diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1349c63af..2146be814 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,11 +28,18 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Removed
 
+- **Duplicate `.github/agents/` folder (Phase 1 restructuring compliance)** — Deleted entire `.github/agents/` folder (55 files) consolidating all agent implementations to root `agents/` folder per Phase 1 restructuring rules. The `.github/agents/` folder violated the portable assets rule by containing multi-file agent implementations (Claude/Copilot/OpenAI) when it should only contain "simple YAML/JSON definitions" (GitHub-native only). All agent implementations now properly organized at root as portable reusable assets. ([PR #1533](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/1533), [#1510](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1510), [#1507](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1507))
+
 - **Legacy README workflows (Phase 2.4 consolidation)** — Removed three legacy README management workflows (`readme-audit.yml`, `readme-regen.yml`, `readme-update.yml`) consolidated into unified `documentation.yml` workflow. Eliminates 449 lines of code duplication (~44% reduction for README workflows), saves ~3-4 min/month GitHub Actions execution time, and establishes single source of truth for README validation logic. Push trigger re-enabled in `documentation.yml` following consolidation. ([PR #1317](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/1317), [Epic #1227](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1227), [#1310](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1310))
 
 ### Deprecated
 
 (none identified)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Agent file_type frontmatter validation (Phase 1 restructuring)** — Added missing `file_type` frontmatter to all root agent configuration files: 48 provider-specific agent.md files (claude/, copilot/, openai/) with `file_type: 'agent'`, and 16 shared core-prompt.md files with `file_type: 'prompt'`. Fixes 200+ frontmatter validation errors and ensures all agent files comply with documentation schema requirements. ([PR #1533](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/1533), [#1510](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1510), [#1507](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/issues/1507))
+
 ### Added
 
 - **Gitleaks secret scanning** — Added `gitleaks-reusable.yml`, an organisation-wide reusable workflow other repositories call via `workflow_call`, plus a `gitleaks.yml` caller running on pull requests into `develop`/`main`. Runs the open-source Gitleaks CLI directly (the `gitleaks-action` wrapper requires a paid licence for organisation repositories). Per-PR runs scan the working tree; `workflow_dispatch` accepts a `full-history` input for on-demand full-history rescans. A baseline full-history scan of this repository returned 50 hits, all verified as placeholder values in documentation and tests, allowlisted in `.gitleaks.toml`. ([PR #1444](https://github.com/lightspeedwp/.github/pull/1444))
diff --git a/scripts/validation/__tests__/validate-labels-before-creation.test.cjs b/scripts/validation/__tests__/validate-labels-before-creation.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31f35da03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/validation/__tests__/validate-labels-before-creation.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+/**
+ * Unit Tests: validate-labels-before-creation.cjs
+ *
+ * Test suite for pre-creation label validation script.
+ * Validates:
+ * 1. Canonical label existence
+ * 2. Family prefix requirements
+ * 3. One-hot per family constraint
+ * 4. Required type: label
+ * 5. Error and warning messages
+ */
+
+const { execSync } = require('child_process');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const SCRIPT_PATH = path.join(__dirname, '../validate-labels-before-creation.cjs');
+const LABELS_FILE = path.join(__dirname, '../../../.github/labels.yml');
+
+/**
+ * Execute validation script and parse output
+ * @param {string[]} labels - Labels to validate
+ * @returns {object} Parsed result
+ */
+function validateLabels(labels) {
+  const labelStr = labels.join(',');
+  try {
+    execSync(
+      `node ${SCRIPT_PATH} --labels "${labelStr}" --canonical-file ${LABELS_FILE}`,
+      { stdio: 'pipe' }
+    );
+    return { valid: true, errors: [], warnings: [] };
+  } catch (error) {
+    // Extract JSON from stderr
+    const stderr = error.stderr.toString();
+    const jsonMatch = stderr.match(/\{[\s\S]*\}/);
+    if (jsonMatch) {
+      return JSON.parse(jsonMatch[0]);
+    }
+    return { valid: false, errors: [error.message], warnings: [] };
+  }
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Test Suite
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('Label Validation', () => {
+  describe('Valid Labels', () => {
+    test('accepts canonical type:bug label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['type:bug']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.errors.length).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    test('accepts full canonical label set', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:bug',
+        'status:needs-triage',
+        'priority:critical',
+        'area:ci'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.errors.length).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    test('accepts all type:* variants', () => {
+      const types = [
+        'type:bug',
+        'type:feature',
+        'type:task',
+        'type:documentation',
+        'type:design',
+        'type:refactor',
+        'type:chore'
+      ];
+
+      for (const type of types) {
+        const result = validateLabels([type]);
+        expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('accepts multiple meta: labels (allowed exception)', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:bug',
+        'meta:needs-changelog',
+        'meta:has-pr'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Bare Labels (Invalid)', () => {
