Tag a release

Mark a release point with an annotated tag.

Marking a release with an annotated tag

An annotated tag is a Git tag with additional information that marks a specific commit as a release point. Unlike a lightweight tag, it contains extra details such as a tag message, creator, and date. It is commonly created during release preparation using the -a option.

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Version 1.0.0"

Release version and tag message

Tag names commonly use version numbers such as v1.0.0. The -m option adds a message explaining why the tag was created. You can inspect the tag you created with the git show v1.0.0 command.

git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "First stable release"
git show v1.2.0

Exercise Create a release tag

Create an annotated tag named v2.1.0. Set its message to Stable version 2.1.0. Write the complete command.

Test yourself

Which command creates a release tag with an annotation message?
- git branch -a v1.0.0
- git commit -m "v1.0.0"
- git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Version 1.0.0"
- git tag v1.0.0
Show answer

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Version 1.0.0" — -a creates an annotated tag, while -m specifies its annotation message.

Define the tag message

git tag -a v2.0.0 -m "____"

Show answer

git tag -a v2.0.0 -m "Major release"

Annotated tag components

-a

Creates an annotated tag
-m

Specifies the tag message
v2.0.0

Release tag name
git show

Displays tag information

Next lesson: Changelog

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