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+# 🏷️ GitHub Labels Guide
+
+This document describes the label system used in the GhostPaste repository to organize and prioritize issues and pull requests.
+
+## Label Categories
+
+### 📦 Category Labels (Blue - #0052CC)
+
+These labels categorize the type of work:
+
+- **`setup`** - Initial project setup and configuration
+- **`feature`** - New feature implementation
+- **`ui`** - User interface and components
+- **`api`** - API endpoints and backend logic
+- **`security`** - Security and encryption related
+- **`storage`** - R2 and data storage
+- **`testing`** - Tests and test infrastructure
+- **`docs`** - Documentation updates
+- **`deployment`** - Deployment and CI/CD
+
+### 🚨 Priority Labels
+
+Priority labels use a color gradient from red (critical) to light yellow (low):
+
+- **`priority: critical`** (Red - #D93F0B) - Must be done immediately, blocking other work
+- **`priority: high`** (Orange - #FFA500) - Should be done soon, important for progress
+- **`priority: medium`** (Yellow - #FBCA04) - Normal priority, typical tasks
+- **`priority: low`** (Light Yellow - #FEF2C0) - Nice to have, can be deferred
+
+### 📊 Status Labels (Purple - #8E44AD)
+
+Track the current state of issues:
+
+- **`ready`** - Ready to be worked on, all prerequisites met
+- **`in progress`** - Currently being worked on
+- **`blocked`** - Blocked by another issue or external dependency
+- **`needs review`** - Ready for code review
+
+### 🔧 Type Labels
+
+Describe the nature of the work:
+
+- **`bug`** (Red - #d73a4a) - Something isn't working
+- **`enhancement`** (Light Blue - #a2eeef) - Improvement to existing feature
+- **`refactor`** (Green - #22863A) - Code improvement without feature change
+- **`chore`** (Green - #22863A) - Maintenance tasks
+
+### 🌐 Platform Labels (Teal - #008B8B)
+
+Platform-specific considerations:
+
+- **`cloudflare`** - Cloudflare Workers or R2 specific
+- **`nextjs`** - Next.js framework specific
+- **`edge-runtime`** - Edge runtime compatibility issues
+
+### 🎯 Special Labels
+
+- **`good first issue`** (Purple - #7057ff) - Good for newcomers to the project
+- **`help wanted`** (Green - #008672) - Extra attention or expertise needed
+- **`duplicate`** (Gray - #cfd3d7) - This issue or PR already exists
+- **`wontfix`** (White - #ffffff) - This will not be worked on
+
+## Labeling Guidelines
+
+### For Issues
+
+1. **Every issue must have:**
+   - At least one category label (e.g., `feature`, `bug`, `docs`)
+   - One priority label
+   - One status label (initially `ready` unless `blocked`)
+
+2. **Add platform labels when:**
+   - The issue is specific to Cloudflare Workers (`cloudflare`)
+   - It involves Next.js routing or features (`nextjs`)
+   - Edge runtime compatibility is a concern (`edge-runtime`)
+
+3. **Use special labels sparingly:**
+   - `good first issue` - Only for well-documented, isolated tasks
+   - `help wanted` - When specific expertise is needed
+   - `blocked` - Always reference the blocking issue
+
+### For Pull Requests
+
+1. **Inherit labels from the issue** being addressed
+2. **Add `needs review`** when ready for review
+3. **Keep priority labels** to indicate urgency of review
+
+### Examples
+
+#### Example 1: New Feature Issue
+```
+Labels: feature, ui, priority: high, ready
+Title: "Add dark mode toggle to header"
+```
+
+#### Example 2: Bug Fix Issue
+```
+Labels: bug, api, cloudflare, priority: critical, in progress
+Title: "R2 uploads failing in production"
+```
+
+#### Example 3: Documentation Update
+```
+Labels: docs, priority: low, ready, good first issue
+Title: "Add examples to encryption documentation"
+```
+
+#### Example 4: Blocked Setup Task
+```
+Labels: setup, cloudflare, priority: high, blocked
+Title: "Configure CRON triggers for expiry cleanup"
+Body: "Blocked by #15 - R2 bucket creation"
+```
+
+## Label Management
+
+### Adding New Labels
+
+Before adding a new label, consider:
+1. Does an existing label cover this use case?
+2. Will this label be used frequently?
+3. Does it fit into our existing categories?
+
+### Removing Labels
+
+Remove labels that:
+1. Haven't been used in the last 50 issues
+2. Duplicate the meaning of existing labels
+3. Are too specific to be reusable
+
+## Automation
+
+Consider using GitHub Actions to:
+- Auto-label based on file paths changed
+- Enforce labeling requirements
+- Update status labels based on PR state
+
+---
+
+Last updated: 2025-06-05
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