HumanSignal/label-studio · error · ValidationError

Wrong old label name, it is not from labeling config: {old_l

Error message

Wrong old label name, it is not from labeling config: {old_label_name}

What it means

rename_labels renames a label across annotations by control tag. It parses the project's labeling config via project.get_parsed_config() and raises ValidationError if control_tag is not a key in the parsed labels map — meaning the given control tag (and old label) does not exist in the current labeling configuration.

Source

Thrown at label_studio/data_manager/actions/experimental.py:83

    field = {
        'type': 'number',
        'name': 'source_annotation_id',
        'label': 'Enter source annotation ID'
        + (f' [first ID: {str(first_annotation.id)}]' if first_annotation else ''),
    }
    return [{'columnCount': 1, 'fields': [field]}]


def rename_labels(project, queryset, **kwargs):
    request = kwargs['request']

    old_label_name = request.data.get('old_label_name')
    new_label_name = request.data.get('new_label_name')
    control_tag = request.data.get('control_tag')

    labels = project.get_parsed_config()
    if control_tag not in labels:
        raise ValidationError('Wrong old label name, it is not from labeling config: ' + old_label_name)
    label_type = labels[control_tag]['type'].lower()

    annotations = Annotation.objects.filter(project=project)
    if settings.DJANGO_DB == settings.DJANGO_DB_SQLITE:
        annotations = annotations.filter(result__icontains=control_tag).filter(result__icontains=old_label_name)
    else:
        annotations = annotations.filter(result__contains=[{'from_name': control_tag}]).filter(
            result__contains=[{'value': {label_type: [old_label_name]}}]
        )

    label_count = 0
    annotation_count = 0
    for annotation in annotations:
        changed = False
        for sub in annotation.result:
            if sub.get('from_name', None) == control_tag and old_label_name in sub.get('value', {}).get(
                label_type, []
            ):

View on GitHub (pinned to 0b49e9b539)

Solutions

1. Pass the exact control tag name from the labeling config (e.g. <Choices name="sentiment"> → control_tag "sentiment"), not the label value
2. Verify with the parsed config (project.get_parsed_config()) that the tag exists before calling
3. Update labeling config references if the tag was renamed

Example fix

// before
{"control_tag": "label", "old_label_name": "Positive", "new_label_name": "Good"}  // config has <Choices name="sentiment">
// after
{"control_tag": "sentiment", "old_label_name": "Positive", "new_label_name": "Good"}

const parsed = project.get_parsed_config(); // or fetch config-derived labels via API
if (!(controlTag in parsed)) {
  throw new Error(`control_tag ${controlTag} missing from labeling config`);
}

function controlTagExists(parsedConfig, tag) { return tag != null && Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(parsedConfig, tag); }

try {
  await dm.addAction({id: 'rename_labels', control_tag: tag, old_label_name: oldL, new_label_name: newL});
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e).includes('Wrong old label name')) {
    promptRepickControlTag();
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling rename_labels with request.data['control_tag'] absent or not present in the parsed config (e.g. 'label' when config uses 'choices'), or a tag from a previous config version.

Common situations: Config was edited/renamed so the control tag changed; passing the label name instead of the control tag name; extra whitespace/case mismatch; organizations renaming tags in Label Config XML without migrating annotations.

Related errors

• sample() does not accept arguments.
• random(min, max) requires two arguments.
• choices(values:list, weights:list) requires one or two argum
• replace(old_value, new_value) requires two arguments.
• Undefined expression, you can use: {add_data_field_examples}

AI-assisted analysis of HumanSignal/label-studio@0b49e9b539 (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d7aeebdc579d7170. Report an issue: GitHub.