Projects V2 updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue returns success but doesn't persist after toggling built-in automations

[jonschull]

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Bug: Projects V2 updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue returns success but doesn't persist after toggling built-in automations

Description

After enabling and then disabling GitHub Projects V2 built-in workflow automations (e.g., "Pull request merged → set status", "Item closed → set status"), the updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue GraphQL mutation returns success but changes are not reflected in the board UI.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have a working Projects V2 board where updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue mutations correctly update item status
2. Enable one or more built-in project workflows (e.g., "Pull request merged", "Item closed")
3. Disable the same workflows
4. Update an item's Status field via GraphQL — mutation returns success with correct readback
5. Board UI does not update (not on refresh, not in incognito, not in a new view)

What works vs. what doesn't

Operation	API Response	Board UI
updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue	Returns success, readback correct	No change
addProjectV2ItemById	Returns item ID	Item not visible
deleteProjectV2Item	Returns deleted ID	Item disappears immediately
Manual drag in browser	N/A	Works correctly

Key observations

• Delete mutations reflect in UI instantly. Add and update do not.
• Manual drag-and-drop works fine.
• New board views on the same project show the same stale data (project-level, not view-level).
• New items added via API exist when queried by node ID but don't appear on the board.

Environment

• gh CLI 2.65.0, macOS, OAuth token with project scope, user-owned project

Workaround

Manual drag-and-drop. deleteProjectV2Item still works via API.

Guidelines

• I have read the above statement and can confirm my post is relevant to the GitHub feature areas Issues and/or Projects.

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[LuisGustavoCassioli]

Here's some suggestions:

---

Narrowing This Down

Given that:

The mutation returns success

Delete works

Manual drag works

The issue appears after toggling built-in automations

This suggests either a field ID mismatch or a state desync between API and UI.

1️⃣ Re-check the fieldId

After re-enabling automations, confirm the fieldId hasn’t changed:

query {
  node(id: "PROJECT_ID") {
    ... on ProjectV2 {
      fields(first: 50) {
        nodes {
          ... on ProjectV2FieldCommon {
            id
            name
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

If the ID was regenerated internally, the mutation may succeed structurally but target a stale field.

2️⃣ Query Immediately After the Mutation

Right after calling updateProjectV2ItemFieldValue, query the item:

query {
  node(id: "ITEM_ID") {
    ... on ProjectV2Item {
      fieldValues(first: 20) {
        nodes {
          ... on ProjectV2ItemFieldValueCommon {
            field {
              ... on ProjectV2FieldCommon {
                name
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

If the updated value appears → likely UI sync issue

If it does not → mutation is being accepted but discarded internally

That distinction should make it easier for the team to isolate whether this is an API or board state problem.