buildmetadata

Build metadata is information attached to a software build or version to identify a specific build instance without changing the version’s functional meaning. It is commonly used to distinguish artifacts produced from the same semantic version under different environments, configurations, or source states, aiding traceability in CI/CD pipelines and release processes.

In semantic versioning (SemVer), build metadata is appended to a version string after a plus sign, for example 2.4.1+build.123 or 1.0.0+abc.def. It is separate from the core version (major, minor, patch) and pre-release identifiers (such as -beta). Build metadata does not affect version precedence; it does not influence ordering, comparisons, or compatibility rules. The metadata is intended for build provenance and reproducibility rather than version semantics.

The format consists of dot-separated identifiers, each composed of ASCII alphanumeric characters and hyphens. Identifiers may include details such as build numbers, commit hashes, timestamps, or environment information. Because it is not used for version comparison, tools typically treat the build metadata as auxiliary data that can be parsed or displayed but ignored when sorting versions.

Beyond SemVer, build metadata is commonly carried in packaging and release workflows to document provenance of artifacts, facilitate auditing, and support reproducible builds. When choosing build metadata content, organizations typically favor stable, non-sensitive identifiers such as commit SHAs, CI job IDs, or explicit build numbers.

In summary, build metadata provides a practical means to identify and trace a specific build without altering the functional semantics of the version.