Lightweight vs annotated

Learn the difference between lightweight and annotated tags.

Lightweight Tags

A lightweight tag is a simple name assigned to a commit. It does not contain additional metadata such as an annotation, tag message, or tagger information.

git tag v1.0.0

You can use a lightweight tag when you need a quick and simple marker.

Annotated Tags and Messages

An annotated tag stores more information than a simple name assigned to a commit. It includes metadata such as the tagger, date, and annotation message.

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "First stable release"

-a creates an annotated tag, while -m specifies its message. It is useful for documenting releases.

Exercise Prepare an Annotated Tag Command

Assign the git tag -a v1.3.0 -m "Production release" command to the releaseTag variable. Print the command.

Show example solution

const releaseTag = "git tag -a v1.3.0 -m \"Production release\"";

console.log(releaseTag);

Test yourself

Which command creates a lightweight tag?
- git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release"
- git tag v1.0.0
- git push --tags
- git commit -m "v1.0.0"
Show answer

git tag v1.0.0 — Running git tag v1.0.0 without additional options creates a lightweight tag.

Create an Annotated Tag

git tag ____ v1.2.0 -m "Stable release"

Show answer

git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "Stable release"

Compare Tag Types

Lightweight

Simple commit marker
Annotated

Tag containing extra metadata
-a

Annotated tag option
-m

Specifies the tag message

Next lesson: Pushing tags

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