diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/LabelSelector.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/LabelSelector.vue
index 682389c6fd15..2527704f28c6 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/LabelSelector.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/LabelSelector.vue
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
+import { WorkflowLabel } from "./labels";
+
 interface LabelSelectorProps {
     hasLabels: boolean;
-    labels: string[];
-    value?: string;
+    labels: WorkflowLabel[];
+    value?: WorkflowLabel;
     labelTitle: string;
 }
 
@@ -11,11 +13,11 @@ const props = withDefaults(defineProps<LabelSelectorProps>(), {
 });
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
-    (e: "input", value: string | undefined): void;
+    (e: "input", value: WorkflowLabel | undefined): void;
 }>();
 
 function update(index: number) {
-    const label: string | undefined = props.labels[index] || undefined;
+    const label: WorkflowLabel | undefined = props.labels[index] || undefined;
     emit("input", label);
 }
 </script>
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ function update(index: number) {
                 name="labels"
                 :value="index"
                 @change="update">
-                {{ label }}
+                {{ label.label }}
             </b-form-radio>
         </div>
         <b-alert v-else show variant="info"> No labels found. Please specify labels in the Workflow Editor. </b-alert>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownDialog.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownDialog.vue
index 4076696f47ee..7dd49fd8bf75 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownDialog.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownDialog.vue
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { jobsFetcher } from "@/api/jobs";
 import { workflowsFetcher } from "@/api/workflows";
 import { useHistoryStore } from "@/stores/historyStore";
 
+import { WorkflowLabel, WorkflowLabels } from "./labels";
+
 import MarkdownSelector from "./MarkdownSelector.vue";
 import MarkdownVisualization from "./MarkdownVisualization.vue";
 import DataDialog from "@/components/DataDialog/DataDialog.vue";
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ interface MarkdownDialogProps {
     argumentName?: string;
     argumentType?: string;
     argumentPayload?: object;
-    labels?: string[];
+    labels?: WorkflowLabels;
     useLabels: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -42,6 +44,22 @@ interface SelectTitles {
 
 type SelectType = "job_id" | "invocation_id" | "history_dataset_id" | "history_dataset_collection_id";
 
+const effectiveLabels = computed<WorkflowLabels>(() => {
+    if (!props.labels) {
+        return [] as WorkflowLabels;
+    }
+    const selectSteps = props.argumentType == "job_id";
+    const filteredLabels: WorkflowLabels = [];
+    for (const label of props.labels) {
+        if (selectSteps && label.type == "step") {
+            filteredLabels.push(label);
+        } else if (!selectSteps && label.type != "step") {
+            filteredLabels.push(label);
+        }
+    }
+    return filteredLabels;
+});
+
 const selectorConfig = {
     job_id: {
         labelTitle: "Step",
@@ -50,10 +68,10 @@ const selectorConfig = {
         labelTitle: "Step",
     },
     history_dataset_id: {
-        labelTitle: "Output",
+        labelTitle: "Dataset (Input/Output)",
     },
     history_dataset_collection_id: {
-        labelTitle: "Output",
+        labelTitle: "Dataset Collection (Input/Output)",
     },
 };
 
@@ -127,30 +145,33 @@ function onVisualization(response: string) {
     emit("onInsert", response);
 }
 
-function onOk(selectedLabel: string) {
-    selectedLabel = selectedLabel || "<ENTER LABEL>";
+function onOk(selectedLabel: WorkflowLabel | undefined) {
+    const defaultLabelType: string =
+        ["history_dataset_id", "history_dataset_collection_id"].indexOf(props.argumentType) >= 0 ? "output" : "step";
+    const labelText: string = selectedLabel ? selectedLabel.label : "<ENTER LABEL>";
+    const labelType: string = selectedLabel ? selectedLabel.type : defaultLabelType;
     selectedShow.value = false;
     if (props.argumentType == "history_dataset_id") {
         if (props.useLabels) {
-            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(output="${selectedLabel}")`);
+            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(${labelType}="${labelText}")`);
         } else {
             dataShow.value = true;
         }
     } else if (props.argumentType == "history_dataset_collection_id") {
         if (props.useLabels) {
-            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(output="${selectedLabel}")`);
+            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(${labelType}="${labelText}")`);
         } else {
             dataCollectionShow.value = true;
         }
     } else if (props.argumentType == "job_id") {
         if (props.useLabels) {
-            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(step="${selectedLabel}")`);
+            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(${labelType}="${labelText}")`);
         } else {
             jobShow.value = true;
         }
     } else if (props.argumentType == "invocation_id") {
         if (props.useLabels) {
-            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(step="${selectedLabel}")`);
+            emit("onInsert", `${props.argumentName}(${labelType}="${labelText}")`);
         } else {
             invocationShow.value = true;
         }
@@ -207,7 +228,7 @@ if (props.argumentType == "workflow_id") {
             v-if="selectedShow"
             :initial-value="argumentType"
             :argument-name="argumentName"
-            :labels="labels"
+            :labels="effectiveLabels"
             :label-title="selectedLabelTitle"
             @onOk="onOk"
             @onCancel="onCancel" />
@@ -215,7 +236,7 @@ if (props.argumentType == "workflow_id") {
             v-else-if="visualizationShow"
             :argument-name="argumentName"
             :argument-payload="argumentPayload"
-            :labels="labels"
+            :labels="effectiveLabels"
             :use-labels="useLabels"
             :history="currentHistoryId"
             @onOk="onVisualization"
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownSelector.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownSelector.vue
index 75b95f474e6e..c41f9c4109f7 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownSelector.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownSelector.vue
@@ -2,16 +2,18 @@
 import BootstrapVue from "bootstrap-vue";
 import Vue, { computed, ref } from "vue";
 
