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Labels are the primary way you control where Cyrus works and how it approaches a task. Use this page to decide which labels to apply to a Linear issue based on the outcome you want.

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What Labels Control

Labels influence Cyrus’s behavior in the following order:
  1. Repository routing – where the work happens
  2. Work approach – how Cyrus reasons and executes
  3. Model selection (optional) – which AI model is used
If labels are missing or ambiguous, Cyrus falls back to safe defaults.

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Route Issues to the Right Repository

Labels allow you to route issues more precisely than team-based routing alone.

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Routing Priority

Cyrus applies routing rules in this order:
  1. Routing labels (highest priority)
  2. Linear team configuration (fallback)
If a routing label is present, it always wins.

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Split Work Within a Team Using Labels

This is the most common setup. 
Team: ENGINEERING
Labels:
  frontend → frontend-app repository
  backend  → backend-api repository
  mobile   → mobile-app repository
This allows one Linear team to ship to multiple codebases without ambiguity.

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When to Use Label-Based Routing

Use routing labels when:
  • A team owns multiple repositories
  • You use a monorepo with distinct domains
  • You want explicit, predictable routing
Use team-based routing when:
  • Each team owns a single repository
  • Simplicity matters more than precision

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Choose How Cyrus Approaches the Work

Different tasks require different approaches. Labels tell Cyrus how to reason about the issue before writing code.

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Fix a Bug

Use when: Something is broken or incorrect Labels: 
Bug
Hotfix
Cyrus will:
  • Investigate the root cause
  • Make minimal, targeted fixes
  • Add test coverage where appropriate
→ Uses the debugger workflow

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Build or Improve Something

Use when: Adding features or improving existing behavior Labels: 
Feature
Improvement
Cyrus will:
  • Follow existing code patterns
  • Implement fully scoped changes
  • Verify before opening a pull request
→ Uses the builder workflow

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Coordinate Large or Multi-Part Work

Use when: The task is too large for a single pass Labels: 
Orchestrator
Epic
Cyrus will:
  • Break work into smaller sub-issues
  • Coordinate execution across them
  • Track overall progress
→ Uses the orchestrator workflow

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Large Work With Stacked Pull Requests

Use when: Each step depends on the previous one Labels: 
Graphite
Orchestrator
Cyrus will:
  • Create stacked pull requests
  • Execute work sequentially
  • Respect dependency order
Requirement: Graphite CLI must be installed

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(Optional) Override the AI Model

In most cases, Cyrus selects the right model automatically. You can override this behavior with labels.

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Available Model Labels

Sonnet → Balanced performance (default)
Opus   → Highest capability
Haiku  → Fast and cost-efficient

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When to Override

Use Opus for:
  • Complex architectural decisions
  • Critical bug fixes
  • Difficult debugging scenarios
Use Haiku for:
  • Small changes
  • Documentation updates
  • Quick tasks
If no model label is present, Cyrus uses Sonnet.

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Practical Examples

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Bug Fix

Title: Login button not responding on mobile
Labels: Bug
Team: FRONTEND
→ Debugger workflow
→ Targeted fix with tests

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New Feature

Title: Add dark mode toggle
Labels: Feature
Team: FRONTEND
→ Builder workflow
→ Full implementation and verification

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Large Feature

Title: Implement complete authentication system
Labels: Orchestrator, Epic
Team: BACKEND
→ Work decomposed into sub-issues
→ Coordinated execution

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Incremental Refactor

Title: Refactor database layer
Labels: Graphite, Orchestrator
Team: BACKEND
→ Stacked PRs using Graphite

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If Something Feels Wrong

If Cyrus:
  • Picked the wrong repository
  • Used the wrong approach
  • Did less (or more) than expected
Check:
  1. Label spelling
  2. Routing priority
  3. Missing intent labels
→ See Troubleshooting

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Want to Go Deeper?

Cyrus follows deterministic internal workflows to ensure consistency. If you want to understand those workflows in detail: → Procedure Reference fOjhOFI

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