---
title: Version command
description: Version packages and write changelogs from Conventional Commits.
---
> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://melos.invertase.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

<Info>Supports all [Melos filtering](/filters) flags.</Info>

Automatically version and generate changelogs for all packages.

```bash
melos version
```

For more information, see [Automated Releases](/guides/automated-releases).

To release from a branch other than the default branch, such as a hot-fix
branch, see [Releasing from Hot-fix Branches](/guides/hot-fix-releases).

## Fixed versioning mode

By default, each package is versioned independently, based on the commits that
touched that package. You can instead make every package in the workspace share
the same version. That setup is also called lockstep versioning, and it is
similar to the "fixed" release mode of tools like Nx and Lerna. Set the
[`command/version/mode`](/configuration/overview#mode) configuration to
`fixed`:

```yaml
melos:
  command:
    version:
      mode: fixed
```

In `fixed` mode, `melos version` does the following:

- Determines a single new version for the whole workspace. Melos takes the
  highest current package version and increments it by the most significant
  change across all packages. That change is major if any package has a
  breaking change, minor if any package has a new feature, and patch otherwise.
- Bumps every package in the workspace to that version, including packages
  without changes of their own. Their changelog notes that the version was
  bumped to keep the workspace in lockstep, and packages with changes get
  their regular changelog entries.
- Applies a manually specified version (`melos version <package> <version>`)
  to all packages in the workspace. Relative version changes (`major`,
  `minor`, `patch`, or `build`) are applied to the highest current version in
  the workspace, regardless of which package was named.
- Leaves packages that are already at the new shared version untouched.

### Private packages and filters

Private packages are still skipped unless `--all` is passed, and packages
excluded with filters (such as `--ignore`) are not bumped. If you want the
workspace to stay in sync, use filters with care. Because all packages are
versioned together, `--no-dependent-versions` has no effect in `fixed` mode.

If there are no versionable changes in any package, `melos version` does
nothing, just like in `independent` mode.

### Workspace git tags

By default each package is still tagged individually, for example
`PACKAGE_NAME-v1.2.3`. To tag each release with a single plain version tag for
the whole workspace instead, for example `v1.2.3`, enable
[`command/version/workspaceTag`](/configuration/overview#workspacetag):

```yaml
melos:
  command:
    version:
      mode: fixed
      workspaceTag: true
```

## Hooks

The `version` command supports the `preCommit` hook in addition to the
[common hooks](/configuration/scripts#hooks). `preCommit` runs before the
version commit is created. It lets you make your own changes as part of
versioning. You need to stage changes that you make yourself.

Configure `preCommit` like this:

```yaml
melos:
  command:
    version:
      hooks:
        preCommit: |
          # Make changes to the version commit here.
          # You need to stage changes that you make yourself.
```

## --prerelease (-p)

Versions any packages with changes as a prerelease. Cannot be combined with
`--graduate`. Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --prerelease
melos version -p
```

## --graduate (-g)

Graduates current prerelease versioned packages to stable versions, for example
"0.10.0-dev.1" becomes "0.10.0". Cannot be combined with `--prerelease`.
Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --graduate
melos version -g
```

## --[no-]changelog (-c)

Updates `CHANGELOG.md` files from Conventional Commits. Defaults to
`true`.

```bash
melos version --changelog
melos version -c
```

Use `--no-changelog` to disable.

## --[no-]git-tag-version (-t)

Creates a git tag. Defaults to `true`.

```bash
melos version --git-tag-version
melos version -t
```

Use `--no-git-tag-version` to disable. The version commit is still created; use
`--no-git-commit-version` to skip it as well.

## --[no-]git-commit-version (-C)

Commits the changes to the `pubspec.yaml` and changelog files. Defaults to
`true`.

```bash
melos version --git-commit-version
melos version -C
```

Use `--no-git-commit-version` to disable. Passing it also implies
`--no-git-tag-version`.

