CLI Reference for Bazel v5.4.1

analyze-profile

Analyzes build profile data.

bazel analyze-profile <path>

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

aquery

Analyzes the given targets and queries the action graph.

bazel aquery <label>

Option inheritance

• configuration
• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

build

Builds the specified targets.

bazel build <label>

Option inheritance

• configuration

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

canonicalize-flags

Canonicalizes a list of bazel options.

bazel canonicalize-flags

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

clean

Removes output files and optionally stops the server.

bazel clean

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

config

Displays details of configurations.

bazel config <string>

Option inheritance

• configuration
• build

Hidden

True

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

coverage

Generates code coverage report for specified test targets.

bazel coverage <label-test>

Option inheritance

• test

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

cquery

Loads, analyzes, and queries the specified targets w/ configurations.

bazel cquery <label>

Option inheritance

• configuration
• test

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

dump

Dumps the internal state of the bazel server process.

bazel dump

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

fetch

Fetches external repositories that are prerequisites to the targets.

bazel fetch <label>

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

False

help

Prints help for commands, or the index.

bazel help <command|{startup_options,target-syntax,info-keys}>

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

info

Displays runtime info about the bazel server.

bazel info <info-key>

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

license

Prints the license of this software.

bazel license

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

mobile-install

Installs targets to mobile devices.

bazel mobile-install <label>

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

print_action

Prints the command line args for compiling a file.

bazel print_action <label>

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

query

Executes a dependency graph query.

bazel query <label>

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

False

run

Runs the specified target.

bazel run <label-bin>

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

shutdown

Stops the bazel server.

bazel shutdown

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

sync

Syncs all repositories specified in the workspace file

bazel sync

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

False

test

Builds and runs the specified test targets.

bazel test <label-test>

Option inheritance

• build

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

True

Triggers build

True

version

Prints version information for bazel.

bazel version

Option inheritance

None

Hidden

False

Must run in workspace

False

Triggers build

False

--action_cache 🔗

Use with: dump

Dump action cache content.

--[no]action_cache

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

bazel_monitoring

--action_env 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specifies the set of environment variables available to actions with target configuration. Variables can be either specified by name, in which case the value will be taken from the invocation environment, or by the name=value pair which sets the value independent of the invocation environment. This option can be used multiple times; for options given for the same variable, the latest wins, options for different variables accumulate.

--action_env

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_lines

--adb 🔗

Use with: mobile-install

adb binary to use for the 'mobile-install' command. If unspecified, the one in the Android SDK specified by the --android_sdk command line option (or the default SDK if --android_sdk is not specified) is used.

--adb

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--adb_arg 🔗

Use with: mobile-install

Extra arguments to pass to adb. Usually used to designate a device to install to.

--adb_arg

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_lines

--all_incompatible_changes 🔗

Use with: common

No-op, being removed. See https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/13892

--all_incompatible_changes

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

no_op

Option metadata tags

incompatible_change

--allow_analysis_failures 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, an analysis failure of a rule target results in the target's propagation of an instance of AnalysisFailureInfo containing the error description, instead of resulting in a build failure.

--[no]allow_analysis_failures

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

testing

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--allowed_local_actions_regex 🔗

Use with: build

A regex whitelist for action types which may be run locally. If unset, all actions are allowed to execute locally

--allowed_local_actions_regex

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--always_profile_slow_operations 🔗

Use with: common

Whether profiling slow operations is always turned on

--[no]always_profile_slow_operations

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_internal_configuration

--analysis_testing_deps_limit 🔗

Use with: configuration

Sets the maximum number of transitive dependencies through a rule attribute with a for_analysis_testing configuration transition. Exceeding this limit will result in a rule error.

--analysis_testing_deps_limit

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

testing

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--analysis_warnings_as_errors 🔗

Use with: build

Treat visible analysis warnings as errors.

--[no]analysis_warnings_as_errors

Allows multiple

False

Deprecation warning

analysis_warnings_as_errors is now a no-op and will be removed in an upcoming Blaze release

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

no_op

--analyze 🔗

Use with: build

Execute the loading/analysis phase; this is the usual behaviour. Specifying --noanalyzecauses the build to stop before starting the loading/analysis phase, just doing target pattern parsing and returning zero iff that completed successfully; this mode is useful for testing.

--[no]analyze

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisaffects_outputs

--android_compiler 🔗

Use with: configuration

The Android target compiler.

--android_compiler

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_cpu 🔗

Use with: configuration

The Android target CPU.

--android_cpu

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_crosstool_top 🔗

Use with: configuration

The location of the C++ compiler used for Android builds.

--android_crosstool_top

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

affects_outputschanges_inputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_databinding_use_androidx 🔗

Use with: configuration

Generate AndroidX-compatible data-binding files. This is only used with databinding v2.

--[no]android_databinding_use_androidx

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--android_databinding_use_v3_4_args 🔗

Use with: configuration

Use android databinding v2 with 3.4.0 argument

--[no]android_databinding_use_v3_4_args

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--android_dynamic_mode 🔗

Use with: configuration

Determines whether C++ deps of Android rules will be linked dynamically when a cc_binary does not explicitly create a shared library. 'default' means bazel will choose whether to link dynamically. 'fully' means all libraries will be linked dynamically. 'off' means that all libraries will be linked in mostly static mode.

--android_dynamic_mode

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--android_fixed_resource_neverlinking 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, resources will properly not get propagated through neverlinked libraries. Otherwise, the old behavior of propagating those resources if no resource-related attributes are specified in the neverlink library will be preserved.

--[no]android_fixed_resource_neverlinking

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--android_grte_top 🔗

Use with: configuration

The Android target grte_top.

--android_grte_top

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_include_proguard_location_references 🔗

Use with: configuration

When using aapt2 to generate proguard configurations, include location references. This will make the build nondeterministic.

--[no]android_include_proguard_location_references

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--android_manifest_merger 🔗

Use with: configuration

Selects the manifest merger to use for android_binary rules. Flag to help thetransition to the Android manifest merger from the legacy merger.

--android_manifest_merger

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_manifest_merger_order 🔗

Use with: configuration

Sets the order of manifests passed to the manifest merger for Android binaries. ALPHABETICAL means manifests are sorted by path relative to the execroot. ALPHABETICAL_BY_CONFIGURATION means manifests are sorted by paths relative to the configuration directory within the output directory. DEPENDENCY means manifests are ordered with each library's manifest coming before the manifests of its dependencies.

--android_manifest_merger_order

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_linesexecution

--android_migration_tag_check 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, strict usage of the Starlark migration tag is enabled for android rules. Prefer using --incompatible_disable_native_android_rules.

--[no]android_migration_tag_check

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exit

--android_platforms 🔗

Use with: configuration

Sets the platforms that android_binary targets use. If multiple platforms are specified, then the binary is a fat APKs, which contains native binaries for each specified target platform.

--android_platforms

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--android_resource_shrinking 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables resource shrinking for android_binary APKs that use ProGuard.

--[no]android_resource_shrinking

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--android_sdk 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specifies Android SDK/platform that is used to build Android applications.

--android_sdk

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--announce 🔗

Use with: build

Deprecated. No-op.

--[no]announce

Allows multiple

False

Deprecation warning

This option is now deprecated and is a no-op

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--announce_rc 🔗

Use with: common

Whether to announce rc options.

--[no]announce_rc

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--apk_signing_method 🔗

Use with: configuration

Implementation to use to sign APKs

--apk_signing_method

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

signing

Option effect tags

action_command_linesaffects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--apple_bitcode 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specify the Apple bitcode mode for compile steps targeting device architectures. Values are of the form '[platform=]mode', where the platform (which must be 'ios', 'macos', 'tvos', or 'watchos') is optional. If provided, the bitcode mode is applied for that platform specifically; if omitted, it is applied for all platforms. The mode must be 'none', 'embedded_markers', or 'embedded'. This option may be provided multiple times.

--apple_bitcode

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_state

--apple_compiler 🔗

Use with: configuration

The Apple target compiler. Useful for selecting variants of a toolchain (e.g. xcode-beta).

--apple_compiler

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--apple_crosstool_top 🔗

Use with: configuration

The label of the crosstool package to be used in Apple and Objc rules and their dependencies.

--apple_crosstool_top

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statechanges_inputs

--apple_enable_auto_dsym_dbg 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to force enable generating debug symbol(.dSYM) file(s) for dbg builds.

--[no]apple_enable_auto_dsym_dbg

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsaction_command_lines

--apple_generate_dsym 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to generate debug symbol(.dSYM) file(s).

--[no]apple_generate_dsym

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsaction_command_lines

--apple_grte_top 🔗

Use with: configuration

The Apple target grte_top.

--apple_grte_top

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--apple_platform_type 🔗

Use with: configuration

Don't set this value from the command line - it is derived from other flags and configuration transitions derived from rule attributes

--apple_platform_type

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--apple_platforms 🔗

Use with: configuration

Comma-separated list of platforms to use when building Apple binaries.

--apple_platforms

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_stateloading_and_analysis

--apple_split_cpu 🔗

Use with: configuration

Don't set this value from the command line - it is derived from other flags and configuration transitions derived from rule attributes

--apple_split_cpu

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--archived_tree_artifact_mnemonics_filter 🔗

Use with: configuration

Regex filter for mnemonics of actions for which we should create archived tree artifacts. This option is a no-op for actions which do not generate tree artifacts.

