Add UI support for creating and managing annotated Git tags
Author: buznyuszCreated Sep 17, 2026Updated Sep 17, 2026
Labelsenhancement
GitHub Desktop currently supports viewing and creating lightweight tags, but lacks native UI support for annotated tags — tags that include metadata like tagger information, tagging date, and a full message.
Annotated tags are important for:
- Release management: Marking official releases with detailed changelogs
- Audit trails: Recording who created a tag and when
- Integration workflows: Many CI/CD systems and release tools expect annotated tags for semantic versioning
Current Behavior
Users must use the command line to create annotated tags: git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
GitHub Desktop only provides options for lightweight tags through the UI.
Proposed solution
Add a dialog/option in GitHub Desktop that allows users to:
- Create annotated tags with a message
- Specify the tagger name (or auto-populate from Git config)
- View tag details (tagger, date, message) in the tag list
- Option to toggle between lightweight and annotated when creating a tag
Why This Matters
- Consistency: Aligns with Git best practices and professional release workflows
- Accessibility: Reduces friction for developers who want proper release tagging without CLI
- Discoverability: Tag messages visible in the UI help teams understand release context
Use Cases
- Creating release tags with detailed changelog information
- Maintaining proper Git history for compliance/audit purposes
- Enabling automated release workflows that depend on annotated tag metadata
Additional context
No response
Source: desktop/desktop