+import { WorkflowLabel } from "./labels";
+
 import LabelSelector from "./LabelSelector.vue";
 
 interface MarkdownSelectorProps {
     labelTitle?: string;
-    labels: string[];
+    labels: WorkflowLabel[];
     argumentName?: string;
 }
 
 const props = defineProps<MarkdownSelectorProps>();
-const selectedValue = ref<string | undefined>(undefined);
+const selectedValue = ref<WorkflowLabel | undefined>(undefined);
 const modalShow = ref(true);
 
 const title = computed(() => {
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ const hasLabels = computed(() => {
 });
 
 const emit = defineEmits<{
-    (e: "onOk", value: string | undefined): void;
+    (e: "onOk", value: WorkflowLabel | undefined): void;
     (e: "onCancel"): void;
 }>();
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
index c8f7341f6fed..02d6a513e3bc 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/MarkdownToolBox.vue
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
             :argument-type="selectedType"
             :argument-name="selectedArgumentName"
             :argument-payload="selectedPayload"
-            :labels="selectedLabels"
+            :labels="workflowLabels"
             :use-labels="isWorkflow"
             @onInsert="onInsert"
             @onCancel="onCancel" />
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import { getAppRoot } from "onload/loadConfig";
 import Vue from "vue";
 
 import { directiveEntry } from "./directives.ts";
+import { fromSteps } from "./labels.ts";
 import MarkdownDialog from "./MarkdownDialog";
 
 Vue.use(BootstrapVue);
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@ export default {
         return {
             selectedArgumentName: null,
             selectedType: null,
-            selectedLabels: undefined,
             selectedShow: false,
             selectedPayload: null,
             visualizationIndex: {},
@@ -244,33 +244,14 @@ export default {
                 ],
             };
         },
+        workflowLabels() {
+            return fromSteps(this.steps);
+        },
     },
     created() {
         this.getVisualizations();
     },
     methods: {
-        getSteps() {
-            const steps = [];
-            this.steps &&
-                Object.values(this.steps).forEach((step) => {
-                    if (step.label) {
-                        steps.push(step.label);
-                    }
-                });
-            return steps;
-        },
-        getOutputs() {
-            const outputLabels = [];
-            this.steps &&
-                Object.values(this.steps).forEach((step) => {
-                    step.workflow_outputs.forEach((workflowOutput) => {
-                        if (workflowOutput.label) {
-                            outputLabels.push(workflowOutput.label);
-                        }
-                    });
-                });
-            return outputLabels;
-        },
         getArgumentTitle(argumentName) {
             return (
                 argumentName[0].toUpperCase() +
@@ -320,7 +301,6 @@ export default {
             this.selectedArgumentName = argumentName;
             this.selectedType = "visualization_id";
             this.selectedPayload = this.visualizationIndex[argumentName];
-            this.selectedLabels = this.getOutputs();
             this.selectedShow = true;
         },
         onHistoryId(argumentName) {
@@ -331,13 +311,11 @@ export default {
         onHistoryDatasetId(argumentName) {
             this.selectedArgumentName = argumentName;
             this.selectedType = "history_dataset_id";
-            this.selectedLabels = this.getOutputs();
             this.selectedShow = true;
         },
         onHistoryCollectionId(argumentName) {
             this.selectedArgumentName = argumentName;
             this.selectedType = "history_dataset_collection_id";
-            this.selectedLabels = this.getOutputs();
             this.selectedShow = true;
         },
         onWorkflowId(argumentName) {
@@ -348,13 +326,11 @@ export default {
         onJobId(argumentName) {
             this.selectedArgumentName = argumentName;
             this.selectedType = "job_id";
-            this.selectedLabels = this.getSteps();
             this.selectedShow = true;
         },
         onInvocationId(argumentName) {
             this.selectedArgumentName = argumentName;
             this.selectedType = "invocation_id";
-            this.selectedLabels = this.getSteps();
             this.selectedShow = true;
         },
         async getVisualizations() {
diff --git a/client/src/components/Markdown/labels.ts b/client/src/components/Markdown/labels.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..10048e834573
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/components/Markdown/labels.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// abstractions for dealing with workflows labels and
+// connecting them to the Markdown editor
+
+type WorkflowLabelKind = "input" | "output" | "step";
+
+export interface WorkflowLabel {
+    label: string;
+    type: WorkflowLabelKind;
+}
+
+interface StepOutput {
+    label?: string;
+}
+
+interface Step {
+    label?: string;
+    type: string;
+    workflow_outputs: StepOutput[];
+}
+
+export type WorkflowLabels = WorkflowLabel[];
+
+export function fromSteps(steps?: Step[]): WorkflowLabels {
+    const labels: WorkflowLabels = [];
+
+    if (!steps) {
+        return labels;
+    }
+
+    Object.values(steps).forEach((step) => {
+        const stepType = step.type;
+        if (step.label) {
+            const isInput = ["data_input", "data_collection_input", "parameter_input"].indexOf(stepType) >= 0;
+            if (isInput) {
+                labels.push({ type: "input", label: step.label });
+            } else {
+                labels.push({ type: "step", label: step.label });
+            }
+        }
+        step.workflow_outputs.forEach((workflowOutput) => {
+            if (workflowOutput.label) {
+                labels.push({ type: "output", label: workflowOutput.label });
+            }
+        });
+    });
+
+    return labels;
+}