What exactly is a breaking change in software?

A breaking change is any modification to software that makes existing code stop working or behave unexpectedly. This includes removing functions, changing how functions work, altering data formats, or modifying API endpoints. The key characteristic is that users of your code will need to update their own code to continue using your software.

How do you communicate breaking changes to users?

Breaking changes should be clearly documented in release notes, changelog entries, and migration guides. Many teams use semantic versioning to signal breaking changes with a major version increment. You should also provide a deprecation period when possible, warning users before removing functionality entirely.

How is breaking change different from a bug fix?

A bug fix corrects incorrect behavior to match the intended design, and users usually expect this. A breaking change removes or fundamentally alters working functionality, forcing users to adapt. Some bug fixes can inadvertently be breaking changes if users have written code that depends on the buggy behavior.

Why do teams want to avoid breaking changes?

Breaking changes force all downstream users and systems to update their code, which can be expensive, time-consuming, and risky. Multiple projects might depend on your code, and coordinating updates across many teams is complex. For this reason, teams often prefer deprecation periods and backward-compatible solutions.

breaking change meaning in tech — Speak Tech English

Commonness	5/5
Versatility	4/5
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticDirect
Region	US and UK

Say it like this

✓This update introduces breaking changes

✓We need to avoid breaking changes in this release

✓That is a breaking change to the public API

Real examples

in a standup

"I wanted to warn everyone that the database schema changes in version 3.0 will be breaking changes for our service."

in a code review

"Removing this parameter from the function is a breaking change; we should deprecate it first instead."

in a team meeting

"Before we merge this PR, we need to discuss whether these changes constitute breaking changes and plan accordingly."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not confuse with simply fixing bugs or making updates. A breaking change specifically affects users or systems that depend on your code.

✕We made a breaking change to fix the bug.

✓We fixed the bug, but it introduced a breaking change.— A breaking change is not the action itself but the consequence; not all bug fixes cause breaking changes.

✕This breaking change will improve performance.

✓This breaking change will improve performance, so we should increment the major version.— Breaking changes should always be explicitly acknowledged and documented, not presented casually as improvements.

Other forms

noun

breaking change

"The removal of the deprecated endpoint is a breaking change."

noun

breaking changes (plural)

"Version 2.0 contains several breaking changes that require user migration."

Often used with

introduce a breaking changeTo make a modification that is incompatible with previous versions

avoid breaking changesTo prevent modifications that would break dependent code

major breaking changesSignificant incompatible updates that affect many users

breaking change in the APIAn incompatible modification to the application programming interface

breaking change documentationWritten guidance explaining what changed and how to update dependent code

Similar words

backward incompatible changeMore formal term for the same concept; emphasizes that old code will not work

incompatible updateSlightly less technical; focuses on the inability of versions to work together

Opposites

backward compatible changenon-breaking change

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your team changed a function signature. How do you describe this to leadership?

This is a breaking change that requires users to update their code.We are breaking something in the change.The change breaks backward compatibility.We have broken the API.

Complete the sentence

2. Removing the old authentication method without a deprecation period would be a _______ that affects all our clients.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses the term incorrectly?

We should document all breaking changes in the release notes.This breaking change simplifies the codebase and improves readability.Changing the function return type is definitely a breaking change.We implemented a breaking change to speed up the application without informing users first.

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this using proper tech terminology: 'We removed a feature that people were using, and now their code will not work anymore.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "breaking change" in a standup this week?

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