--archived_tree_artifact_mnemonics_filter

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecution

--aspect_deps 🔗

Use with: aquerycqueryquery

How to resolve aspect dependencies when the output format is one of {xml,proto,record}. 'off' means no aspect dependencies are resolved, 'conservative' (the default) means all declared aspect dependencies are added regardless of whether they are given the rule class of direct dependencies, 'precise' means that only those aspects are added that are possibly active given the rule class of the direct dependencies. Note that precise mode requires loading other packages to evaluate a single target thus making it slower than the other modes. Also note that even precise mode is not completely precise: the decision whether to compute an aspect is decided in the analysis phase, which is not run during 'bazel query'.

--aspect_deps

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

query

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--aspects 🔗

Use with: build

Comma-separated list of aspects to be applied to top-level targets. In the list, if aspect <code>some_aspect</code> specifies required aspect providers via <code>required_aspect_providers</code>, <code>some_aspect</code> will run after every aspect that was mentioned before it in the aspects list whose advertised providers satisfy <code>some_aspect</code> required aspect providers. Moreover, <code>some_aspect</code> will run after all its required aspects specified by <code>requires</code> attribute. <code>some_aspect</code> will then have access to the values of those aspects' providers. <bzl-file-label>%<aspect_name>, for example '//tools:my_def.bzl%my_aspect', where 'my_aspect' is a top-level value from a file tools/my_def.bzl

--aspects

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

unknown

--async 🔗

Use with: clean

If true, output cleaning is asynchronous. When this command completes, it will be safe to execute new commands in the same client, even though the deletion may continue in the background.

--[no]async

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

host_machine_resource_optimizations

--attempt_to_print_relative_paths 🔗

Use with: common

When printing the location part of messages, attempt to use a path relative to the workspace directory or one of the directories specified by --package_path.

--[no]attempt_to_print_relative_paths

Old name

--[no]experimental_ui_attempt_to_print_relative_paths

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

terminal_output

--auto_cpu_environment_group 🔗

Use with: configuration

Declare the environment_group to use for automatically mapping cpu values to target_environment values.

--auto_cpu_environment_group

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

changes_inputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--auto_output_filter 🔗

Use with: build

If --output_filter is not specified, then the value for this option is used create a filter automatically. Allowed values are 'none' (filter nothing / show everything), 'all' (filter everything / show nothing), 'packages' (include output from rules in packages mentioned on the Blaze command line), and 'subpackages' (like 'packages', but also include subpackages). For the 'packages' and 'subpackages' values //java/foo and //javatests/foo are treated as one package)'.

--auto_output_filter

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--autodetect_server_javabase 🔗

Use with: startup

When --noautodetect_server_javabase is passed, Bazel does not fall back to the local JDK for running the bazel server and instead exits.

--[no]autodetect_server_javabase

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloses_incremental_state

--batch 🔗

Use with: startup

If set, Bazel will be run as just a client process without a server, instead of in the standard client/server mode. This is deprecated and will be removed, please prefer shutting down the server explicitly if you wish to avoid lingering servers.

--[no]batch

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

deprecated

--batch_cpu_scheduling 🔗

Use with: startup

Only on Linux; use 'batch' CPU scheduling for Blaze. This policy is useful for workloads that are non-interactive, but do not want to lower their nice value. See 'man 2 sched_setscheduler'. If false, then Bazel does not perform a system call.

--[no]batch_cpu_scheduling

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

host_machine_resource_optimizations

--bazelrc 🔗

Use with: startup

The location of the user .bazelrc file containing default values of Bazel options. /dev/null indicates that all further `--bazelrc`s will be ignored, which is useful to disable the search for a user rc file, e.g. in release builds. This option can also be specified multiple times. E.g. with `--bazelrc=x.rc --bazelrc=y.rc --bazelrc=/dev/null --bazelrc=z.rc`, 1) x.rc and y.rc are read. 2) z.rc is ignored due to the prior /dev/null. If unspecified, Bazel uses the first .bazelrc file it finds in the following two locations: the workspace directory, then the user's home directory. Note: command line options will always supersede any option in bazelrc.

--bazelrc=<path>

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--bes_backend 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies the build event service (BES) backend endpoint in the form [SCHEME://]HOST[:PORT]. The default is to disable BES uploads. Supported schemes are grpc and grpcs (grpc with TLS enabled). If no scheme is provided, Bazel assumes grpcs.

--bes_backend

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_best_effort 🔗

Use with: common

No-op

--[no]bes_best_effort

Allows multiple

False

Deprecation warning

BES best effort upload has been removed. The flag has no more functionality attached to it and will be removed in a future release.

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_header 🔗

Use with: common

Specify a header in NAME=VALUE form that will be included in BES requests. Multiple headers can be passed by specifying the flag multiple times. Multiple values for the same name will be converted to a comma-separated list.

--bes_header

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_instance_name 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies the instance name under which the BES will persist uploaded BEP. Defaults to null.

--bes_instance_name

Old name

--project_id

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_keywords 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies a list of notification keywords to be added the default set of keywords published to BES ("command_name=<command_name> ", "protocol_name=BEP"). Defaults to none.

--bes_keywords

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_lifecycle_events 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies whether to publish BES lifecycle events. (defaults to 'true').

--[no]bes_lifecycle_events

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_outerr_buffer_size 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies the maximal size of stdout or stderr to be buffered in BEP, before it is reported as a progress event. Individual writes are still reported in a single event, even if larger than the specified value up to --bes_outerr_chunk_size.

--bes_outerr_buffer_size

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_outerr_chunk_size 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies the maximal size of stdout or stderr to be sent to BEP in a single message.

--bes_outerr_chunk_size

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_proxy 🔗

Use with: common

Connect to the Build Event Service through a proxy. Currently this flag can only be used to configure a Unix domain socket (unix:/path/to/socket).

--bes_proxy

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

unknown

--bes_results_url 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies the base URL where a user can view the information streamed to the BES backend. Bazel will output the URL appended by the invocation id to the terminal.

--bes_results_url

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

terminal_output

--bes_timeout 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies how long bazel should wait for the BES/BEP upload to complete after the build and tests have finished. A valid timeout is a natural number followed by a unit: Days (d), hours (h), minutes (m), seconds (s), and milliseconds (ms). The default value is '0' which means that there is no timeout.

--bes_timeout

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--bes_upload_mode 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies whether the Build Event Service upload should block the build completion or should end the invocation immediately and finish the upload in the background.

--bes_upload_mode

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exit

--block_for_lock 🔗

Use with: commonstartup

When --noblock_for_lock is passed, Bazel does not wait for a running command to complete, but instead exits immediately.

--[no]block_for_lock

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exit

--break_build_on_parallel_dex2oat_failure 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true dex2oat action failures will cause the build to break instead of executing dex2oat during test runtime.

--[no]break_build_on_parallel_dex2oat_failure

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

testing

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--build 🔗

Use with: build

Execute the build; this is the usual behaviour. Specifying --nobuild causes the build to stop before executing the build actions, returning zero iff the package loading and analysis phases completed successfully; this mode is useful for testing those phases.

--[no]build

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

executionaffects_outputs

--build_event_binary_file 🔗

Use with: common

If non-empty, write a varint delimited binary representation of representation of the build event protocol to that file. This option implies --bes_upload_mode=wait_for_upload_complete.

--build_event_binary_file

Old name

--experimental_build_event_binary_file

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Implicit requirements

--bes_upload_mode=wait_for_upload_complete

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_binary_file_path_conversion 🔗

Use with: common

Convert paths in the binary file representation of the build event protocol to more globally valid URIs whenever possible; if disabled, the file:// uri scheme will always be used

--[no]build_event_binary_file_path_conversion

Old name

--[no]experimental_build_event_binary_file_path_conversion

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_json_file 🔗

Use with: common

If non-empty, write a JSON serialisation of the build event protocol to that file.

--build_event_json_file

Old name

--experimental_build_event_json_file

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_json_file_path_conversion 🔗

Use with: common

Convert paths in the json file representation of the build event protocol to more globally valid URIs whenever possible; if disabled, the file:// uri scheme will always be used

--[no]build_event_json_file_path_conversion

Old name

--[no]experimental_build_event_json_file_path_conversion

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_max_named_set_of_file_entries 🔗

Use with: common

The maximum number of entries for a single named_set_of_files event; values smaller than 2 are ignored and no event splitting is performed. This is intended for limiting the maximum event size in the build event protocol, although it does not directly control event size. The total event size is a function of the structure of the set as well as the file and uri lengths, which may in turn depend on the hash function.

--build_event_max_named_set_of_file_entries

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_publish_all_actions 🔗

Use with: common

Whether all actions should be published.

--[no]build_event_publish_all_actions

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_text_file 🔗

Use with: common

If non-empty, write a textual representation of the build event protocol to that file

--build_event_text_file

Old name

--experimental_build_event_text_file

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_text_file_path_conversion 🔗

Use with: common

Convert paths in the text file representation of the build event protocol to more globally valid URIs whenever possible; if disabled, the file:// uri scheme will always be used

--[no]build_event_text_file_path_conversion

Old name

--[no]experimental_build_event_text_file_path_conversion

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_event_upload_max_threads 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

The number of threads used to do build event uploads. Capped at 1000.

--build_event_upload_max_threads

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--build_manual_tests 🔗

Use with: build

Forces test targets tagged 'manual' to be built. 'manual' tests are excluded from processing. This option forces them to be built (but not executed).

--[no]build_manual_tests

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--build_metadata 🔗

Use with: common

Custom key-value string pairs to supply in a build event.

