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# Commands

All commands accept a `-h/--help` option, which displays the help text for the command and exits immediately.

`semantic-release` does not allow interspersed arguments and options, which means that the options for `semantic-release` are not necessarily accepted one of the subcommands. In particular, the --noop and -v/--verbose flags must be given to the top-level `semantic-release` command, before the name of the subcommand.

For example:

Incorrect:

    semantic-release version --print --noop -vv

Correct:

    semantic-release -vv --noop version --print

With the exception of semantic-release and semantic-release generate-config, all commands require that you have set up your project’s configuration. To help with this step, semantic-release generate-config can create the default configuration for you, which will allow you to tweak it to your needs rather than write it from scratch.

## `semantic-release`

### Options:

#### `--version`

Display the version of Python Semantic Release and exit

#### `--noop`

Use this flag to see what `semantic-release` intends to do without making changes to your project. When using this option, `semantic-release` can be run as many times as you wish without any side-effects.

#### `-v/--verbose`

Can be supplied more than once. Controls the verbosity of `semantic-releases` logging output (default level is `WARNING`, use `-v` for `INFO` and `-vv` for `DEBUG`).

#### `-c/--config [FILE]`

Specify the configuration file which Python Semantic Release should use. This can be any of the supported formats valid for -f/--format [FORMAT]

Default: pyproject.toml

See also

- Configuration

#### `--strict`

Enable Strict Mode. This will cause a number of conditions to produce a non-zero exit code when passed, where they would otherwise have produced an exit code of 0. Enabling this allows, for example, certain conditions to cause failure of a CI pipeline, while omitting this flag would allow the pipeline to continue to run.

See also

- Strict Mode

## `semantic-release version`

Detect the semantically correct next version that should be applied to your project.

By default:

> - Write this new version to the project metadata locations specified in the configuration file

> - Build the project using build_command, if specified

> - Create a new commit with these locations and any other assets configured to be included in a release

> - Tag this commit according the configured format, with a tag that uniquely identifies the version being released

> - Push the new tag and commit to the remote for the repository

> - Create a release (if supported) in the remote VCS for this tag

Changelog generation is done identically to the way it is done in semantic-release changelog, but this command additionally ensures the updated changelog is included in the release commit that is made.

See also

- semantic-release changelog

- Version Change Reports

- tag_format

- assets

- version_toml

- version_variables

### Options:

#### `--print`

Print the next version that will be applied, respecting the other command line options that are supplied, and exit. This flag is useful if you just want to see what the next version will be. Note that instead of printing nothing at all, if no release will be made, the current version is printed.

For example, you can experiment with which versions would be applied using the other command line options:

    semantic-release version --print
    semantic-release version --patch --print
    semantic-release version --prerelease --print

#### `--print-tag`

Same as the --print flag but prints the complete tag name (ex. `v1.0.0` or `py-v1.0.0`) instead of the raw version number (`1.0.0`).

#### `--print-last-released`

Print the last released version based on the Git tags. This flag is useful if you just want to see the released version without determining what the next version will be. Note if the version can not be found nothing will be printed.

#### `--print-last-released-tag`

Same as the --print-last-released flag but prints the complete tag name (ex. `v1.0.0` or `py-v1.0.0`) instead of the raw version number (`1.0.0`).

#### `--major/--minor/--patch/--prerelease`

Force the next version to increment the major, minor or patch digits, or the prerelease revision, respectively. These flags are optional but mutually exclusive, so only one may be supplied, or none at all. Using these flags overrides the usual calculation for the next version; this can be useful, say, when a project wants to release its initial 1.0.0 version.

Warning

Using these flags will override the configured value of `prerelease` (configured in your Release Group), regardless of your configuration or the current version.

To produce a prerelease with the appropriate digit incremented you should also supply the --as-prerelease flag. If you do not, using these flags will force a full (non-prerelease) version to be created.

For example, suppose your project’s current version is `0.2.1-rc.1`. The following shows how these options can be combined with `--as-prerelease` to force different versions:

    semantic-release version --prerelease --print
    # 0.2.1-rc.2

    semantic-release version --patch --print
    # 0.2.2

    semantic-release version --minor --print
    # 0.3.0

    semantic-release version --major --print
    # 1.0.0

    semantic-release version --minor --as-prerelease --print
    # 0.3.0-rc.1

    semantic-release version --prerelease --as-prerelease --print
    # 0.2.1-rc.2

These options are forceful overrides, but there is no action required for subsequent releases performed using the usual calculation algorithm.

Supplying `--prerelease` will cause Python Semantic Release to scan your project history for any previous prereleases with the same major, minor and patch versions as the latest version and the same prerelease token as the one passed by command-line or configuration. If one is not found, `--prerelease` will produce the next version according to the following format:

    f"{latest_version.major}.{latest_version.minor}.{latest_version.patch}-{prerelease_token}.1"

However, if Python Semantic Release identifies a previous prerelease version with the same major, minor and patch digits as the latest version, and the same prerelease token as the one supplied by command-line or configuration, then Python Semantic Release will increment the revision found on that previous prerelease version in its new version.

