Betaonly

Beta-only (often written as beta-only or betaonly in labels) refers to software features, builds, or services that are available only to participants in a beta program and are not yet released to the general public. Beta-only releases are typically experimental and may include incomplete functionality, known bugs, or changes in behavior compared with final versions. The purpose is to solicit user feedback, validate performance, and uncover issues under real-world usage before a wider rollout.

Access is controlled by enrollment in a beta program, invitation systems, or by gating features behind temporary flags. Common approaches include staged rollouts, canary deployments, and feature flags that switch beta functionality on for selected users or groups. Beta-only access can be public (open to all testers) or private (limited to a curated set of participants).

Relation to other software release strategies: alpha tests precede beta, and general availability (GA) follows beta testing. Beta-only work may require data handling considerations, privacy notices, and clear terms of participation. Organizations balance the desire for feedback with the risk of instability or user dissatisfaction among non-participants.

See also: beta testing, feature flag, canary release, staged rollout, A/B testing, user onboarding. Note: "betaonly" is not a universally defined product or standard; it is a descriptive label that can appear in project documentation or internal tooling.