Git Tag: Mark Releases and Important Commits

What Does git tag Do?

git tag creates a named reference to a specific commit. Tags are commonly used to mark release points (v1.0.0, v2.3.1) and provide stable reference points in your project history.

Annotated vs. Lightweight Tags

# Annotated tag (recommended for releases)
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"

# Lightweight tag (just a pointer)
git tag v1.0.0-beta

Annotated tags store the tagger name, date, and message. They are full Git objects. Lightweight tags are simply pointers to a commit — use them for temporary or private markers.

Managing Tags

# List all tags
git tag -l

# List tags matching a pattern
git tag -l "v2.*"

# Show tag details
git show v1.0.0

# Tag a past commit
git tag -a v0.9.0 -m "Retroactive tag" abc1234

# Delete a local tag
git tag -d v1.0.0-beta

Pushing Tags to Remote

Tags are not pushed by default with git push. You must explicitly push them:

# Push a single tag
git push origin v1.0.0

# Push all tags
git push origin --tags

Deleting Remote Tags

git push origin --delete v1.0.0-beta

Semantic Versioning with Tags

Follow the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH convention:

• MAJOR: Breaking changes
• MINOR: New features, backward-compatible
• PATCH: Bug fixes

Tags integrate with CI/CD pipelines — pushing a tag like v1.2.0 can automatically trigger a production deployment. They give your release process a clear, immutable reference point.