1beta

1beta is a designation used in software development to label an early test release associated with the first major version in a product’s lifecycle. It typically marks the transition from internal alpha testing to public beta testing for a version referred to as 1.x. The label signals that the release is feature-complete but not yet stable.

Beta releases under this label are generally provided to external testers to validate functionality, performance, and compatibility across environments. Users may encounter known and unknown bugs, incomplete documentation, and evolving APIs. Feedback collected during 1beta testing informs the finalization of the version and its release notes.

SemVer and related versioning practices describe prereleases with identifiers such as beta, pre-release, or beta.x as part of the version string (for example, 1.0.0-beta.1). Some projects use "1beta" as a branding shorthand or a project-specific naming convention rather than a formal semver segment.

Release management considerations for 1beta include communicating stability expectations, providing upgrade guidance, and clarifying API compatibility. It is generally not recommended for production use until the corresponding stable release is published.

Industries and open-source communities commonly employ beta channels to balance rapid iteration with user feedback, helping ensure that the final 1.x release meets functional and reliability expectations.