usedinternally

Usedinternally is a designation used in software development and related documentation to indicate that a component, feature, data item, or instruction is intended for internal use only. It signals that the item should not be publicly distributed, exposed to external users, or included in public-facing builds or releases. While not a formal standard, it is a common convention embedded in code comments, configuration files, release notes, and organizational guidelines.

Typical usage contexts include codebases that separate internal libraries from public packages, configuration or manifest files that mark modules as internal, and documentation that explains internal workflows or APIs. In practice, usedinternally can appear as a tag or flag in a build system, a field in a package manifest, or a comment indicating restricted access. It may also be used in project governance documents to clarify ownership and distribution rules for certain assets.

Examples of its application include tagging a library module as usedinternally so it is excluded from public package registries, or annotating internal APIs in documentation to warn external contributors about access limitations. It can also help teams enforce access controls, testing scopes, and release criteria by clearly delineating internal-only components.

Implications and best practices include aligning internal-use designations with security and licensing policies, avoiding leakage of internal details, and maintaining clear separation between internal and external components. Related concepts include internal, private, confidential, and not for external use.