Git Tag

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Sriparno08
Published Jun 30, 2022Updated Aug 25, 2025
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The git tag command is used to mark particular points in the history of a repository as being important. Typically, Git tags are used to mark release versions (like v1.0, v2.1.3, etc.), making it easier to identify which commit corresponds to a production release. Unlike branches, Git tags are fixed references, i.e., they don’t change or move once created.

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git tag Syntax

git tag [options] <tag-name> [<commit>]
  • <options>: Flags that modify the behavior of git tag.
  • <tag-name>: The name of the tag to create, list, delete, or verify.
  • <commit: The commit hash (or branch name) the tag should point to. Defaults to HEAD if omitted.

The <flags> include:

Flag Description
-a/--annotate The tag is annotated but unsigned.
-s/--sign The tag is annotated and signed with the key of the default email address.
-f/--force An existing tag is forcibly replaced with a given <tag-name>.
-d/--delete One or more existing tags are deleted by <tag-name>.
-v/--verify One or more existing tags are verified by <tag-name>.
-l/--list All existing tags are listed (same as running just git tag).
-m/--message A message for an existing tag is defined instead of prompted. Multiple -m messages can be used, but they will combined as separate paragraphs.
-F/--file A tag message is read the tag message from a given file instead of standard input.
-e/--edit A tag message made from -m or -F is edited.

Example 1: Creating a Lightweight Git Tag

A lightweight Git tag is just a name pointing to a commit:

git tag v1.0

This assigns the tag v1.0 to the latest commit on the current branch.

Example 2: Creating an Annotated Git Tag

An annotated Git tag contains extra information such as the tagger’s name, email, and a message.

git tag -a v2.0 -m "Release version 2.0"

This assigns the tag v2.0 and the given message to the latest commit on the current branch.

Example 3: Tagging a Specific Commit Using git tag

The git tag command also helps in tagging a specific commit:

git tag v1.5 3a1b2c3

This assigns the tag v1.5 to the commit 3a1b2c3.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I see the Git tags?

  • To view all tags in a repository, run: git tag
  • For a more detailed view, including the commits each tag points to, use: git show-ref --tags
  • To filter and list tags matching a specific pattern (for example, all version 2 releases), run: git tag -l "v2.*"

2. Is tag a commit in git?

No. A Git tag is not a commit itself but a pointer to a commit. You can think of it as a bookmark for an important commit in your repository.

3. How to push a Git tag?

By default, Git tags are not pushed to remote repositories. To push a Git tag, you must explicitly push it:

# Push a single Git tag
git push origin <tag-name>


# Push all local Git tags
git push origin --tags

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