Release policy ↗

Documentation Index#

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.langchain.com/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This page explains the LangChain and LangGraph release policies. Click on the tabs below to view the release policies for each:

The LangChain ecosystem is composed of different component packages (e.g., langchain-core, langchain, langchain-community, partner packages, etc.)

Release cadence#

With the release of LangChain 1.0, minor releases (e.g., from 1.0.x to 1.1.0) of langchain and langchain-core follow semantic versioning and may be released frequently. Minor releases contain new features and improvements but do not include breaking changes.

Patch versions are released frequently, up to a few times per week, as they contain bug fixes and minor improvements.

API stability#

The development of LLM applications is a rapidly evolving field, and we are constantly learning from our users and the community. As such, we expect that the APIs in langchain and langchain-core will continue to evolve to better serve the needs of our users.

With LangChain 1.0’s adoption of semantic versioning:

• Breaking changes to the public API will only occur in major version releases (e.g., 2.0.0)
• Minor version bumps (e.g., 1.0.0 to 1.1.0) add new features without breaking changes
• Patch version bumps (e.g., 1.0.0 to 1.0.1) contain bug fixes and minor improvements

We will generally try to avoid making unnecessary changes, and will provide a deprecation policy for features that are being removed.

Stability of other packages#

The stability of other packages in the LangChain ecosystem may vary:

• Partner packages maintained by LangChain (such as langchain-openai and langchain-anthropic) follow semantic versioning and are expected to be stable post 1.0. Other partner packages may follow different stability and versioning policies, and users should refer to the documentation of those packages for more information.

• langchain-community is a community maintained package that contains 3rd party integrations. Due to the number of integrations there, langchain-community does not follow the same strict semantic versioning policy as langchain and langchain-core. See the “Special considerations” section under Long-term support for more details.

Deprecation policy#

We will generally avoid deprecating features until a better alternative is available.

With LangChain 1.0’s semantic versioning approach, deprecated features will continue to work throughout the entire 1.x release series. Breaking changes, including the removal of deprecated features, will only occur in major version releases (e.g., 2.0).

When a feature is deprecated in langchain or langchain-core, we will:

• Clearly mark it as deprecated in the code and documentation
• Provide migration guidance to the recommended alternative
• Provide security updates for the deprecated feature through all 1.x minor releases

In some situations, we may allow deprecated features to remain in the code base even longer if they are not causing maintenance issues, to further reduce the burden on users.

Long-term support (LTS)#

LangChain follows a long-term support (LTS) policy to provide stability for production applications:

Release status definitions#

Packages are marked with one of the following statuses:

• ACTIVE: Current active development, includes bug fixes, security patches, and new features
• MAINTENANCE: Receives all security patches and critical bug fixes, but no new features

Current LTS releases#

LangChain 1.0 is designated as an LTS release:

• Status: ACTIVE until the release of 2.0
• Support period: After 2.0 is released, 1.0 will enter MAINTENANCE mode for at least 1 year
• Semver compliance: Users can upgrade between minor versions (e.g., 1.0 to 1.1) without breaking changes

Legacy version support#

LangChain 0.3:

• Status: MAINTENANCE mode
• Support period: Until December 2026
• Support includes: Security patches and critical bug fixes

Special considerations#

langchain-community 0.4: Due to the nature of community contributions and third-party integrations, langchain-community may have breaking changes on minor releases. It has been released as version 0.4 to reflect this different stability policy.

LangGraph follows a structured release policy to ensure stability and predictability for users building production applications.

Release cadence#

We expect to space out major releases by at least 6-12 months to provide stability for production applications.

Minor releases are typically released every 1-2 months with new features and improvements.

Patch releases are released as needed, often weekly, to address bugs and security issues.

API stability#

Stable APIs#

All APIs without special prefixes are considered stable and ready for production use. We maintain backward compatibility for stable features within a major version.

Beta features#

Features marked as beta in the documentation are:

• Feature-complete and tested
• Safe for production use with the understanding they may change
• Subject to minor API adjustments based on user feedback

Experimental features#

Features marked as experimental or alpha:

• Are under active development
• May change significantly or be removed
• Should be used with caution in production

Internal APIs#

APIs prefixed with underscore (_) or explicitly marked as internal:

• Are not part of the public API
• May change without notice
• Should not be used directly

Deprecation policy#

When deprecating features:

1. Deprecation Notice: Features are marked as deprecated with clear migration guidance
2. Grace Period: Deprecated features remain functional for at least one minor version
3. Removal: Features are removed only in major version releases
4. Migration Support: We provide migration guides and, when possible, automated tools

Platform compatibility#

Python support#

• We support Python versions that are actively maintained by the Python Software Foundation
• Python version requirements may change only in major releases
• Currently requires Python 3.10 or later

Breaking changes#

Breaking changes are only introduced in major versions and include:

• Removal of deprecated APIs
• Changes to required parameters
• Changes to default behavior that affect existing applications
• Minimum Python/Node.js version updates

Migration support#

For major version upgrades, we provide:

• Comprehensive migration guides
• Automated migration scripts when feasible
• Extended support period for the previous major version
• Clear documentation of all breaking changes

Long-term support (LTS)#

LangGraph follows a long-term support (LTS) policy to provide stability for production applications:

Release status definitions#

Packages are marked with one of the following statuses:

• ACTIVE: Current active development, includes bug fixes, security patches, and new features
• MAINTENANCE: Receives all security patches and critical bug fixes, but no new features

Current LTS releases#

LangGraph 1.0 is designated as an LTS release:

• Status: ACTIVE until the release of 2.0
• Support period: After 2.0 is released, 1.0 will enter MAINTENANCE mode for at least 1 year
• Semver compliance: Users can upgrade between minor versions (e.g., 1.0 to 1.1) without breaking changes

Legacy version support#

LangGraph 0.4:

• Status: MAINTENANCE mode
• Support period: Until December 2026
• Support includes: All security patches and critical bug fixes

See also#

• Versioning - Version numbering and support details

• Releases - Version-specific release notes and migration guides

  Deep Agents (deepagents) is a rapidly evolving package for building advanced agent architectures.

Pre-1.0 status#

Deep Agents is currently in pre-1.0 development. While we minimize breaking changes when possible, the API may evolve as we incorporate learnings from the community and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of agentic applications.

Release cadence#

Minor releases (e.g., 0.1.0 to 0.2.0) may contain new features and potentially breaking changes as the package matures.

Patch releases (e.g., 0.1.0 to 0.1.1) contain bug fixes and minor improvements without breaking changes.

API stability#

As a pre-1.0 package:

• APIs may change between minor versions
• We aim to minimize disruption by providing clear migration guidance when changes occur
• Features marked as experimental or alpha are subject to more significant changes

Deprecation policy#

When deprecating features in Deep Agents:

• We provide deprecation warnings in advance when possible
• Migration guidance is included in release notes
• Deprecated features are removed in subsequent minor releases

Path to 1.0#

Deep Agents will reach 1.0 when:

• Core APIs have stabilized based on community feedback
• The package has been battle-tested in production environments
• Breaking changes are no longer expected for core functionality

After 1.0, Deep Agents will follow the same semantic versioning and LTS policies as LangChain and LangGraph.

See also#

• Versioning - Version numbering and support details

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