--build_metadata

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

terminal_output

--build_python_zip 🔗

Use with: configuration

Build python executable zip; on on Windows, off on other platforms

--[no]build_python_zip

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_runfile_links 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, build runfiles symlink forests for all targets. If false, write only manifests when possible.

--[no]build_runfile_links

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_runfile_manifests 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, write runfiles manifests for all targets. If false, omit them. Local tests will fail to run when false.

--[no]build_runfile_manifests

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--build_tag_filters 🔗

Use with: build

Specifies a comma-separated list of tags. Each tag can be optionally preceded with '-' to specify excluded tags. Only those targets will be built that contain at least one included tag and do not contain any excluded tags. This option does not affect the set of tests executed with the 'test' command; those are be governed by the test filtering options, for example '--test_tag_filters'

--build_tag_filters

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--build_test_dwp 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, when building C++ tests statically and with fission the .dwp file for the test binary will be automatically built as well.

--[no]build_test_dwp

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisaffects_outputs

--build_tests_only 🔗

Use with: build

If specified, only *_test and test_suite rules will be built and other targets specified on the command line will be ignored. By default everything that was requested will be built.

--[no]build_tests_only

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--cache_computed_file_digests 🔗

Use with: build

If greater than 0, configures Bazel to cache file digests in memory based on their metadata instead of recomputing the digests from disk every time they are needed. Setting this to 0 ensures correctness because not all file changes can be noted from file metadata. When not 0, the number indicates the size of the cache as the number of file digests to be cached.

--cache_computed_file_digests

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--cache_test_results 🔗
-t

Use with: configuration

If set to 'auto', Bazel reruns a test if and only if: (1) Bazel detects changes in the test or its dependencies, (2) the test is marked as external, (3) multiple test runs were requested with --runs_per_test, or(4) the test previously failed. If set to 'yes', Bazel caches all test results except for tests marked as external. If set to 'no', Bazel does not cache any test results.

--[no]cache_test_results

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--call_count_output_path 🔗

Use with: common

An absolute path to a pprof gz file. At the end of the command a call count file will be written.

--call_count_output_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--canonicalize_policy 🔗

Use with: canonicalize-flags

Output the canonical policy, after expansion and filtering. To keep the output clean, the canonicalized command arguments will NOT be shown when this option is set to true. Note that the command specified by --for_command affects the filtered policy, and if none is specified, the default command is 'build'.

--[no]canonicalize_policy

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsterminal_output

--catalyst_cpus 🔗

Use with: configuration

Comma-separated list of architectures for which to build Apple Catalyst binaries.

--catalyst_cpus

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_stateloading_and_analysis

--cc_output_directory_tag 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specifies a suffix to be added to the configuration directory.

--cc_output_directory_tag

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--cc_proto_library_header_suffixes 🔗

Use with: configuration

Sets the prefixes of header files that a cc_proto_library creates.

--cc_proto_library_header_suffixes

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--cc_proto_library_source_suffixes 🔗

Use with: configuration

Sets the prefixes of source files that a cc_proto_library creates.

--cc_proto_library_source_suffixes

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--check_direct_dependencies 🔗

Use with: common

Check if the direct `bazel_dep` dependencies declared in the root module are the same versions you get in the resolved dependency graph. Valid values are `off` to disable the check, `warning` to print a warning when mismatch detected or `error` to escalate it to a resolution failure.

--check_direct_dependencies

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--check_fileset_dependencies_recursively 🔗

Use with: configuration

--[no]check_fileset_dependencies_recursively

Allows multiple

False

Deprecation warning

This flag is a no-op and fileset dependencies are always checked to ensure correctness of builds.

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--check_licenses 🔗

Use with: configuration

Check that licensing constraints imposed by dependent packages do not conflict with distribution modes of the targets being built. By default, licenses are not checked.

--[no]check_licenses

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--check_tests_up_to_date 🔗

Use with: build

Don't run tests, just check if they are up-to-date. If all tests results are up-to-date, the testing completes successfully. If any test needs to be built or executed, an error is reported and the testing fails. This option implies --check_up_to_date behavior.

--[no]check_tests_up_to_date

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

testing

Implicit requirements

--check_up_to_date

Option effect tags

execution

--check_up_to_date 🔗

Use with: build

Don't perform the build, just check if it is up-to-date. If all targets are up-to-date, the build completes successfully. If any step needs to be executed an error is reported and the build fails.

--[no]check_up_to_date

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--check_visibility 🔗

Use with: configuration

If disabled, visibility errors are demoted to warnings.

--[no]check_visibility

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--client_debug 🔗

Use with: startup

If true, log debug information from the client to stderr. Changing this option will not cause the server to restart.

--[no]client_debug

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_monitoring

--collapse_duplicate_defines 🔗

Use with: configuration

When enabled, redundant --defines will be removed early in the build. This avoids unnecessary loss of the analysis cache for certain types of equivalent builds.

--[no]collapse_duplicate_defines

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--collect_code_coverage 🔗

Use with: configuration

If specified, Bazel will instrument code (using offline instrumentation where possible) and will collect coverage information during tests. Only targets that match --instrumentation_filter will be affected. Usually this option should not be specified directly - 'bazel coverage' command should be used instead.

--[no]collect_code_coverage

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--color 🔗

Use with: common

Use terminal controls to colorize output.

--color

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--combined_report 🔗

Use with: build

Specifies desired cumulative coverage report type. At this point only LCOV is supported.

--combined_report

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--command_port 🔗

Use with: startup

Port to start up the gRPC command server on. If 0, let the kernel choose.

--command_port

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebazel_internal_configuration

--compilation_mode 🔗
-c

Use with: configuration

Specify the mode the binary will be built in. Values: 'fastbuild', 'dbg', 'opt'.

--compilation_mode

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsaction_command_lines

--compile_one_dependency 🔗

Use with: build

Compile a single dependency of the argument files. This is useful for syntax checking source files in IDEs, for example, by rebuilding a single target that depends on the source file to detect errors as early as possible in the edit/build/test cycle. This argument affects the way all non-flag arguments are interpreted; instead of being targets to build they are source filenames. For each source filename an arbitrary target that depends on it will be built.

--[no]compile_one_dependency

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--compiler 🔗

Use with: configuration

The C++ compiler to use for compiling the target.

--compiler

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecution

--compress_in_memory_genquery_results 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, the in-memory representation of genquery results may be compressed as is necessary. Can save sufficient memory at the expense of more CPU usage.

--[no]compress_in_memory_genquery_results

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--config 🔗

Use with: common

Selects additional config sections from the rc files; for every <command>, it also pulls in the options from <command>:<config> if such a section exists; if this section doesn't exist in any .rc file, Blaze fails with an error. The config sections and flag combinations they are equivalent to are located in the tools/*.blazerc config files.

--config

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--configure 🔗

Use with: sync

Only sync repositories marked as 'configure' for system-configuration purpose.

--[no]configure

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--conlyopt 🔗

Use with: configuration

Additional option to pass to gcc when compiling C source files.

--conlyopt

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_linesaffects_outputs

--connect_timeout_secs 🔗

Use with: startup

The amount of time the client waits for each attempt to connect to the server

--connect_timeout_secs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--copt 🔗

Use with: configuration

Additional options to pass to gcc.

--copt

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_linesaffects_outputs

--coverage_output_generator 🔗

Use with: configuration

Location of the binary that is used to postprocess raw coverage reports. This must currently be a filegroup that contains a single file, the binary. Defaults to '//tools/test:lcov_merger'.

--coverage_output_generator

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--coverage_report_generator 🔗

Use with: configuration

Location of the binary that is used to generate coverage reports. This must currently be a filegroup that contains a single file, the binary. Defaults to '//tools/test:coverage_report_generator'.

--coverage_report_generator

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--coverage_support 🔗

Use with: configuration

Location of support files that are required on the inputs of every test action that collects code coverage. Defaults to '//tools/test:coverage_support'.

--coverage_support

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--cpu 🔗

Use with: configuration

The target CPU.

--cpu

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputs

--crosstool_top 🔗

Use with: configuration

The label of the crosstool package to be used for compiling C++ code.

--crosstool_top

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysischanges_inputsaffects_outputs

--cs_fdo_absolute_path 🔗

Use with: configuration

Use CSFDO profile information to optimize compilation. Specify the absolute path name of the zip file containing the profile file, a raw or an indexed LLVM profile file.

--cs_fdo_absolute_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--cs_fdo_instrument 🔗

Use with: configuration

Generate binaries with context sensitive FDO instrumentation. With Clang/LLVM compiler, it also accepts the directory name under which the raw profile file(s) will be dumped at runtime.

--cs_fdo_instrument

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Implicit requirements

--copt=-Wno-error

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--cs_fdo_profile 🔗

Use with: configuration

The cs_fdo_profile representing the context sensitive profile to be used for optimization.

--cs_fdo_profile

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--curses 🔗

Use with: common

Use terminal cursor controls to minimize scrolling output.

--curses

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--custom_malloc 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specifies a custom malloc implementation. This setting overrides malloc attributes in build rules.

--custom_malloc

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputs

--cxxopt 🔗

Use with: configuration

Additional option to pass to gcc when compiling C++ source files.

--cxxopt

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_linesaffects_outputs

--debug_app 🔗

Use with: mobile-install

Whether to wait for the debugger before starting the app.

--debug_app

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Expands to

--start=DEBUG

Option effect tags

execution

--debug_print_action_contexts 🔗

Use with: build

Print the contents of the SpawnActionContext and ContextProviders maps.

