---
categories:
- github
date: '2025-01-22'
layout: post
title: Using GitHub Releases to keep track of Large Artifacts
---

## Introduction

GitHub Releases provide a way to attach large artifacts, such as binaries or large autogenerated files, without polluting the repository. A release points to a specific commit in a repository and can include files up to 2GB in size.

For example, if we are using the code of a branch to generate a large file, we can attach this file to a release. This way, the repository remains clean and the large file is easily accessible.

## Creating a Release

The simplest way to create a release is through the GitHub website:

1. Navigate to the main page of your repository.
2. Under your repository name, click **Releases**.
3. Click **Draft a new release**.
4. Click **Choose a tag**, create a new tag which is a good reference for the artifact, best would be a version number using [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/), as **Target**, choose the branch whose tip was used to generate the file, it can be a branch of a currently open pull request (in this case see the "Important considerations" below), and click **Create tag**.
5. Fill out the release title and description.
6. To include binaries or other large files, drag and drop them into the release form.
7. Click **Publish release**.
8. It is possible to edit the release later to replace or add files.

## Important Considerations

- **Tagging Commits in PRs**: If you put a tag on a commit that is in a pull request and then the pull request is rebased, the release will become orphaned. This is still acceptable if you just need a centralized spot to store an artifact without adding it to the repository.