issue.GetID()),
@@ -3206,6 +3256,12 @@ func UpdateIssue(ctx context.Context, client *github.Client, gqlClient *githubv4
 		}
 	}
 
+	if updateOptions.LabelsProvided {
+		if err := unappliedIssueLabelsError(labels, updatedIssue); err != nil {
+			return ghErrors.NewGitHubAPIErrorResponse(ctx, "issue updated but requested labels were not fully applied", resp, err), nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Return minimal response with just essential information
 	minimalResponse := MinimalResponse{
 		ID:  fmt.Sprintf("%d", updatedIssue.GetID()),

pkg/github/issues_test.go

@@ -2090,6 +2090,112 @@ func Test_CreateIssue(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIssueWriteReportsUnappliedLabels(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name               string
+		method             string
+		requestedLabels    []string
+		appliedLabels      []string
+		expectedMissing    string
+		expectedUnexpected string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:               "create reports partially applied labels",
+			method:             "create",
+			requestedLabels:    []string{"bug", "enhancement"},
+			appliedLabels:      []string{"bug"},
+			expectedMissing:    `missing=["enhancement"]`,
+			expectedUnexpected: "unexpected=[]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "update reports silently dropped labels",
+			method:             "update",
+			requestedLabels:    []string{"enhancement"},
+			appliedLabels:      []string{"existing"},
+			expectedMissing:    `missing=["enhancement"]`,
+			expectedUnexpected: `unexpected=["existing"]`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "update reports labels that were not cleared",
+			method:             "update",
+			requestedLabels:    []string{},
+			appliedLabels:      []string{"existing"},
+			expectedMissing:    "missing=[]",
+			expectedUnexpected: `unexpected=["existing"]`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			responseLabels := make([]*github.Label, 0, len(tc.appliedLabels))
+			for _, label := range tc.appliedLabels {
+				responseLabels = append(responseLabels, &github.Label{Name: label})
+			}
+			responseIssue := &github.Issue{
+				ID:      github.Ptr(int64(123)),
+				Number:  github.Ptr(123),
+				HTMLURL: github.Ptr("https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123"),
+				Labels:  responseLabels,
+			}
+
+			endpoint := PostReposIssuesByOwnerByRepo
+			status := http.StatusCreated
+			if tc.method == "update" {
+				endpoint = PatchReposIssuesByOwnerByRepoByIssueNumber
+				status = http.StatusOK
+			}
+			restHTTPClient := MockHTTPClientWithHandlers(map[string]http.HandlerFunc{
+				endpoint: mockResponse(t, status, responseIssue),
+			})
+			restRequests := &requestCountingTransport{inner: restHTTPClient.Transport}
+			restHTTPClient.Transport = restRequests
+
+			gqlHTTPClient := githubv4mock.NewMockedHTTPClient()
+			gqlRequests := &requestCountingTransport{inner: gqlHTTPClient.Transport}
+			gqlHTTPClient.Transport = gqlRequests
+
+			requestLabels := make([]any, len(tc.requestedLabels))
+			for i, label := range tc.requestedLabels {
+				requestLabels[i] = label
+			}
+			requestArgs := map[string]any{
+				"method": tc.method,
+				"owner":  "owner",
+				"repo":   "repo",
+				"labels": requestLabels,
+			}
+			if tc.method == "create" {
+				requestArgs["title"] = "Test issue"
+			} else {
+				requestArgs["issue_number"] = float64(123)
+			}
+
+			deps := BaseDeps{
+				Client:    mustNewGHClient(t, restHTTPClient),
+				GQLClient: githubv4.NewClient(gqlHTTPClient),
+			}
+			serverTool := IssueWrite(translations.NullTranslationHelper)
+			handler := serverTool.Handler(deps)
+			request := createMCPRequest(requestArgs)
+
+			result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.True(t, result.IsError)
+			assert.Equal(t, 1, restRequests.count, "label verification must use the write response without a readback")
+			assert.Zero(t, gqlRequests.count, "label verification must not make a GraphQL readback")
+
+			resultText := getErrorResult(t, result).Text
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, "issue "+tc.method+"d but requested labels were not fully applied")
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, fmt.Sprintf("requested=%q", tc.requestedLabels))
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, fmt.Sprintf("applied=%q", tc.appliedLabels))
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, tc.expectedMissing)
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, tc.expectedUnexpected)
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, `issue_url="https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123"`)
+			assert.Contains(t, resultText, "AddLabelsToLabelable permission")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 // Test_IssueWrite_MCPAppsFeature_UIGate verifies the MCP Apps feature UI gate
 // behavior: UI clients get a form message, non-UI clients execute directly.
 func Test_IssueWrite_MCPAppsFeature_UIGate(t *testing.T) {