For example, if `"0.2.1-rc.1"` and already exists as a previous version, and the latest version is `"0.2.1"`, invoking the following command will produce `"0.2.1-rc.2"`:

    semantic-release version --prerelease --prerelease-token "rc" --print

Warning

This is true irrespective of the branch from which `"0.2.1-rc.1"` was released from. The check for previous prereleases “leading up to” this normal version is intended to help prevent collisions in git tags to an extent, but isn’t foolproof. As the example shows it is possible to release a prerelease for a normal version that’s already been released when using this flag, which would in turn be ignored by tools selecting versions by SemVer precedence rules.

See also

- Configuration

- branches

#### `--as-prerelease`

After performing the normal calculation of the next version, convert the resulting next version to a prerelease before applying it. As with --major/--minor/--patch/--prerelease, this option is a forceful override, but no action is required to resume calculating versions as normal on the subsequent releases. The main distinction between `--prerelease` and `--as-prerelease` is that the latter will not force a new version if one would not have been released without supplying the flag.

This can be useful when making a single prerelease on a branch that would typically release normal versions.

If not specified in --prerelease-token [VALUE], the prerelease token is identified using the Multibranch Release Configuration

See the examples alongside --major/--minor/--patch/--prerelease for how to use this flag.

#### `--prerelease-token [VALUE]`

Force the next version to use the value as the prerelease token. This overrides the configured value if one is present. If not used during a release producing a prerelease version, this option has no effect.

#### `--build-metadata [VALUE]`

If given, append the value to the newly calculated version. This can be used, for example, to attach a run number from a CI service or a date to the version and tag that are created.

This value can also be set using the environment variable `PSR_BUILD_METADATA`

For example, assuming a project is currently at version 1.2.3:

    $ semantic-release version --minor --print
    1.3.0

    $ semantic-release version --minor --print --build-metadata "run.12345"
    1.3.0+run.12345

#### `--commit/--no-commit`

Whether or not to perform a `git commit` on modifications to source files made by `semantic-release` during this command invocation, and to run `git tag` on this new commit with a tag corresponding to the new version.

If `--no-commit` is supplied, it may disable other options derivatively; please see below.

Default: `--commit`

See also

- tag_format

#### `--tag/--no-tag`

Whether or not to perform a `git tag` to apply a tag of the corresponding to the new version during this command invocation. This option manages the tag application separate from the commit handled by the `--commit` option.

If `--no-tag` is supplied, it may disable other options derivatively; please see below.

Default: `--tag`

#### `--changelog/--no-changelog`

Whether or not to update the changelog file with changes introduced as part of the new version released.

Default: `--changelog`

See also

- changelog

- Version Change Reports

#### `--push/--no-push`

Whether or not to push new commits and/or tags to the remote repository.

Default: `--no-push` if –no-commit and –no-tag is also supplied, otherwise `push` is the default.

#### `--vcs-release/--no-vcs-release`

Whether or not to create a “release” in the remote VCS service, if supported. Currently releases in GitHub and Gitea remotes are supported. If releases aren’t supported in a remote VCS, this option will not cause a command failure, but will produce a warning.

Default: `--no-vcs-release` if `--no-push` is supplied (including where this is implied by supplying only `--no-commit`), otherwise `--vcs-release`

#### `--skip-build`

If passed, skip execution of the build_command after version stamping and changelog generation.

## `semantic-release publish`

Publish a distribution to a VCS release. Uploads using publish

See also

- publish

- build_command

### Options:

#### `--tag`

The tag associated with the release to publish to. If not given or set to “latest”, then Python Semantic Release will examine the Git tags in your repository to identify the latest version, and attempt to publish to a Release corresponding to this version.

Default: “latest”

## `semantic-release generate-config`

Generate default configuration for semantic-release, to help you get started quickly. You can inspect the defaults, write to a file and then edit according to your needs. For example, to append the default configuration to your pyproject.toml file, you can use the following command:

    $ semantic-release generate-config -f toml --pyproject >> pyproject.toml

If your project doesn’t already leverage TOML files for configuration, it might better suit your project to use JSON instead:

    $ semantic-release generate-config -f json

If you would like to add JSON configuration to a shared file, e.g. `package.json`, you can then simply add the output from this command as a top-level key to the file.

Note: Because there is no “null” or “nil” concept in TOML (see the relevant GitHub issue), configuration settings which are `None` by default are omitted from the default configuration.

See also

- Configuration

### Options:

#### `-f/--format [FORMAT]`

The format that the default configuration should be generated in. Valid choices are `toml` and `json` (case-insensitive).

Default: toml

#### `--pyproject`

If used alongside `--format json`, this option has no effect. When using `--format=toml`, if specified the configuration will sit under a top-level key of `tool.semantic_release` to comply with PEP 518; otherwise, the configuration will sit under a top-level key of `semantic_release`.

## `semantic-release changelog`

Generate and optionally publish a changelog for your project. The changelog is generated based on a template which can be customized.

Python Semantic Release uses Jinja as its templating engine; as a result templates need to be written according to the Template Designer Documentation.

See also

- changelog

- environment

- Version Change Reports

### Options:

#### `--post-to-release-tag [TAG]`

If supplied, attempt to find a release in the remote VCS corresponding to the Git tag `TAG`, and post the generated changelog to that release. If the tag exists but no corresponding release is found in the remote VCS, then Python Semantic Release will attempt to create one.

If using this option, the relevant authentication token must be supplied via the relevant environment variable. For more information, see Creating VCS Releases.