How to Create and Push Git Tags

In this tutorial, you'll learn about How to Create and Push Git Tags. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices.

The Problem

You want to mark a specific commit as a release version with a Git tag, but git push does not include tags by default. After running git push, the tag is not visible on GitHub or GitLab.

Quick Fix

Step 1: Create a lightweight tag

Tag the current commit with a version number:

git tag v1.0.0

List all tags to confirm:

git tag

v1.0.0

Step 2: Create an annotated tag

Annotated tags store a message and metadata:

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0 with user authentication"

View the tag details:

git show v1.0.0

tag v1.0.0
Tagger: Your Name <you@example.com>
Date:   Mon Jun 24 10:00:00 2026 +0000

Release version 1.0.0 with user authentication

Step 3: Tag a specific commit

If the release is not at HEAD, tag a past commit by its hash:

git tag -a v0.9.0 abc123def -m "Beta release"

Step 4: Push a single tag

Push one tag to the remote:

git push origin v1.0.0

Enumerating objects: 1, done.
Counting objects: 100% (1/1), done.
Writing objects: 100% (1/1), 164 bytes, done.
Total 1 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To https://github.com/username/my-project.git
 * [new tag]         v1.0.0 -> v1.0.0

Step 5: Push all tags

Push every local tag that is not yet on the remote:

git push --tags

Step 6: Delete a tag

Remove a tag locally and on the remote:

git tag -d v1.0.0
git push origin --delete v1.0.0

Alternative Solutions

Use signed tags for verification

Sign tags with your GPG key for authenticity:

git tag -s v1.0.0 -m "Release v1.0.0"

Create lightweight tags for temporary markers

Use lightweight tags for CI milestones:

git tag build-20260624.1

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to push tags separately. git push does not include tags. Use git push --tags or git push origin <tag> explicitly.

Creating a tag on the wrong commit. Check the current commit with git log --oneline -1 before tagging. Use git tag <name> <hash> to tag a specific commit.

Not using annotated tags for releases. Lightweight tags lack metadata like the tagger name, date, and message. Use git tag -a for releases.

Pro Tips

Use semantic versioning for tags. Follow vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format (e.g., v2.1.0) for consistency across projects.

Use git tag -s for signed tags. Sign tags with your GPG key to verify authenticity: git tag -s v1.0.0 -m "Release v1.0.0".

Automate tagging with CI. Configure your CI pipeline to create and push tags automatically after successful builds on the main branch.

Prevention

• Always use annotated tags (-a -m) for releases to include metadata.
• Push tags immediately after creating them so they are not lost.
• Use semantic versioning (v1.0.0, v1.1.0, v2.0.0) for consistency.