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Software versions

Consistency in writing about versions builds trust and helps users easily track updates and improvements. Semantic versioning is often used to align with product and development teams and to communicate versions clearly to users. When this is not possible, a clear and predictable versioning system needs to be used to reinforce the stability and reliability of your product.

Software version naming

General rules​

Write "version" in full without abbreviating when there is enough space within the user interface.

  • Version 2.12.6
  • ver 2.12.6

Use "Version" with a capital V when it starts a sentence.

  • Version 3.5.1 has three new exciting changes.

Use "Version" with a capital V when referring to a named release or is used as a label.

  • Our migration guide for moving from Version 2 to Version 3 is below.

Use "version" with a lower case "v" when talking about unspecified versions as it is not a proper noun.

  • Our next version contains three new exciting changes.
  • Our next Version contains three new exciting changes.

Use a capital V without spacing between the letter and number to abbreviate versions.

  • V2.1.0
  • v2.1.0

Start the first major release with 1 (not 01).

  • V1.0.0
  • V01.0.0

End versions without a full stop at the end.

  • V1.0.0
  • V1.0.0.

Use single digits without adding extra zeros to make it easier to read.

  • V3.2.5
  • V03.02.05

Add identifiers, such as alpha, before or after version numbers for pre-releases.

  • V1.0.0-beta
  • Beta V5.2
  • V1.0.0-Beta