--[no]debug_print_action_contexts

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--deduplicate_depsets 🔗

Use with: aquery

De-duplicate non-leaf children of a dep_set_of_files in the final proto/textproto/json output. This does not deduplicate depsets that don't share an immediate parent. This does not affect the final effective list of input artifacts of the actions.

--[no]deduplicate_depsets

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

query

Option effect tags

terminal_output

--default_visibility 🔗

Use with: buildcanonicalize-flagsfetchquerysync

Default visibility for packages that don't set it explicitly ('public' or 'private').

--default_visibility

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--defer_param_files 🔗

Use with: configuration

This option is deprecated and has no effect and will be removed in the future.

--[no]defer_param_files

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecutionaction_command_lines

--define 🔗

Use with: configuration

Each --define option specifies an assignment for a build variable.

--define

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

changes_inputsaffects_outputs

--deleted_packages 🔗

Use with: buildcanonicalize-flagsfetchquerysync

A comma-separated list of names of packages which the build system will consider non-existent, even if they are visible somewhere on the package path. Use this option when deleting a subpackage 'x/y' of an existing package 'x'. For example, after deleting x/y/BUILD in your client, the build system may complain if it encounters a label '//x:y/z' if that is still provided by another package_path entry. Specifying --deleted_packages x/y avoids this problem.

--deleted_packages

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--desugar_for_android 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to desugar Java 8 bytecode before dexing.

--[no]desugar_for_android

Old name

--[no]experimental_desugar_for_android

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--device 🔗

Use with: mobile-install

The adb device serial number. If not specified, the first device will be used.

--device

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_lines

--device_debug_entitlements 🔗

Use with: configuration

If set, and compilation mode is not 'opt', objc apps will include debug entitlements when signing.

--[no]device_debug_entitlements

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

signing

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--dexopts_supported_in_dexmerger 🔗

Use with: configuration

dx flags supported in tool that merges dex archives into final classes.dex files.

--dexopts_supported_in_dexmerger

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

action_command_linesloading_and_analysis

--dexopts_supported_in_dexsharder 🔗

Use with: configuration

dx flags supported in tool that groups classes for inclusion in final .dex files.

--dexopts_supported_in_dexsharder

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

action_command_linesloading_and_analysis

--dexopts_supported_in_incremental_dexing 🔗

Use with: configuration

dx flags supported when converting Jars to dex archives incrementally.

--dexopts_supported_in_incremental_dexing

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

action_command_linesloading_and_analysis

--digest_function 🔗

Use with: startup

The hash function to use when computing file digests.

--digest_function

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

experimental

--direct_run 🔗

Use with: build

Deprecated no-op.

--[no]direct_run

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

Option metadata tags

deprecated

--directory_creation_cache 🔗

Use with: build

Describes the cache used to store known regular directories as they're created. Parent directories of output files are created on-demand during action execution.

--directory_creation_cache

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--disallow_strict_deps_for_jpl 🔗

Use with: configuration

If set, any java_proto_library or java_mutable_proto_library which sets the strict_deps attribute explicitly will fail to build.

--[no]disallow_strict_deps_for_jpl

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

build_file_semanticseagerness_to_exit

--discard_actions_after_execution 🔗

Use with: build

This option is deprecated and has no effect.

--[no]discard_actions_after_execution

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

incompatible_change

--discard_analysis_cache 🔗

Use with: build

Discard the analysis cache immediately after the analysis phase completes. Reduces memory usage by ~10%, but makes further incremental builds slower.

--[no]discard_analysis_cache

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--disk_cache 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

A path to a directory where Bazel can read and write actions and action outputs. If the directory does not exist, it will be created.

--disk_cache

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--distdir 🔗

Use with: common

Additional places to search for archives before accessing the network to download them.

--distdir

Old name

--experimental_distdir

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--distinct_host_configuration 🔗

Use with: configuration

Build all the tools used during the build for a distinct configuration from that used for the target program. When this is disabled, the same configuration is used for host and target programs. This may cause undesirable rebuilds of tools such as the protocol compiler (and then everything downstream) whenever a minor change is made to the target configuration, such as setting the linker options. When this is enabled (the default), a distinct configuration will be used to build the tools, preventing undesired rebuilds. However, certain libraries will then need to be compiled twice, once for each configuration, which may cause some builds to be slower. As a rule of thumb, this option is likely to benefit users that make frequent changes in configuration (e.g. opt/dbg). Please read the user manual for the full explanation.

--[no]distinct_host_configuration

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebazel_internal_configurationloading_and_analysis

--dump 🔗
-d

Use with: analyze-profile

output full profile data dump either in human-readable 'text' format or script-friendly 'raw' format.

--dump

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--dump_all 🔗

Use with: config

If set, dump all known configurations instead of just the ids.

--[no]dump_all

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--dynamic_local_strategy 🔗

Use with: build

The local strategies, in order, to use for the given mnemonic. Passing 'local' as the mnemonic sets the default for unspecified mnemonics. Takes [mnemonic=]local_strategy[,local_strategy,...]

--dynamic_local_strategy

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--dynamic_mode 🔗

Use with: configuration

Determines whether C++ binaries will be linked dynamically. 'default' means Bazel will choose whether to link dynamically. 'fully' means all libraries will be linked dynamically. 'off' means that all libraries will be linked in mostly static mode.

--dynamic_mode

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisaffects_outputs

--dynamic_remote_strategy 🔗

Use with: build

The remote strategies to use for the given mnemonic. Passing 'remote' as the mnemonic sets the default for unspecified mnemonics. Takes [mnemonic=]remote_strategy[,remote_strategy,...]

--dynamic_remote_strategy

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--dynamic_worker_strategy 🔗

Use with: build

Deprecated. Please use --dynamic_local_strategy=worker_strategy,local_strategy.

--dynamic_worker_strategy

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

Option metadata tags

deprecated

--emacs 🔗

Use with: common

A system-generated parameter which is true iff EMACS=t or INSIDE_EMACS is set in the environment of the client. This option controls certain display features.

--[no]emacs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--embed_label 🔗

Use with: build

Embed source control revision or release label in binary

--embed_label

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--enable_fdo_profile_absolute_path 🔗

Use with: configuration

If set, use of fdo_absolute_profile_path will raise an error.

--[no]enable_fdo_profile_absolute_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--enable_platform_specific_config 🔗

Use with: common

If true, Bazel picks up host-OS-specific config lines from bazelrc files. For example, if the host OS is Linux and you run bazel build, Bazel picks up lines starting with build:linux. Supported OS identifiers are linux, macos, windows, freebsd, and openbsd. Enabling this flag is equivalent to using --config=linux on Linux, --config=windows on Windows, etc.

--[no]enable_platform_specific_config

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--enable_runfiles 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enable runfiles symlink tree; By default, it's off on Windows, on on other platforms.

--[no]enable_runfiles

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--enforce_constraints 🔗

Use with: configuration

Checks the environments each target is compatible with and reports errors if any target has dependencies that don't support the same environments

--[no]enforce_constraints

Old name

--[no]experimental_enforce_constraints

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--enforce_proguard_file_extension 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, requires that ProGuard configuration files outside of third_party/ use the *.pgcfg file extension.

--[no]enforce_proguard_file_extension

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exit

--enforce_transitive_configs_for_config_feature_flag 🔗

Use with: configuration

--[no]enforce_transitive_configs_for_config_feature_flag

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_stateaffects_outputsbuild_file_semanticsbazel_internal_configurationloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

incompatible_change

--execution_log_binary_file 🔗

Use with: build

Log the executed spawns into this file as delimited Spawn protos.

--execution_log_binary_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--execution_log_json_file 🔗

Use with: build

Log the executed spawns into this file as json representation of the delimited Spawn protos.

--execution_log_json_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--expand_configs_in_place 🔗

Use with: startup

Changed the expansion of --config flags to be done in-place, as opposed to in a fixed point expansion between normal rc options and command-line specified options.

--[no]expand_configs_in_place

Allows multiple

False

Deprecation warning

This option is now a no-op and will soon be deleted.

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

no_op

Option metadata tags

deprecated

--expand_test_suites 🔗

Use with: build

Expand test_suite targets into their constituent tests before analysis. When this flag is turned on (the default), negative target patterns will apply to the tests belonging to the test suite, otherwise they will not. Turning off this flag is useful when top-level aspects are applied at command line: then they can analyze test_suite targets.

--[no]expand_test_suites

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--experimental_action_cache_store_output_metadata 🔗

Use with: build

Whether to store output metadata in the action cache

--[no]experimental_action_cache_store_output_metadata

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configurationhost_machine_resource_optimizations

--experimental_action_listener 🔗

Use with: configuration

Deprecated in favor of aspects. Use action_listener to attach an extra_action to existing build actions.

--experimental_action_listener

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

execution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_action_resource_set 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, ctx.actions.run() and ctx.actions.run_shell() accept a resource_set parameter for local execution. Otherwise it will default to 250 MB for memory and 1 cpu.

--[no]experimental_action_resource_set

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

executionbuild_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_add_exec_constraints_to_targets 🔗

Use with: configuration

List of comma-separated regular expressions, each optionally prefixed by - (negative expression), assigned (=) to a list of comma-separated constraint value targets. If a target matches no negative expression and at least one positive expression its toolchain resolution will be performed as if it had declared the constraint values as execution constraints. Example: //demo,-test=@platforms//cpus:x86_64 will add 'x86_64' to any target under //demo except for those whose name contains 'test'.

--experimental_add_exec_constraints_to_targets

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--experimental_add_test_support_to_compile_time_deps 🔗

Use with: configuration

Flag to help transition away from adding test support libraries to the compile-time deps of Java test rules.