+    test('rejects bare "bug" label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['bug']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('bug'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('rejects bare "feature" label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['feature']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('feature'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('rejects all common bare labels', () => {
+      const bareLabels = [
+        'bug',
+        'feature',
+        'task',
+        'documentation',
+        'urgent',
+        'critical',
+        'ci',
+        'docs',
+        'release',
+        'automation'
+      ];
+
+      for (const bare of bareLabels) {
+        const result = validateLabels([bare]);
+        expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      }
+    });
+
+    test('detects bare labels in mixed set', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['type:bug', 'feature', 'status:needs-triage']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('feature'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Non-Existent Labels', () => {
+    test('rejects unknown label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['type:unknown']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('not found'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('rejects completely made-up label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['invalid:label']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('One-Hot Constraint (One per Family)', () => {
+    test('rejects multiple type: labels', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['type:bug', 'type:feature']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('Multiple labels'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('rejects multiple status: labels', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:bug',
+        'status:needs-triage',
+        'status:in-progress'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes('Multiple labels'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('rejects multiple priority: labels', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:bug',
+        'priority:critical',
+        'priority:important'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test('allows multiple meta: labels (exception)', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:bug',
+        'meta:needs-changelog',
+        'meta:has-pr',
+        'meta:duplicate'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('allows multiple comp: labels (exception)', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([
+        'type:feature',
+        'comp:block-editor',
+        'comp:theme-json'
+      ]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Required type: Label', () => {
+    test('requires at least one type: label', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['status:needs-triage', 'priority:critical']);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes("Missing required 'type:*'"))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('passes with any type: variant', () => {
+      const types = [
+        'type:bug',
+        'type:feature',
+        'type:task',
+        'type:documentation'
+      ];
+
+      for (const type of types) {
+        const result = validateLabels([type]);
+        expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Warnings', () => {
+    test('warns about bare label "bug"', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['bug']);
+      expect(result.warnings.some(w => w.includes('Bare label'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('suggests corrections for bare labels', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['bug']);
+      expect(result.warnings.some(w => w.includes('type:bug'))).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('Edge Cases', () => {
+    test('handles empty label list', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels([]);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors.some(e => e.includes("Missing required 'type:*'"))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('ignores whitespace in labels', () => {
+      const result = validateLabels(['type:bug ', ' status:needs-triage']);
+      // Script should handle this gracefully
+      expect(result).toHaveProperty('valid');
+    });
+
+    test('handles very long label list', () => {
+      const labels = [
+        'type:feature',
+        'status:ready',
+        'priority:normal',
+        'area:ci',
+        'meta:needs-changelog'
+      ];
+      const result = validateLabels(labels);
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/scripts/validation/validate-labels-before-creation.cjs b/scripts/validation/validate-labels-before-creation.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92d1122dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/validation/validate-labels-before-creation.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * Pre-Creation Label Validation Script
+ *
+ * Validates labels before issue/PR creation to enforce canonical label system.
+ * Ensures all labels:
+ * 1. Exist in canonical set (.github/labels.yml)
+ * 2. Include required family prefix (type:, status:, priority:, etc.)
+ * 3. Follow one-hot principle per family (except meta:, comp: which allow multiple)
+ * 4. Always include a type:* label for classification
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   node validate-labels-before-creation.cjs \
+ *     --labels "type:bug,status:needs-triage" \
+ *     --canonical-file .github/labels.yml
+ *
+ * Exit Codes:
+ *   0 = validation passed
+ *   1 = validation failed
+ */
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const yaml = require('js-yaml');
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Constants
+// ============================================================================
+
+const FAMILIES_ALLOW_MULTIPLE = ['meta', 'comp', 'lang'];
+const REQUIRED_FAMILIES = ['type'];
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Argument Parsing
+// ============================================================================
+
+function parseArgs() {
+  const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+  const opts = {
+    labels: [],
+    canonical_file: '.github/labels.yml'
+  };
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
+    if (args[i] === '--labels' && i + 1 < args.length) {
