Reference Renaming Options
Options for renaming Git references including branches and tags.
Tag Renaming
—tag-rename
Rename tags by replacing prefix.Format: OLD:NEWApplies to: Tag names only (use --refname-callback for branches)Empty values: Either OLD or NEW can be emptyHow it works:
- Matches tags starting with
OLD prefix
- Replaces the
OLD prefix with NEW prefix
- Rest of tag name remains unchanged
Basic examples:# Rename tag prefix
git filter-repo --tag-rename v:version-
# v1.0.0 -> version-1.0.0
# v2.1.3 -> version-2.1.3
# Remove tag prefix
git filter-repo --tag-rename release-:
# release-1.0 -> 1.0
# release-2.0 -> 2.0
# Add tag prefix
git filter-repo --tag-rename :prod-
# 1.0.0 -> prod-1.0.0
# 2.0.0 -> prod-2.0.0
# Change tag prefix
git filter-repo --tag-rename foo:bar
# foo-1.2.3 -> bar-1.2.3
# foo-alpha -> bar-alpha
Common Use Cases
Preparing for Repository Merge
When merging repositories, avoid tag name conflicts:
# Prefix all tags with project name
git filter-repo --tag-rename :myproject-
# Before: v1.0.0, v2.0.0
# After: myproject-v1.0.0, myproject-v2.0.0
# Change from hyphen to slash
git filter-repo --tag-rename release-:release/
# Before: release-1.0, release-2.0
# After: release/1.0, release/2.0
Removing Tag Prefix
# Remove "v" prefix from version tags
git filter-repo --tag-rename v:
# Before: v1.0.0, v2.1.0
# After: 1.0.0, 2.1.0
Adding Organization Prefix
# Add organization name
git filter-repo --tag-rename :acme-corp-
# Before: 1.0, 2.0
# After: acme-corp-1.0, acme-corp-2.0
Advanced Tag Renaming
Multiple Tag Rename Rules
Apply multiple renames sequentially:
# Not supported - only one --tag-rename allowed
# Use --refname-callback instead for complex logic
Pattern-Based Tag Renaming
For complex tag renaming, use --refname-callback:
git filter-repo --refname-callback '
if refname.startswith(b"refs/tags/v"):
# v1.0 -> version-1.0
return b"refs/tags/version-" + refname[11:]
return refname
'
Branch Renaming
--tag-rename only affects tags. To rename branches, use --refname-callback.
Rename Branches with Callback
git filter-repo --refname-callback '
if refname.startswith(b"refs/heads/feature/"):
# feature/xyz -> feat/xyz
return b"refs/heads/feat/" + refname[18:]
return refname
'
- Tags:
refs/tags/tagname
- Branches:
refs/heads/branchname
- Remote branches:
refs/remotes/origin/branchname
Tag Rename Behavior
--tag-rename automatically handles the refs/tags/ prefix:
# This:
git filter-repo --tag-rename foo:bar
# Internally works with:
refs/tags/foo-1.0 -> refs/tags/bar-1.0
Interaction with —partial
With --partial flag, behavior changes:
# Normal: Replaces refs
git filter-repo --tag-rename old:new
# Result: refs/tags/old-1.0 deleted, refs/tags/new-1.0 created
# With --partial: Creates new refs, keeps old
git filter-repo --partial --tag-rename old:new
# Result: refs/tags/old-1.0 kept, refs/tags/new-1.0 also created
--partial creates duplicate refs, which can be confusing. Use with caution.
Usage Examples
Prepare for Monorepo Merge
# Add project prefix to all tags
git filter-repo --tag-rename :projectA-
# In another repo
cd ../projectB
git filter-repo --tag-rename :projectB-
# Now merge both into monorepo
# No tag conflicts!
Convert Tag Convention
# Convert from release/x.y.z to vx.y.z
git filter-repo --tag-rename release/:v
# Before: release/1.0.0, release/2.0.0
# After: v1.0.0, v2.0.0
# Prefix production tags
git filter-repo --tag-rename :prod/
# Before: v1.0, v2.0
# After: prod/v1.0, prod/v2.0
Verification
Verify tag renames:
# Before filtering
git tag -l
# After filtering
git tag -l
# Check specific tag
git show-ref --tags
# View tag details
git show new-tag-name
Important Notes
Lightweight vs Annotated TagsTag renaming works for both lightweight and annotated tags. The tag message and metadata are preserved for annotated tags.
One Rename Rule OnlyOnly one --tag-rename option is supported. For multiple or complex renaming rules, use --refname-callback.
Testing RenamesTest tag renaming with --dry-run:git filter-repo --tag-rename foo:bar --dry-run
grep 'refs/tags' .git/filter-repo/fast-export.filtered
Tag Rename Safety
Tag renaming is permanent and affects all tag references:
- Old tag names are removed
- New tag names point to the same commits (rewritten)
- Annotated tag messages are preserved
- Tag signatures are removed (history rewrite invalidates signatures)
Limitations
No Wildcard Support
--tag-rename doesn’t support wildcards:
# Not supported
git filter-repo --tag-rename 'v*':'version-*'
--refname-callback for pattern matching.
Prefix Matching Only
Only prefix replacement is supported:
# Works - prefix match
git filter-repo --tag-rename release:prod
# release-1.0 -> prod-1.0
# Doesn't work - suffix replacement not supported
# For this, use --refname-callback
Single Rename Rule
Multiple --tag-rename options not supported:
# Only last one takes effect
git filter-repo --tag-rename foo:bar --tag-rename baz:qux
See Also
