This repo uses GitHub labels as the main way to classify and route documentation issues (what area they belong to, what stage they’re in, what kind of work it is, and sometimes what WordPress release it targets). The Docs team also has automation that moves/issues onto the right project boards and updates certain status labels automatically. (make.wordpress.org)

Label groups you’ll see (and what they mean)

1) Version-based labels (WordPress release)

• What they mean: Work tied to a specific WordPress release, e.g. 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, etc. (make.wordpress.org)
• When to use: When the doc update is specifically for a given release cycle (new/changed feature in that release).

2) Project-based labels (which docs area)

• What they mean: Which documentation “surface” or handbook the issue belongs to (high-level examples include):
  • user documentation (HelpHub)
  • developer documentation (DevHub)
  • advanced administration
  • contributor documentation
  • plus more specific sub-areas (APIs, code reference, plugins, themes, etc.) (make.wordpress.org)
• When to use: Always try to apply at least one project label so the right maintainers see it and it lands in the right workflow/project board.

3) Status-based labels (where it is in the workflow)

These are the canonical “pipeline” states in the repo: (make.wordpress.org)

• [Status] To do
• [Status] In progress
• [Status] Review
• [Status] Done

Important: these are heavily automated:

• New issues get [Status] To do via issue templates. (make.wordpress.org)
• Assigning an issue typically moves it to [Status] In progress (when it was To do). (make.wordpress.org)
• Commenting /review can move it to [Status] Review. (make.wordpress.org)
• Closing the issue moves it to [Status] Done. (make.wordpress.org)

4) Type-of-work labels (what kind of task it is)

• What they mean: The nature/shape of the work, often indicating complexity or needed assets.
• Examples mentioned: typo, tracking issue, needs screenshots, new document, migration from Codex, etc. (make.wordpress.org)
• When to use: To help triage effort and to make it easy for contributors to find the right kind of tasks.

5) Helper labels (triage / contributor-friendliness)

• What they mean: Extra signals to narrow down searches and help contributors pick tasks.
• Examples mentioned: good first issue, internal tasks, triage, etc. (make.wordpress.org)
• When to use: When you’re intentionally curating issues for onboarding, internal-only work, or triage focus.

How to use labels effectively (practical workflow)

1. Pick the “where” first (project label)
   Apply the relevant project label (HelpHub/DevHub/advanced admin/etc.) so it routes correctly. (make.wordpress.org)

2. Add the “what” (type-of-work label)
   E.g., typo vs new document vs needs screenshots, etc. (make.wordpress.org)

3. Add “when” if applicable (version label)
   Only if it truly targets a release. (make.wordpress.org)

4. Let status automation do its job
   Don’t fight the [Status] … automation—use assignment and /review comments as intended. (make.wordpress.org)

Finding issues by labels (useful GitHub filters)

You can filter issues with GitHub search like: (stackoverflow.com)

• is:open is:issue label:"[Status] To do"
• is:open is:issue label:"good first issue"
• Exclude a label: is:open is:issue -label:"[Status] Done"
• No labels at all: is:open is:issue no:label

One key “gotcha”: labels can trigger automation

In this repo, applying certain labels can automatically:

• add the issue to specific project boards (e.g. HelpHub, release projects, handbook projects), and
• notify responsible team members. (make.wordpress.org)

If you tell me what kind of docs issue you’re filing (HelpHub vs DevHub, release-related or not), I can suggest the exact label combo to apply.