--[no]experimental_add_test_support_to_compile_time_deps

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_allow_android_library_deps_without_srcs 🔗

Use with: configuration

Flag to help transition from allowing to disallowing srcs-less android_library rules with deps. The depot needs to be cleaned up to roll this out by default.

--[no]experimental_allow_android_library_deps_without_srcs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exitloading_and_analysis

--experimental_allow_runtime_deps_on_neverlink 🔗

Use with: configuration

Flag to help transition from allowing to disallowing runtime_deps on neverlink Java archives. The depot needs to be cleaned up to roll this out by default.

--[no]experimental_allow_runtime_deps_on_neverlink

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_allow_tags_propagation 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, tags will be propagated from a target to the actions' execution requirements; otherwise tags are not propagated. See https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/8830 for details.

--[no]experimental_allow_tags_propagation

Old name

--[no]incompatible_allow_tags_propagation

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_allow_unresolved_symlinks 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, Bazel allows the use of ctx.action.{declare_symlink,symlink}, thus allowing the user to create symlinks (resolved and unresolved)

--[no]experimental_allow_unresolved_symlinks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_stateloading_and_analysis

--experimental_always_filter_duplicate_classes_from_android_test 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled and the android_test defines a binary_under_test, the class filterering applied to the test's deploy jar will always filter duplicate classes based solely on matching class and package name, ignoring hash values.

--[no]experimental_always_filter_duplicate_classes_from_android_test

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--experimental_analysis_test_call 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, analysis_test native call is available.

--[no]experimental_analysis_test_call

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisbuild_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_assume_minsdkversion 🔗

Use with: configuration

When enabled, the minSdkVersion is parsed from the merged AndroidManifest and used to instruct Proguard on valid Android build versions.

--[no]experimental_android_assume_minsdkversion

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

action_command_linesloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_compress_java_resources 🔗

Use with: configuration

Compress Java resources in APKs

--[no]experimental_android_compress_java_resources

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_databinding_v2 🔗

Use with: configuration

Use android databinding v2

--[no]experimental_android_databinding_v2

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_library_exports_manifest_default 🔗

Use with: configuration

The default value of the exports_manifest attribute on android_library.

--[no]experimental_android_library_exports_manifest_default

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--experimental_android_local_test_binary_resources 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, provide Robolectric with binary resources instead of raw resources for android_local_test. This should only be used by Robolectric team members for testing purposes.

--[no]experimental_android_local_test_binary_resources

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_android_resource_cycle_shrinking 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables more shrinking of code and resources by instructing AAPT2 to emit conditional Proguard keep rules.

--[no]experimental_android_resource_cycle_shrinking

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_resource_name_obfuscation 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables obfuscation of resource names within android_binary APKs.

--[no]experimental_android_resource_name_obfuscation

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_resource_path_shortening 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables shortening of resource file paths within android_binary APKs.

--[no]experimental_android_resource_path_shortening

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_resource_shrinking 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables resource shrinking for android_binary APKs that use ProGuard.

--[no]experimental_android_resource_shrinking

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--experimental_android_rewrite_dexes_with_rex 🔗

Use with: configuration

use rex tool to rewrite dex files

--[no]experimental_android_rewrite_dexes_with_rex

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_android_use_parallel_dex2oat 🔗

Use with: configuration

Use dex2oat in parallel to possibly speed up android_test.

--[no]experimental_android_use_parallel_dex2oat

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

testing

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysishost_machine_resource_optimizations

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_announce_profile_path 🔗

Use with: common

If enabled, adds the JSON profile path to the log.

--[no]experimental_announce_profile_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_monitoring

--experimental_apple_mandatory_minimum_version 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether Apple rules must have a mandatory minimum_os_version attribute.

--[no]experimental_apple_mandatory_minimum_version

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebuild_file_semantics

--experimental_aquery_dump_after_build_format 🔗

Use with: build

Writes the state of Skyframe (which includes previous invocations on this blaze instance as well) to stdout after a build, in the same format as aquery's. Possible formats: proto|textproto|jsonproto.

--experimental_aquery_dump_after_build_format

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_aquery_dump_after_build_output_file 🔗

Use with: build

Specify the output file for the aquery dump after a build. Use in conjunction with --experimental_aquery_dump_after_build_format. The path provided is relative to Bazel's output base, unless it's an absolute path.

--experimental_aquery_dump_after_build_output_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_async_execution 🔗

Use with: build

If set to true, Bazel is allowed to run aynchronously, i.e., without reserving a local thread. This only has an effect if the action implementation and the lower-level strategy support it. This setting effectively circumvents the implicit limit of number of concurrently running actions otherwise imposed by the --jobs flag. Use with caution.

--[no]experimental_async_execution

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

incompatible_change

--experimental_availability_info_exempt 🔗

Use with: build

A comma-separated list of mnemonics that are not required to have Xcode-related execution info if --experimental_require_availability_info=true. No-op if --experimental_require_availability_info=false.

--experimental_availability_info_exempt

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_bep_target_summary 🔗

Use with: buildcommon

Whether to publish TargetSummary events.

--[no]experimental_bep_target_summary

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_build_event_expand_filesets 🔗

Use with: buildcommon

If true, expand Filesets in the BEP when presenting output files.

--[no]experimental_build_event_expand_filesets

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_build_event_fully_resolve_fileset_symlinks 🔗

Use with: buildcommon

If true, fully resolve relative Fileset symlinks in the BEP when presenting output files. Requires --experimental_build_event_expand_filesets.

--[no]experimental_build_event_fully_resolve_fileset_symlinks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_build_event_upload_strategy 🔗

Use with: buildcommon

Selects how to upload artifacts referenced in the build event protocol.

--experimental_build_event_upload_strategy

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_build_setting_api 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, allows access to value of build setting rules via ctx.build_setting_value.

--[no]experimental_build_setting_api

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--experimental_build_transitive_python_runfiles 🔗

Use with: configuration

Build the runfiles trees of py_binary targets that appear in the transitive data runfiles of another binary.

--[no]experimental_build_transitive_python_runfiles

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisaffects_outputs

--experimental_builtins_bzl_path 🔗

Use with: common

This flag tells Bazel how to find the "@_builtins" .bzl files that govern how predeclared symbols for BUILD and .bzl files are defined. This flag is only intended for Bazel developers, to help when writing @_builtins .bzl code. Ordinarily this value is set to "%bundled%", which means to use the builtins_bzl/ directory packaged in the Bazel binary. However, it can be set to the path (relative to the root of the current workspace) of an alternate builtins_bzl/ directory, such as one in a Bazel source tree workspace. A literal value of "%workspace%" is equivalent to the relative package path of builtins_bzl/ within a Bazel source tree; this should only be used when running Bazel within its own source tree. Finally, a value of the empty string disables the builtins injection mechanism entirely.

--experimental_builtins_bzl_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebuild_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_builtins_dummy 🔗

Use with: common

Enables an internal dummy symbol used to test builtins injection.

--[no]experimental_builtins_dummy

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_builtins_injection_override 🔗

Use with: common

A comma-separated list of symbol names prefixed by a + or - character, indicating which symbols from `@_builtins//:exports.bzl` to inject, overriding their default injection status. Precisely, this works as follows. Each dict key of `exported_toplevels` or `exported_rules` has the form `foo`, `+foo`, or `-foo`. The first two forms mean it gets injected by default, while the last form means it does not get injected by default. In the first case (unprefixed), the default is absolute and cannot be overridden. Otherwise, we then consult this options list, and if we see foo occur here, we take the prefix of its last occurrence and use that to decide whether or not to inject. It is a no-op to specify an unknown symbol, or to attempt to not inject a symbol that occurs unprefixed in a dict key.

--experimental_builtins_injection_override

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_bytecode_optimizers 🔗

Use with: configuration

Do not use.

--experimental_bytecode_optimizers

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_cancel_concurrent_tests 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, then Blaze will cancel concurrently running tests on the first successful run. This is only useful in combination with --runs_per_test_detects_flakes.

--[no]experimental_cancel_concurrent_tests

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--experimental_cc_implementation_deps 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, cc_library targets can use attribute `implementation_deps`.

--[no]experimental_cc_implementation_deps

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_cc_shared_library 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, rule attributes and Starlark API methods needed for the rule cc_shared_library will be available

--[no]experimental_cc_shared_library

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

build_file_semanticsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_cc_shared_library_debug 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, will create debug files associated with cc_shared_library.

--[no]experimental_cc_shared_library_debug

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_cc_skylark_api_enabled_packages 🔗

Use with: common

Passes list of packages that can use the C++ Starlark API. Don't enable this flag yet, we will be making breaking changes.

--experimental_cc_skylark_api_enabled_packages

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_check_desugar_deps 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to double-check correct desugaring at Android binary level.

--[no]experimental_check_desugar_deps

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

eagerness_to_exitloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_check_output_files 🔗

Use with: buildcanonicalize-flagsfetchquerysync

Check for modifications made to the output files of a build. Consider setting this flag to false to see the effect on incremental build times.

