Release schedule
A new Criteo API version is released every three months at the beginning of each quarter. The version names are date-based by year and month, such as 2020-10. This helps you to know exactly when your version was released. Each version is supported for 12 months. This means when a new stable version is released and contains changes that affect your integration, you have 12 months to test and migrate to the newest version. Here is an example release schedule:| 2020-10 | October 1, 2020 | October 1, 2021 |
| 2021-01 | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2022 |
| 2021-04 | April 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 |
| 2021-07 | July 1, 2021 | July 1, 2022 |

Breaking vs. non-breaking changes
Each version might include a number of changes. Here’s what each of them mean.Breaking change
A breaking change is a change to the API that could cause errors or failures when your app calls the API. Any change that requires you to change the way you call the API is a breaking change. Another type of breaking change is the deprecation of any functionality previously available in the API. Bug fixes can also create breaking changes if they require you to change how you call the API.Backward-compatible change
A backward-compatible change is a change that guarantees that any previous requests will still be valid and provide the same output. Backward-compatible changes include bug fixes or new features that do not interfere with other endpoints or functionality.Calling an API version
The Criteo API version is explicitly declared in the URL your app call, such as:Unstable versions
The Criteo API has two unstable versions that include a number of features that may change before their potential inclusion in an upcoming stable version. Developers are welcome to explore and test the features available in these versions.Preview version
The preview version lets you see what changes are likely to be released in the next stable version, so that you plan accordingly. The preview version is based on the latest stable version. Generally, new changes will be in the preview version for at least a month before going to a quarterly stable version. This version can be called using “preview” as the version number:Beta version
The beta version contains features and changes that are still in testing. You can use the beta version to test new and exploratory features, but since changes are frequent, the beta version should not be used in production. This means that both backwards-incompatible and backwards-compatible changes are made regularly. As a result, beta features may not always be released in future stable versions. Any beta endpoints will be flagged in the documentation and changelog. If you’d like to test endpoints available in the beta version, reach out to your Criteo contact to join the API developer program.Deprecation
After 12 months of stability, each Criteo API will sunset and be deprecated. Developers will receive notices when a version is about to be deprecated. These notices will also be posted on the changelog. To stay informed on version changes and updates to the Criteo API, follow the changelog here.What’s Next