GitHub Desktop currently supports viewing and creating lightweight tags, but lacks native UI support for annotated tags — tags that
include metadata like tagger information, tagging date, and a full message.
Annotated tags are important for:
- Release management: Marking official releases with detailed changelogs
- Audit trails: Recording who created a tag and when
- Integration workflows: Many CI/CD systems and release tools expect annotated tags for semantic versioning
Current Behavior
Users must use the command line to create annotated tags:
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
GitHub Desktop only provides options for lightweight tags through the UI.
Proposed solution
Add a dialog/option in GitHub Desktop that allows users to:
- Create annotated tags with a message
- Specify the tagger name (or auto-populate from Git config)
- View tag details (tagger, date, message) in the tag list
- Option to toggle between lightweight and annotated when creating a tag
Why This Matters
- Consistency: Aligns with Git best practices and professional release workflows
- Accessibility: Reduces friction for developers who want proper release tagging without CLI
- Discoverability: Tag messages visible in the UI help teams understand release context
Use Cases
- Creating release tags with detailed changelog information
- Maintaining proper Git history for compliance/audit purposes
- Enabling automated release workflows that depend on annotated tag metadata
Additional context
No response
GitHub Desktop currently supports viewing and creating lightweight tags, but lacks native UI support for annotated tags — tags that
include metadata like tagger information, tagging date, and a full message.
Annotated tags are important for:
Current Behavior
Users must use the command line to create annotated tags:
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
GitHub Desktop only provides options for lightweight tags through the UI.
Proposed solution
Add a dialog/option in GitHub Desktop that allows users to:
Why This Matters
Use Cases
Additional context
No response