--[no]experimental_check_output_files

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_collect_local_action_metrics 🔗

Use with: build

When enabled, execution statistics (such as user and system time) are recorded for locally executed actions which don't use sandboxing

--[no]experimental_collect_local_action_metrics

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_collect_local_sandbox_action_metrics 🔗

Use with: build

When enabled, execution statistics (such as user and system time) are recorded for locally executed actions which use sandboxing

--[no]experimental_collect_local_sandbox_action_metrics

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_convenience_symlinks 🔗

Use with: build

This flag controls how the convenience symlinks (the symlinks that appear in the workspace after the build) will be managed. Possible values: normal (default): Each kind of convenience symlink will be created or deleted, as determined by the build. clean: All symlinks will be unconditionally deleted. ignore: Symlinks will be left alone. log_only: Generate log messages as if 'normal' were passed, but don't actually perform any filesystem operations (useful for tools). Note that only symlinks whose names are generated by the current value of --symlink_prefix can be affected; if the prefix changes, any pre-existing symlinks will be left alone.

--experimental_convenience_symlinks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_convenience_symlinks_bep_event 🔗

Use with: build

This flag controls whether or not we will post the build eventConvenienceSymlinksIdentified to the BuildEventProtocol. If the value is true, the BuildEventProtocol will have an entry for convenienceSymlinksIdentified, listing all of the convenience symlinks created in your workspace. If false, then the convenienceSymlinksIdentified entry in the BuildEventProtocol will be empty.

--[no]experimental_convenience_symlinks_bep_event

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_cpp_compile_resource_estimation 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, will estimate precise resource usage for local execution of CppCompileAction.

--[no]experimental_cpp_compile_resource_estimation

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_create_py_symlinks 🔗

Use with: build

If enabled, two convenience symlinks, `py2` and `py3`, will be created (with the appropriate prefix). These point to the output directories for the Python 2 and Python 3 configurations, respectively. This can be used to access outputs in the bin directory of a specific Python version. For instance, if --symlink_prefix is `foo-`, the path `foo-py2/bin` behaves like `foo-bin` except that it is guaranteed to contain artifacts built in the Python 2 configuration. IMPORTANT: This flag is not planned to be enabled by default, and should not be relied on.

--[no]experimental_create_py_symlinks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_credential_helper 🔗

Use with: buildcommonfetchquerysynctest

Configures Credential Helpers to use for retrieving credentials for the provided scope (domain). Credentials from Credential Helpers take precedence over credentials from <code>--google_default_credentials</code>, `--google_credentials`, or <code>.netrc</code>. See https://github.com/bazelbuild/proposals/blob/main/designs/2022-06-07-bazel-credential-helpers.md for details.

--experimental_credential_helper

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_credential_helper_cache_duration 🔗

Use with: buildcommonfetchquerysynctest

Configures the duration for which credentials from Credential Helpers are cached. Invoking with a different value will adjust the lifetime of preexisting entries; pass zero to clear the cache. A clean command always clears the cache, regardless of this flag.

--experimental_credential_helper_cache_duration

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_credential_helper_timeout 🔗

Use with: buildcommonfetchquerysynctest

Configures the timeout for the Credential Helper. Credential Helpers failing to respond within this timeout will fail the invocation.

--experimental_credential_helper_timeout

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_debug_spawn_scheduler 🔗

Use with: build

--[no]experimental_debug_spawn_scheduler

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_delay_virtual_input_materialization 🔗

Use with: build

If set to true, creates virtual inputs (like params files) only inside the sandbox, not in the execroot, which fixes a race condition when using the dynamic scheduler. This flag exists purely to support rolling this bug fix out.

--[no]experimental_delay_virtual_input_materialization

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_desugar_java8_libs 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to include supported Java 8 libraries in apps for legacy devices.

--[no]experimental_desugar_java8_libs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_disable_external_package 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, the auto-generated //external package will not be available anymore. Bazel will still be unable to parse the file 'external/BUILD', but globs reaching into external/ from the unnamed package will work.

--[no]experimental_disable_external_package

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_disable_instrumentation_manifest_merge 🔗

Use with: configuration

Disables manifest merging when an android_binary has instruments set (i.e. is used for instrumentation testing).

--[no]experimental_disable_instrumentation_manifest_merge

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_disallow_legacy_java_toolchain_flags 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, disallow legacy Java toolchain flags (--javabase, --host_javabase, --java_toolchain, --host_java_toolchain) and require the use of --platforms instead; see #7849

--[no]experimental_disallow_legacy_java_toolchain_flags

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_docker_image 🔗

Use with: build

Specify a Docker image name (e.g. "ubuntu:latest") that should be used to execute a sandboxed action when using the docker strategy and the action itself doesn't already have a container-image attribute in its remote_execution_properties in the platform description. The value of this flag is passed verbatim to 'docker run', so it supports the same syntax and mechanisms as Docker itself.

--experimental_docker_image

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_docker_privileged 🔗

Use with: build

If enabled, Bazel will pass the --privileged flag to 'docker run' when running actions. This might be required by your build, but it might also result in reduced hermeticity.

--[no]experimental_docker_privileged

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_docker_use_customized_images 🔗

Use with: build

If enabled, injects the uid and gid of the current user into the Docker image before using it. This is required if your build / tests depend on the user having a name and home directory inside the container. This is on by default, but you can disable it in case the automatic image customization feature doesn't work in your case or you know that you don't need it.

--[no]experimental_docker_use_customized_images

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_docker_verbose 🔗

Use with: build

If enabled, Bazel will print more verbose messages about the Docker sandbox strategy.

--[no]experimental_docker_verbose

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_downloader_config 🔗

Use with: common

Specify a file to configure the remote downloader with. This file consists of lines, each of which starts with a directive (`allow`, `block` or `rewrite`) followed by either a host name (for `allow` and `block`) or two patterns, one to match against, and one to use as a substitute URL, with back-references starting from `$1`. It is possible for multiple `rewrite` directives for the same URL to be give, and in this case multiple URLs will be returned.

--experimental_downloader_config

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_dynamic_skip_first_build 🔗

Use with: build

If set, dynamic execution is turned off until there has been at least one successful build.

--[no]experimental_dynamic_skip_first_build

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_enable_android_migration_apis 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, enables the APIs required to support the Android Starlark migration.

--[no]experimental_enable_android_migration_apis

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--experimental_enable_aspect_hints 🔗

Use with: configuration

--[no]experimental_enable_aspect_hints

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_enable_bzlmod 🔗

Use with: common

If true, Bazel tries to load external repositories from the Bzlmod system before looking into the WORKSPACE file.

--[no]experimental_enable_bzlmod

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--experimental_enable_cc_toolchain_config_info 🔗

Use with: build

No-op

--[no]experimental_enable_cc_toolchain_config_info

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

no_op

Option metadata tags

deprecated

--experimental_enable_critical_path_profiling 🔗

Use with: build

If set (the default), critical path profiling is enabled for the execution phase. This has a slight overhead in RAM and CPU, and may prevent Bazel from making certain aggressive RAM optimizations in some cases.

--[no]experimental_enable_critical_path_profiling

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_enable_docker_sandbox 🔗

Use with: build

Enable Docker-based sandboxing. This option has no effect if Docker is not installed.

--[no]experimental_enable_docker_sandbox

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_enable_jspecify 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enable experimental jspecify integration.

--[no]experimental_enable_jspecify

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_enable_objc_cc_deps 🔗

Use with: configuration

Allows objc_* rules to depend on cc_library and causes any objc dependencies to be built with --cpu set to "ios_<--ios_cpu>" for any values in --ios_multi_cpu.

--[no]experimental_enable_objc_cc_deps

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

incompatible_change

--experimental_enable_target_export_check 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, cc_shared_library will export targets which is allowed by its `permissions` attribute.

--[no]experimental_enable_target_export_check

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_execution_log_file 🔗

Use with: build

Log the executed spawns into this file as delimited Spawn protos.

--experimental_execution_log_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_extended_sanity_checks 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables internal validation checks to make sure that configured target implementations only access things they should. Causes a performance hit.

--[no]experimental_extended_sanity_checks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_extra_action_filter 🔗

Use with: build

Deprecated in favor of aspects. Filters set of targets to schedule extra_actions for.

--experimental_extra_action_filter

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_extra_action_top_level_only 🔗

Use with: build

Deprecated in favor of aspects. Only schedules extra_actions for top level targets.

--[no]experimental_extra_action_top_level_only

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_fetch_all_coverage_outputs 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, then Bazel fetches the entire coverage data directory for each test during a coverage run.

--[no]experimental_fetch_all_coverage_outputs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--experimental_filter_library_jar_with_program_jar 🔗

Use with: configuration

Filter the ProGuard ProgramJar to remove any classes also present in the LibraryJar.

--[no]experimental_filter_library_jar_with_program_jar

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

action_command_lines

--experimental_filter_r_jars_from_android_test 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, R Jars will be filtered from the test apk built by android_test.

--[no]experimental_filter_r_jars_from_android_test

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--experimental_fix_deps_tool 🔗

Use with: configuration

Specifies which tool should be used to resolve missing dependencies.

--experimental_fix_deps_tool

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

build_file_semantics

--experimental_force_gc_after_build 🔗

Use with: common

If true calls System.gc() after a build to try and get a post-gc peak heap measurement.

--[no]experimental_force_gc_after_build

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--experimental_fsvc_threads 🔗

Use with: build

The number of threads that are used by the FileSystemValueChecker.

--experimental_fsvc_threads

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_generate_llvm_lcov 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, coverage for clang will generate an LCOV report.

--[no]experimental_generate_llvm_lcov

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--experimental_genquery_use_graphless_query 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to use graphless query and disable output ordering.

--[no]experimental_genquery_use_graphless_query

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configurationaffects_outputsloading_and_analysis

--experimental_get_android_java_resources_from_optimized_jar 🔗

Use with: configuration

Get Java resources from _proguard.jar instead of _deploy.jar in android_binary when bundling the final APK.

