---
title: Incompatible Changes in IntelliJ Platform and Plugins API
---
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=============== DO NOT RENAME OR MOVE THIS FILE ===============

Before documenting a breaking API change, please, make sure that the change cannot be avoided 
in an alternative way.

APIs marked with @ApiStatus.Experimental, @ApiStatus.Internal or @ApiStatus.ScheduledForRemoval don't need to be documented.

To document a new incompatible change, add a new line with the problem pattern
followed by a 2nd line with ": "-prefixed human-readable description and recommended fix/action.

The following problem patterns are supported:

<package name> package removed
<class name> class removed
<class name> class renamed to <new class name>

<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method removed
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method return type changed from <before> to <after>
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method parameter <type> removed
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method parameter type changed from <before> to <after>
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method visibility changed from <before> to <after>
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) method marked final
<class name> (class|interface) now (extends|implements) <class name> and inherits its final method <method name>(<human-readable parameters>)?
<class name> (class|interface) now (extends|implements) <class name> and inherits its abstract method <method name>(<human-readable parameters>)?
<class name>.<method name> method <parameter name> parameter marked @<class name>

<class name>(<human-readable parameters>) constructor removed
<class name>(<human-readable parameters>) constructor parameter <type> removed
<class name>(<human-readable parameters>) constructor parameter type changed from <before> to <after>
<class name>(<human-readable parameters>) constructor visibility changed from <before> to <after>

<class name>.<field name> field removed
<class name>.<field name> field type changed from <before> to <after>
<class name>.<field name> field visibility changed from <before> to <after>

<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) marked abstract
<class name>.<method name>(<human-readable parameters>) abstract method added
<class name> class moved to package <package name>

<property name> property removed from resource bundle <bundle name>

where the placeholders must be enclosed in code quotes (`name`):

<class name> is a fully-qualified name of the class, e.g. `com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.AnAction$InnerClass`.
<method name> is the exact method's name. Note that constructors have dedicated patterns.
<human-readable parameters> is a string representing parameters, which are not necessarily fully qualified. They do not affect the parser. For example, instead of (java.lang.Object, java.util.List, int) you are free to write (Object, List<String>, int)
<parameter name> is exact name of the method's parameter
<property name> is a full name of a property from .properties file, like `some.action.description`
<bundle name> is a fully qualified name of the property bundle, which includes its package, like `message.IdeBundle`

NOTE: If a code change you're trying to document doesn't match any of the above patterns, fill in a ticket in the YouTrack. 
An example of a ticket is https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/PR-1218. Until supported, you may document the change as you prefer, and I will correct it later.

NOTE: You are allowed to prettify the pattern using links: [`org.example.Foo`](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/tree/master/)

NOTE: Entries not starting with code quotes (`name`) can be added to document non-code changes and will be skipped in API verification.
-->

IntelliJ API may be occasionally changed between releases, leading to incompatibilities of existing plugins with newer IDE builds. 

<!--
> **NOTE** Starting with 2020.1 release, IntelliJ Platform–based IDEs will use compatibility check information provided by the [JetBrains Plugins Repository](https://plugins.jetbrains.com) to highlight possible compatibility issues to users directly in the IDE's "Plugins" manager. 
Therefore, it is important to keep your plugins up to date with regard to the existing and upcoming API changes.
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## Verifying Compatibility

### Plugin Verifier
Compatibility with newer IDEs can easily be verified for plugins hosted on the [JetBrains Plugins Repository](https://plugins.jetbrains.com) using the built-in [Plugin Verifier](https://blog.jetbrains.com/platform/2018/07/plugins-repository-now-integrates-with-the-plugin-verification-tool/).

For local verification or non-public plugins, [intellij-plugin-verifier](https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-plugin-verifier) can be used standalone as well.
Integration in [Gradle build](/tutorials/build_system.md) is currently possible via some additional scripts, please see [this issue](https://github.com/JetBrains/gradle-intellij-plugin/issues/385) for details.

If your plugin is hosted on GitHub, it is also readily made available via these GitHub Actions:
- [IntelliJ Platform Plugin Verifier](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/intellij-platform-plugin-verifier)
- [IntelliJ Plugin Verifier](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/intellij-plugin-verifier)   
  
### IDE Support  
Consider using the following IDE inspections to get additional alerts about code that uses unstable API features:
- JVM languages \| Unstable API Usage
- JVM languages \| Unstable type is used in signature
  
  
## Known Breaking Changes  
  
The following pages list the breaking changes in IDE/plugin releases with required/recommended steps to take by plugin authors. 

* [**Changes in 2020.***](api_changes/api_changes_list_2020.md)
* [**Changes in 2019.***](api_changes/api_changes_list_2019.md)
* [**Changes in 2018.***](api_changes/api_changes_list_2018.md)
* [**Changes in 2017.***](api_changes/api_changes_list_2017.md)
* [**Changes in 2016.***](api_changes/api_changes_list_2016.md)

> **NOTE** Changes from API marked with `org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus.@Experimental/ScheduledForRemoval` are not listed here, as incompatible changes are to be expected.