How to tag a release in Git

· Category: Git

Short answer

Use git tag to mark specific commits as important, typically for version releases.

Steps

  1. Create a lightweight tag:
git tag v1.0.0
  1. Create an annotated tag:
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
  1. Push tags to remote:
git push origin --tags
  1. Delete a local tag:
git tag -d v1.0.0

Tips

  • Use semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) for clarity.
  • Annotated tags include metadata like author and date; prefer them for releases.
  • Tags do not move; they permanently mark a commit.

Common issues

  • Forgetting to push tags: they are not sent to remotes by default.
  • Tagging the wrong commit: move a tag with -f or delete and recreate.