Official docs outline
15 sections- Build Basics
Why build systems, task vs artifact-based builds, hermeticity.
- Repositories, Workspaces, Packages and Targets
Repo layout, packages, targets and labels.
- BUILD Files
Rule declarations and BUILD file structure.
- Labels
Target naming and label syntax.
- Dependencies
Dependency types and the build graph.
- Visibility
Controlling who can depend on a target.
- Platforms and Toolchains
Platform constraints and toolchain resolution.
- Building with Bazel
bazel build options, configuration and output.
- Writing Rules
Rule implementation, providers and actions.
- Macros and Extending
Reusable macros and Starlark.
- External Dependencies and Bzlmod
Modules, repositories and dependency management.
- Remote Caching
Sharing build results across machines.
- Remote Execution
Distributed builds and execution.
- Query
Analyzing the build graph with query and cquery.
- Best Practices
Build configuration and performance practices.
Each section links to the official page. Titles and summaries by Extra Credit; the docs belong to their authors.
Versions and support
6 release lines| Line | Released | Latest | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Jan 20, 2026 | 9.3.1 | Until Dec 31, 2028 LTS |
| 8 | Dec 9, 2024 | 8.8.2 | Until Dec 31, 2027 LTS |
| 7 | Dec 11, 2023 | 7.7.2 | Until Dec 31, 2026 LTS |
| 6 | Dec 19, 2022 | 6.6.0 | Ended Dec 31, 2025 LTS |
| 5 | Jan 19, 2022 | 5.4.1 | Ended Jan 31, 2025 LTS |
| 4 | Jan 21, 2021 | 4.2.4 | Ended Jan 31, 2024 LTS |
Source: endoflife.date