CLI options

verbump [-v <version>] [options]

Every option has a short form and a GNU-style long form. Long forms accept --name value or --name=value. The groups below match verbump --help.

Choosing the new version

Flag	Description
`-v <version>`, `--version <version>`	Set an explicit SemVer as the new version (skips the suggestion and prompt).
`-v`, `--version` (no value)	Print VerBump's own version and exit.
`--major`	Force a major bump from the current version.
`--minor`	Force a minor bump from the current version.
`--patch`	Force a patch bump from the current version.
`--preid <id>`	Start or advance a prerelease line (conflicts with `-v`). With a level: bump it, then enter `<id>.1` (`1.2.3 --major --preid rc` → `2.0.0-rc.1`). Alone on a prerelease: same id increments the counter, a different id resets to `.1`.

The three bump levels are mutually exclusive with each other and with -v. Without --preid they drop any existing prerelease/build metadata and bump the stable core (1.2.3-dev.5 --patch → 1.2.4) — the full rules live in Version suggestion.

Bumping files

Flag	Description
`--source <file.json>`	Version source and primary bump target (default: `package.json`). If the file is missing, the current version derives from the latest matching git tag.
`--bump <spec>`	Also bump a JSON / TOML / YAML / text file. Repeatable. `<file>` (top-level `.version` by file type), `<file>:@<path>` (explicit dotted path, e.g. `pyproject.toml:@tool.poetry.version`), or `'<file>:<pattern>'` (text search/replace, where the pattern must contain `{{version}}`).
`-f`, `--file <file.json>`	Also bump `"version"` in this JSON file. Repeatable. Superseded by `--bump`.

Commit, tag & changelog

Flag	Description
`-m`, `--message <message>`	Custom annotated-tag release message.
`-t`, `--tag-prefix <prefix>`	Override the tag prefix (default: `v`).
`--sign`	Create a signed tag (`git tag -s`, using your git signing config).
`-c`, `--no-changelog`	Disable updating `CHANGELOG.md`.
`-l`, `--pause-changelog`	Pause before commit so `CHANGELOG.md` can be edited.
`-n`, `--no-commit`	Disable commit (and tag and push) after bumping files.

Push, branch & publish

Flag	Description
`-p`, `--push <remote>`	Push the commit and tag (and release branch, with `--branch` / `--pr`) to `<remote>` at the end of the run.
`--pr`	Branch, push, and open a release PR via `gh` (GitHub-only, and implies push to origin).
`--base <branch>`	Base branch for `--pr` (GitHub-only, default: the branch you ran VerBump from).
`--release`	Publish a GitHub release for the new tag (GitHub-only, requires `-p`, uses `gh`).
`--branch`	Cut a `release-<version>` branch instead of tagging the current branch in place.
`-B`, `--branch-prefix <prefix>`	Override the branch prefix (default: `release-`).
`-b`, `--no-branch`	Deprecated no-op. Tag-in-place is the default now.

Skip preflight checks

Flag	Description
`--allow-dirty`	Skip the clean-working-tree check (untracked files never trigger it).
`--allow-empty`	Release even with no new commits since the previous tag.
`--no-fetch`	Skip the remote-sync preflight (no fetch / behind-upstream check).
`--no-hooks`	Skip the `PRE_BUMP_CMD` / `POST_TAG_CMD` release hooks for this run.

Undo, run mode & help

Flag	Description
`--undo [<version>]`	Delete an unpushed release's tag, plus its `release-X.Y.Z` branch when one was cut; with tag-in-place the bump commit stays on your branch. Refuses if pushed or dirty.
`-d`, `--dry-run`	Print every side-effect without executing.
`-y`, `--yes`	Skip interactive confirmation prompts.
`-q`, `--quiet`	Suppress decoration and print only the new version on stdout (needs `-y`, `-v`, a bump level, or `--preid`).
`--json`	With `--dry-run`: print the release plan as one JSON object on stdout (needs `-y`, `-v`, a bump level, or `--preid`). Preview-only — real runs keep their normal output.
`-h`, `--help`	Show the help message (paged through `less`/`more` when the terminal is short).
`--completions <shell>`	Emit a completion script for bash, zsh, or fish.
`--install-completions[=<shell>]`	Install the completion script (auto-detects the shell).

See Dry-run & undo for the exact semantics of --undo.