What is a hotfix?

A hotfix is an urgent fix for a critical error in production, which needs to be released as quickly as possible, without waiting for a planned release.

Put simply: a hotfix is an "emergency fix," used when production is already broken or is about to break.

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#When a hotfix is needed

A hotfix is made if:

• the application is crashing
• users are hitting a critical bug
• there is a security problem
• the system is not performing a key function (payments, login, etc.)

The main point is that you cannot wait for the next regular release.

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#What a hotfix looks like in Git (the process logic)

Most often (in Gitflow and similar approaches):

1. A hotfix branch is created from the stable branch (main)
2. A minimal fix is made in it
3. The fix is urgently merged back into main
4. A new version is released (a tag + a release)
5. The changes are brought back into develop, so they are not lost

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#Why a hotfix is a separate process

A hotfix:

• does not add new functionality
• contains only the fix
• minimizes the risk of side effects

Less code means fewer new bugs.

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#Hotfix and versions (SemVer)

A hotfix usually:

• increments the PATCH version

Example:

1.4.2 → 1.4.3

If the fix breaks compatibility (rare, but it happens):

• a MAJOR bump is possible

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#Hotfix and CI/CD

Often:

• a hotfix triggers a separate pipeline
• deployment to production happens by tag
• the process is automated as much as possible

From the fix to production takes minutes or hours.

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#What is important to say in an interview

• a hotfix is not an ordinary bug fix
• it is made from the production branch
• the goal is to quickly restore stability
• after a hotfix, the changes must be synchronized with the main development branch

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#Short answer for an interview

A hotfix is an urgent fix for a critical error in production, released separately from planned releases, usually from the stable branch, with minimal changes and a fast deployment.