## --[no-]sign-off (-s)

Adds a `Signed-off-by` trailer to the version commit, the same as passing
`--signoff` to `git commit`. Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --sign-off
melos version -s
```

Use `--no-sign-off` to disable.

The default for this option can be configured in
[`command/version/signOff`](/configuration/overview#signoff) in your root
`pubspec.yaml` file.

<Info>
  Melos runs `git commit` in your repository, so Git itself handles signing the
  commit with GPG or SSH. Set `git config commit.gpgsign true` (and
  `tag.gpgSign` for the version tags) to have the commits created by Melos
  signed.
</Info>

## --[no-]release-url (-r)

Generates and prints a link to the prefilled release creation page for each
package after versioning. Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --release-url
melos version -r
```

Use `--no-release-url` to disable.

The default for this option can be configured in
[`command/version/releaseUrl`](/configuration/overview#releaseurl)
in your root `pubspec.yaml` file.

## --[no-]group-commits

Groups changelog entries by their conventional commit type. For example, all
features go under a `Features` header and all fixes under a `Bug Fixes` header,
instead of a single flat list. Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --group-commits
```

Use `--no-group-commits` to disable.

The default for this option can be configured in
[`command/version/changelogFormat/groupByType`](/configuration/overview#groupbytype)
in your root `pubspec.yaml` file.

## --[no-]dependent-constraints (-d)

Updates dependency version constraints of packages in this workspace that depend
on any of the packages this versioning run updates. Defaults to `true`.

```bash
melos version --no-dependent-constraints
```

Use `--no-dependent-constraints` to disable.

## --[no-]dependent-versions (-D)

Makes a new patch version and changelog entry in packages that are updated due to
`--dependent-constraints` changes. Only usable with `--dependent-constraints`
enabled and Conventional Commits based versioning. Defaults to `true`.

```bash
melos version --no-dependent-versions
```

Use `--no-dependent-versions` to disable.

## --[no-]smart-dependents

Bumps dependent package versions and rewrites dependency constraints only when
declared SemVer constraints do not allow the updated version. When enabled,
packages whose declared constraints already satisfy the new dependency version
are skipped. Defaults to `false`.

```bash
melos version --smart-dependents
```

The default for this option can be configured in
[`command/version/smartDependents`](/configuration/overview#smartdependents)
in your root `pubspec.yaml` file.

## --all (-a)

Versions private packages that are skipped by default.

```bash
melos version --all
melos version -a
```

## --yes

Skips the `Y/n` confirmation prompt, for example on a continuous integration
server. Skipping also applies to the prompts of `--manual-version`.

```bash
melos version --yes
```

## --preid

When run with this option, `melos version` increments prerelease versions
using the specified prerelease identifier. For example, a `beta` preid with
`--prerelease` results in a version in the format `1.0.0-1.0.beta.0`. Applies
only to Conventional Commits based versioning.

```bash
melos version --prerelease --preid=beta
```

## --dependent-preid

This option is the same as `--preid`, but only applies to packages that are
versioned due to a change in a dependency version. When this option is not
provided but the `--preid` option is, the value of the `--preid` option is used
instead.

```bash
melos version --prerelease --dependent-preid=beta
```

## --message (-m)

Overrides the release's commit message. If the message contains
`{new_package_versions}`, Melos replaces it with the list of newly versioned
package names. If `--message` is not provided, the message defaults to:

```text
chore(release): publish packages

{new_package_versions}
```

Example:

```bash
melos version --message="chore(release): publish new versions"
```

## --manual-version (-V)

Manually specifies a version change for a package. Can be used multiple times.
Each value must be in the format
`<package name>:<major|patch|minor|build|exactVersion>`. Cannot be combined with
`--graduate` or `--prerelease`.

```bash
melos version --manual-version=PACKAGE_NAME:patch
melos version --manual-version=PACKAGE_NAME:1.0.0
melos version -V PACKAGE_NAME:1.0.0

# To manually version multiple packages

melos version --manual-version=PACKAGE_NAME:patch --manual-version=OTHER_PACKAGE:major
melos version --manual-version=PACKAGE_NAME:1.0.0 --manual-version=OTHER_PACKAGE:1.0.0
melos version -V PACKAGE_NAME:1.0.0 -V OTHER_PACKAGE:2.0.0
```