--[no]experimental_get_android_java_resources_from_optimized_jar

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--experimental_google_legacy_api 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, exposes a number of experimental pieces of Starlark build API pertaining to Google legacy code.

--[no]experimental_google_legacy_api

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_graphless_query 🔗

Use with: query

If true, uses a Query implementation that does not make a copy of the graph. The new implementation only supports --order_output=no, as well as only a subset of output formatters.

--[no]experimental_graphless_query

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

query

Option effect tags

build_file_semanticseagerness_to_exit

--experimental_guard_against_concurrent_changes 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

Turn this off to disable checking the ctime of input files of an action before uploading it to a remote cache. There may be cases where the Linux kernel delays writing of files, which could cause false positives.

--[no]experimental_guard_against_concurrent_changes

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_import_deps_checking 🔗

Use with: configuration

When enabled, check whether the dependencies of an aar_import are complete. This enforcement can break the build, or can just result in warnings.

--experimental_import_deps_checking

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--experimental_include_xcode_execution_requirements 🔗

Use with: configuration

If set, add a "requires-xcode:{version}" execution requirement to every Xcode action. If the xcode version has a hyphenated label, also add a "requires-xcode-label:{version_label}" execution requirement.

--[no]experimental_include_xcode_execution_requirements

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_stateloading_and_analysisexecution

--experimental_includes_attribute_subpackage_traversal 🔗

Use with: configuration

If a cc target has loose headers checking, disabled layering check and an includes attribute set, it is allowed to include anything under its folder, even across subpackage boundaries.

--[no]experimental_includes_attribute_subpackage_traversal

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_incremental_dexing_after_proguard 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to use incremental dexing tools when building proguarded Android binaries. Values > 0 turn the feature on, values > 1 run that many dexbuilder shards.

--experimental_incremental_dexing_after_proguard

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--experimental_incremental_dexing_after_proguard_by_default 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to use incremental dexing for proguarded Android binaries by default. Use incremental_dexing attribute to override default for a particular android_binary.

--[no]experimental_incremental_dexing_after_proguard_by_default

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_inmemory_dotd_files 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, C++ .d files will be passed through in memory directly from the remote build nodes instead of being written to disk.

--[no]experimental_inmemory_dotd_files

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecutionaffects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_inmemory_jdeps_files 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, the dependency (.jdeps) files generated from Java compilations will be passed through in memory directly from the remote build nodes instead of being written to disk.

--[no]experimental_inmemory_jdeps_files

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecutionaffects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_inprocess_symlink_creation 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to make direct file system calls to create symlink trees

--[no]experimental_inprocess_symlink_creation

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_j2objc_header_map 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to generate J2ObjC header map in parallel of J2ObjC transpilation.

--[no]experimental_j2objc_header_map

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_j2objc_shorter_header_path 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to generate with shorter header path (uses "_ios" instead of "_j2objc").

--[no]experimental_j2objc_shorter_header_path

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_java_classpath 🔗

Use with: configuration

Enables reduced classpaths for Java compilations.

--experimental_java_classpath

Old name

--java_classpath

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_java_header_input_pruning 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, header compilation actions support --java_classpath=bazel

--[no]experimental_java_header_input_pruning

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_java_proto_add_allowed_public_imports 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, add --allowed_public_imports to the java compile actions.

--[no]experimental_java_proto_add_allowed_public_imports

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_keep_config_nodes_on_analysis_discard 🔗

Use with: build

When discarding the analysis cache due to a change in the build options, whether to keep the 'BuildConfigurationValue' nodes in the Skyframe graph. Keeping them uses additional memory but allows the `config` command to operate on configs from previous builds.

--[no]experimental_keep_config_nodes_on_analysis_discard

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_state

--experimental_limit_android_lint_to_android_constrained_java 🔗

Use with: configuration

Limit --experimental_run_android_lint_on_java_rules to Android-compatible libraries.

--[no]experimental_limit_android_lint_to_android_constrained_java

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_link_static_libraries_once 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, cc_shared_library will link all libraries statically linked into it, that should only be linked once.

--[no]experimental_link_static_libraries_once

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

incompatible_changeexperimental

--experimental_local_execution_delay 🔗

Use with: build

How many milliseconds should local execution be delayed, if remote execution was faster during a build at least once?

--experimental_local_execution_delay

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_local_lockfree_output 🔗

Use with: build

When true, the local spawn runner does lock the output tree during dynamic execution. Instead, spawns are allowed to execute until they are explicitly interrupted by a faster remote action.

--[no]experimental_local_lockfree_output

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_local_memory_estimate 🔗

Use with: build

Estimate the actual memory available online. By default, Blaze assumes most actions use a fixed amount of memory, and counts that against the total available system memory, regardless of how much memory is actually available. This option enables online estimation of how much memory is available at any given time, and thus does not require accurate estimation of how much memory a given action will take.

--[no]experimental_local_memory_estimate

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_local_retries_on_crash 🔗

Use with: build

Number of times to retry a local action when we detect that it crashed. This exists to workaround a bug in OSXFUSE which is tickled by the use of the dynamic scheduler and --experimental_local_lockfree_output due to constant process churn. The bug can be triggered by a cancelled process that ran *before* the process we are trying to run, introducing corruption in its file reads.

--experimental_local_retries_on_crash

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_materialize_param_files_directly 🔗

Use with: build

If materializing param files, do so with direct writes to disk.

--[no]experimental_materialize_param_files_directly

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_max_directories_to_eagerly_visit_in_globbing 🔗

Use with: buildcanonicalize-flagsfetchquerysync

If non-negative, the first time a glob is evaluated in a package, the subdirectories of the package will be traversed in order to warm filesystem caches and compensate for lack of parallelism in globbing. At most this many directories will be visited.

--experimental_max_directories_to_eagerly_visit_in_globbing

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_merged_skyframe_analysis_execution 🔗

Use with: build

If this flag is set, the analysis and execution phases of Skyframe are merged.

--[no]experimental_merged_skyframe_analysis_execution

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_multi_cpu 🔗

Use with: build

This flag allows specifying multiple target CPUs. If this is specified, the --cpu option is ignored.

--experimental_multi_cpu

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_multi_threaded_digest 🔗

Use with: build

No-op

--[no]experimental_multi_threaded_digest

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_ninja_actions 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, enables Ninja execution functionality.

--[no]experimental_ninja_actions

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_objc_fastbuild_options 🔗

Use with: configuration

Uses these strings as objc fastbuild compiler options.

--experimental_objc_fastbuild_options

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_lines

--experimental_objc_include_scanning 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to perform include scanning for objective C/C++.

--[no]experimental_objc_include_scanning

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecutionchanges_inputs

--experimental_objc_provider_from_linked 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether Apple rules which control linking should propagate objc provider at the top level

--[no]experimental_objc_provider_from_linked

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebuild_file_semantics

--experimental_omit_resources_info_provider_from_android_binary 🔗

Use with: configuration

Omit AndroidResourcesInfo provider from android_binary rules. Propagating resources out to other binaries is usually unintentional.

--[no]experimental_omit_resources_info_provider_from_android_binary

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_omitfp 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, use libunwind for stack unwinding, and compile with -fomit-frame-pointer and -fasynchronous-unwind-tables.

--[no]experimental_omitfp

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

action_command_linesaffects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_one_version_enforcement 🔗

Use with: configuration

When enabled, enforce that a java_binary rule can't contain more than one version of the same class file on the classpath. This enforcement can break the build, or can just result in warnings.

--experimental_one_version_enforcement

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_one_version_enforcement_use_transitive_jars_for_binary_under_test 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, one version enforcement for android_test uses the binary_under_test's transitive classpath, otherwise it uses the deploy jar

--[no]experimental_one_version_enforcement_use_transitive_jars_for_binary_under_test

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configurationaction_command_lines

--experimental_oom_more_eagerly_threshold 🔗

Use with: common

If this flag is set to a value less than 100, Bazel will OOM if, after two full GC's, more than this percentage of the (old gen) heap is still occupied.

--experimental_oom_more_eagerly_threshold

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

host_machine_resource_optimizations

--experimental_oom_sensitive_skyfunctions_semaphore_size 🔗

Use with: build

Sets the size of the semaphore used to prevent SkyFunctions with large peak memory requirement from OOM-ing blaze. A value of 0 indicates that no semaphore should be used. Example value: "HOST_CPUS*0.5".

--experimental_oom_sensitive_skyfunctions_semaphore_size

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisbazel_internal_configuration

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_output_paths 🔗

Use with: configuration

Which model to use for where in the output tree rules write their outputs, particularly for multi-platform / multi-configuration builds. This is highly experimental. See https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/issues/6526 for details.

--experimental_output_paths

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_statebazel_internal_configurationaffects_outputsexecution

--experimental_parse_headers_skipped_if_corresponding_srcs_found 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled, the parse_headers feature does not create a separate header compile action if a source with the same basename is found in the same target.

--[no]experimental_parse_headers_skipped_if_corresponding_srcs_found

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisaffects_outputs

--experimental_path_agnostic_action 🔗

Use with: build

Setting this to an action's mnemonic declares that the action's output doesn't depend on its input or output paths. For example, "mytool blaze-out/x86-fastbuild/input -o bar/output" produces the same output as "mytool blaze-out/input -o baz/output". The action executor may strip configuration prefixes from paths before running these actions to improve cache efficiency. For for example, "blaze-out/k8-fastbuild/foo" -> "blaze-out/foo". Be especially careful with actions that process debug symbol paths or manifest files.