+      opts.labels = args[i + 1].split(',').map(l => l.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+      i++;
+    } else if (args[i] === '--canonical-file' && i + 1 < args.length) {
+      opts.canonical_file = args[i + 1];
+      i++;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return opts;
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Label Loading
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Load canonical labels from YAML file
+ * @param {string} filePath - Path to labels.yml
+ * @returns {Map<string, object>} Map of label name → label metadata
+ */
+function loadCanonicalLabels(filePath) {
+  try {
+    const content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8');
+    const data = yaml.load(content, { schema: yaml.JSON_SCHEMA });
+
+    if (!Array.isArray(data)) {
+      throw new Error('labels.yml must contain an array of label objects');
+    }
+
+    const labels = new Map();
+    for (const label of data) {
+      if (label.name) {
+        labels.set(label.name, label);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return labels;
+  } catch (error) {
+    throw new Error(`Failed to load canonical labels: ${error.message}`);
+  }
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Validation Logic
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Extract family prefix from label (part before colon)
+ * @param {string} label - Label name (e.g., "type:bug")
+ * @returns {string} Family name or null if no prefix
+ */
+function getFamily(label) {
+  const match = label.match(/^([a-z]+):/);
+  return match ? match[1] : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Validate labels against canonical set
+ * @param {string[]} labels - List of labels to validate
+ * @param {Map} canonicalLabels - Map of valid labels
+ * @returns {object} { valid: boolean, errors: string[], warnings: string[] }
+ */
+function validateLabels(labels, canonicalLabels) {
+  const errors = [];
+  const warnings = [];
+  const familyCount = new Map();
+
+  // ---- Rule 1: Each label must exist in canonical set ----
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    if (!label || label.trim() === '') continue;
+
+    if (!canonicalLabels.has(label)) {
+      errors.push(`Label '${label}' not found in canonical set (.github/labels.yml)`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ---- Rule 2: Each label must have family prefix ----
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    if (!label || label.trim() === '') continue;
+
+    const family = getFamily(label);
+    if (!family) {
+      errors.push(
+        `Label '${label}' missing required family prefix. ` +
+        `Use one of: type:, status:, priority:, area:, meta:, release:, lang:, env:, compat:, comp:`
+      );
+    } else {
+      // Track family usage for one-hot validation
+      if (!familyCount.has(family)) {
+        familyCount.set(family, []);
+      }
+      familyCount.get(family).push(label);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ---- Rule 3: One-hot per family (except meta:, comp:, lang:) ----
+  for (const [family, familyLabels] of familyCount) {
+    if (FAMILIES_ALLOW_MULTIPLE.includes(family)) {
+      continue; // These families allow multiple labels
+    }
+
+    if (familyLabels.length > 1) {
+      errors.push(
+        `Multiple labels from family '${family}' found: ${familyLabels.join(', ')}. ` +
+        `Only one label per family is allowed (except ${FAMILIES_ALLOW_MULTIPLE.join(', ')}).`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ---- Rule 4: Type label is required ----
+  const hasType = labels.some(label => getFamily(label) === 'type');
+  if (!hasType) {
+    errors.push(
+      `Missing required 'type:*' label for classification. ` +
+      `Examples: type:bug, type:feature, type:task, type:documentation`
+    );
+  }
+
+  // ---- Rule 5: Warnings for common mistakes ----
+  const bareLabels = [
+    'bug', 'feature', 'task', 'documentation', 'design', 'refactor',
+    'urgent', 'critical', 'important', 'normal',
+    'ci', 'docs', 'security', 'tests', 'labels',
+    'release', 'automation'
+  ];
+
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    if (bareLabels.includes(label)) {
+      const family = getFamily(label);
+      warnings.push(
+        `Bare label '${label}' detected. ` +
+        `This is not the canonical form. Did you mean 'type:${label}' or 'priority:${label}' or 'area:${label}'?`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    valid: errors.length === 0,
+    errors,
+    warnings
+  };
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Output Formatting
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Format validation results for output
+ * @param {object} result - Validation result
+ * @returns {string} Formatted output
+ */
+function formatOutput(result) {
+  let output = '';
+
+  if (result.valid) {
+    output += '✅ Label validation passed\n';
+  } else {
+    output += '❌ Label validation failed:\n\n';
+    for (const error of result.errors) {
+      output += `  ❌ ${error}\n`;
+    }
+    output += '\n';
+  }
+
+  if (result.warnings.length > 0) {
+    output += '⚠️  Warnings:\n';
+    for (const warning of result.warnings) {
+      output += `  ⚠️  ${warning}\n`;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return output;
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Main
+// ============================================================================
+
+function main() {
+  const opts = parseArgs();
+
+  try {
+    // Load canonical labels
+    const canonicalLabels = loadCanonicalLabels(opts.canonical_file);
+
+    // Validate input labels
+    const result = validateLabels(opts.labels, canonicalLabels);
+
+    // Output results
+    console.log(formatOutput(result));
+
+    // Output JSON for machine parsing (on stderr)
+    console.error(JSON.stringify({
+      valid: result.valid,
+      labels_count: opts.labels.length,
+      canonical_labels_count: canonicalLabels.size,
+      errors: result.errors,
+      warnings: result.warnings
+    }, null, 2));
+
+    // Exit with appropriate code
+    process.exit(result.valid ? 0 : 1);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(`❌ Validation error: ${error.message}`);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+main();