How to: Version Numbering in Crawl4AI
Crawl4AI follows standard Python version numbering conventions (PEP 440) to help users understand the stability and features of each release.
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Version Numbers Explained
Our version numbers follow this pattern: `MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH` (e.g., 0.4.3)

#### Pre-release Versions
We use different suffixes to indicate development stages:

- `dev` (0.4.3dev1): Development versions, unstable
- `a` (0.4.3a1): Alpha releases, experimental features
- `b` (0.4.3b1): Beta releases, feature complete but needs testing
- `rc` (0.4.3): Release candidates, potential final version

#### Installation
- Regular installation (stable version):
  ```bash
  pip install -U crawl4ai
  ```

- Install pre-release versions:
  ```bash
  pip install crawl4ai --pre
  ```

- Install specific version:
  ```bash
  pip install crawl4ai==0.4.3b1
  ```

#### Why Pre-releases?
We use pre-releases to:
- Test new features in real-world scenarios
- Gather feedback before final releases
- Ensure stability for production users
- Allow early adopters to try new features

For production environments, we recommend using the stable version. For testing new features, you can opt-in to pre-releases using the `--pre` flag.