--experimental_path_agnostic_action

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_persistent_javac 🔗

Use with: build

Enable the experimental persistent Java compiler.

--experimental_persistent_javac

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Expands to

--strategy=Javac=worker
--strategy=JavaIjar=local
--strategy=JavaDeployJar=local
--strategy=JavaSourceJar=local
--strategy=Turbine=local

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_persistent_test_runner 🔗

Use with: configuration

Allows running java_test targets locally within a persistent worker. To enable the persistent test runner one must run bazel test with the flags:--test_strategy=local --strategy=TestRunner=worker --experimental_persistent_test_runner

--[no]experimental_persistent_test_runner

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

uncategorized

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_platform_in_output_dir 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, the target platform is used in the output directory name instead of the CPU.

--[no]experimental_platform_in_output_dir

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_parameters

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_platforms_api 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, enables a number of platform-related Starlark APIs useful for debugging.

--[no]experimental_platforms_api

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_post_profile_started_event 🔗

Use with: build

No-op.

--[no]experimental_post_profile_started_event

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_prefer_mutual_xcode 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, use the most recent Xcode that is available both locally and remotely. If false, or if there are no mutual available versions, use the local Xcode version selected via xcode-select.

--[no]experimental_prefer_mutual_xcode

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

toolchain

Option effect tags

loses_incremental_state

--experimental_process_wrapper_graceful_sigterm 🔗

Use with: build

When true, make the process-wrapper propagate SIGTERMs (used by the dynamic scheduler to stop process trees) to the subprocesses themselves, giving them the grace period in --local_termination_grace_seconds before forcibly sending a SIGKILL.

--[no]experimental_process_wrapper_graceful_sigterm

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_profile_action_counts 🔗

Use with: build

No-op.

--[no]experimental_profile_action_counts

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_profile_additional_tasks 🔗

Use with: common

Specifies additional profile tasks to be included in the profile.

--experimental_profile_additional_tasks

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_monitoring

--experimental_profile_cpu_usage 🔗

Use with: common

No-op

--[no]experimental_profile_cpu_usage

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

no_op

Option metadata tags

deprecatedexperimental

--experimental_profile_include_primary_output 🔗

Use with: common

Includes the extra "out" attribute in action events that contains the exec path to the action's primary output.

--[no]experimental_profile_include_primary_output

Old name

--[no]experimental_include_primary_output

Warn old name

False

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_monitoring

--experimental_profile_include_target_label 🔗

Use with: common

Includes target label in action events' JSON profile data.

--[no]experimental_profile_include_target_label

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputsbazel_monitoring

--experimental_proto_descriptor_sets_include_source_info 🔗

Use with: configuration

Run extra actions for alternative Java api versions in a proto_library.

--[no]experimental_proto_descriptor_sets_include_source_info

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_proto_extra_actions 🔗

Use with: configuration

Run extra actions for alternative Java api versions in a proto_library.

--[no]experimental_proto_extra_actions

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

output_selection

Option effect tags

affects_outputsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_python_import_all_repositories 🔗

Use with: configuration

If true, the roots of repositories in the runfiles tree are added to PYTHONPATH, so that imports like `import mytoplevelpackage.package.module` are valid. Regardless of whether this flag is true, the runfiles root itself is also added to the PYTHONPATH, so `import myreponame.mytoplevelpackage.package.module` is valid. The latter form is less likely to experience import name collisions.

--[no]experimental_python_import_all_repositories

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

--experimental_record_metrics_for_all_mnemonics 🔗

Use with: common

By default the number of action types is limited to the 20 mnemonics with the largest number of executed actions. Setting this option will write statistics for all mnemonics.

--[no]experimental_record_metrics_for_all_mnemonics

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remotable_source_manifests 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to make source manifest actions remotable

--[no]experimental_remotable_source_manifests

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisexecution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_remote_cache_async 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

If true, remote cache I/O will happen in the background instead of taking place as the part of a spawn.

--[no]experimental_remote_cache_async

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_cache_compression 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

If enabled, compress/decompress cache blobs with zstd.

--[no]experimental_remote_cache_compression

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_capture_corrupted_outputs 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

A path to a directory where the corrupted outputs will be captured to.

--experimental_remote_capture_corrupted_outputs

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_download_regex 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

Force Bazel to download the artifacts that match the given regexp. To be used in conjunction with Build without the Bytes (or the internal equivalent) to allow the client to request certain artifacts that might be needed locally (e.g. IDE support)

--experimental_remote_download_regex

Allows multiple

True

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_remote_downloader 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

A Remote Asset API endpoint URI, to be used as a remote download proxy. The supported schemas are grpc, grpcs (grpc with TLS enabled) and unix (local UNIX sockets). If no schema is provided Bazel will default to grpcs. See: https://github.com/bazelbuild/remote-apis/blob/master/build/bazel/remote/asset/v1/remote_asset.proto

--experimental_remote_downloader

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_execution_keepalive 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

Whether to use keepalive for remote execution calls.

--[no]experimental_remote_execution_keepalive

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_grpc_log 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

If specified, a path to a file to log gRPC call related details. This log consists of a sequence of serialized com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.logging.RemoteExecutionLog.LogEntry protobufs with each message prefixed by a varint denoting the size of the following serialized protobuf message, as performed by the method LogEntry.writeDelimitedTo(OutputStream).

--experimental_remote_grpc_log

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_merkle_tree_cache 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

If set to true, Merkle tree calculations will be memoized to improve the remote cache hit checking speed. The memory foot print of the cache is controlled by --experimental_remote_merkle_tree_cache_size.

--[no]experimental_remote_merkle_tree_cache

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remote_merkle_tree_cache_size 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysynctest

The number of Merkle trees to memoize to improve the remote cache hit checking speed. Even though the cache is automatically pruned according to Java's handling of soft references, out-of-memory errors can occur if set too high. If set to 0 the cache size is unlimited. Optimal value varies depending on project's size. Default to 1000.

--experimental_remote_merkle_tree_cache_size

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

remote

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_remove_r_classes_from_instrumentation_test_jar 🔗

Use with: configuration

If enabled and the test instruments an application, all the R classes from the test's deploy jar will be removed.

--[no]experimental_remove_r_classes_from_instrumentation_test_jar

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--experimental_replay_action_out_err 🔗

Use with: build

If this flag is set, replay action out/err on incremental builds.

--[no]experimental_replay_action_out_err

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

execution

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repo_remote_exec 🔗

Use with: common

If set to true, repository_rule gains some remote execution capabilities.

--[no]experimental_repo_remote_exec

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

starlark_semantics

Option effect tags

build_file_semanticsloading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repository_cache_hardlinks 🔗

Use with: common

If set, the repository cache will hardlink the file in case of a cache hit, rather than copying. This is intended to save disk space.

--[no]experimental_repository_cache_hardlinks

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

bazel_internal_configuration

--experimental_repository_cache_urls_as_default_canonical_id 🔗

Use with: common

If true, use a string derived from the URLs of repository downloads as the canonical_id if not specified. This causes a change in the URLs to result in a redownload even if the cache contains a download with the same hash. This can be used to verify that URL changes don't result in broken repositories being masked by the cache.

--[no]experimental_repository_cache_urls_as_default_canonical_id

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysis

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repository_disable_download 🔗

Use with: common

If set, downloading external repositories is not allowed.

--[no]experimental_repository_disable_download

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

unknown

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repository_downloader_retries 🔗

Use with: common

The maximum number of attempts to retry a download error. If set to 0, retries are disabled.

--experimental_repository_downloader_retries

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

bazel_client_options

Option effect tags

unknown

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repository_hash_file 🔗

Use with: common

If non-empty, specifies a file containing a resolved value, against which the repository directory hashes should be verified

--experimental_repository_hash_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

input_strictness

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

Option metadata tags

experimental

--experimental_repository_resolved_file 🔗

Use with: buildfetchquerysync

If non-empty, write a Starlark value with the resolved information of all Starlark repository rules that were executed.

--experimental_repository_resolved_file

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

logging

Option effect tags

affects_outputs

--experimental_require_availability_info 🔗

Use with: build

If true, fail the build if there are actions that set requires-darwin but do not haveXcode availability-related execution requirements set.

--[no]experimental_require_availability_info

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

unknown

--experimental_required_aspects 🔗

Use with: common

No-op

--[no]experimental_required_aspects

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

undocumented

Option effect tags

no_op

Option metadata tags

deprecatedexperimental

--experimental_resolved_file_instead_of_workspace 🔗

Use with: common

If non-empty read the specified resolved file instead of the WORKSPACE file

--experimental_resolved_file_instead_of_workspace

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

generic_inputs

Option effect tags

changes_inputs

--experimental_retain_test_configuration_across_testonly 🔗

Use with: configuration

When enabled, --trim_test_configuration will not trim the test configuration for rules marked testonly=1. This is meant to reduce action conflict issues when non-test rules depend on cc_test rules. No effect if --trim_test_configuration is false.

--[no]experimental_retain_test_configuration_across_testonly

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

build_time_optimization

Option effect tags

loading_and_analysisloses_incremental_state

--experimental_reuse_sandbox_directories 🔗

Use with: build

If set to true, directories used by sandboxed non-worker execution may be reused to avoid unnecessary setup costs.

--[no]experimental_reuse_sandbox_directories

Allows multiple

False

Documentation category

execution_strategy

Option effect tags

execution

--experimental_run_android_lint_on_java_rules 🔗

Use with: configuration

Whether to validate java_* sources.

--[no]experimental_run_android_lint_on_java_rules