What is a tag in Git?

A tag in Git is a named marker on a specific commit, usually used to denote a version or a release.

In simpler terms: a tag is a "label" on a commit with a readable name like v1.2.0.

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#Why tags are needed

Tags let you:

• mark releases and versions
• easily go back to a needed state of the code
• trigger CI/CD based on a version
• have a stable point in history (unlike branches)

A branch "moves", a tag does not.

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#What this looks like in practice

Commit history:

The v1.0.0 tag points exactly at commit C and will always point at it.

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#Main types of tags

#1. Lightweight tag

• just a reference to a commit
• no description or metadata

Rarely used, mostly for local markers.

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#2. Annotated tag - recommended

• contains the author
• the date
• a message
• stored as a separate object in Git

These are the tags used for releases.

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#Tags and releases (important point)

• A tag is a Git object
• A release is an entity of the platform (GitHub / GitLab)

Usually:

1. a v1.2.0 tag is created
2. based on it, a release with a changelog is created

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#How tags work with a remote repository

By default, tags are not pushed automatically.

Or all at once:

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#Tags in CI/CD

Very often:

• a pipeline is triggered by a tag
• deployment to production happens only from tags
• the tag name equals the application's version

Example:

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#What is important to emphasize in an interview

• a tag is not a branch
• a tag does not move
• a tag points to a specific commit
• annotated tags are used for releases

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#Short answer for an interview

A tag in Git is a named marker on a specific commit, usually used to denote a version or a release. Unlike a branch, a tag does not change and always points to the same state of the code.