Built-in rule tags

You have the option to apply your own tags to rules or use the tags that are built-in to SonarQube Server 2025.2.

Tags are a way to categorize rules and issues. Issues inherit the tags on the rules that raised them. Some tags are language-specific, but many more appear across languages. Users can add tags to rules and issues and most rules have some tags out of the box. Here is a non-comprehensive list of what some of those built-in tags mean:

• architecture: there is something questionable about the architecture of the code.
• brain-overload: there is too much to keep in your head at one time.
• bad-practice: the code likely works as designed, but the way it was designed is widely recognized as being a bad idea.
• CERT: relates to a rule in a CERT standard. There are currently three CERT standards: C, C++, and Java. Many of these rules are not language-specific, but are good programming practices. That’s why you’ll see this tag on non-C/C++, Java rules.
• clumsy: extra steps are used to accomplish something that could be done more clearly and concisely. (E.G. calling .toString() on a String).
• confusing: will take maintainers longer to understand than is really justified by what the code actually does.
• convention: coding convention, typically formatting, naming, whitespace, etc.
• CWE: relates to a rule in the Common Weakness Enumeration. For more on CWE and on security-related rules in general, see Security-related rules.
• lock-in: environment-specific features are used.
• pitfall: nothing is wrong yet, but something could go wrong in the future; a trap has been set for the next person, and they’ll probably fall into it and screw up the code.
• suspicious: it’s not guaranteed that this is a bug, but it suspiciously looks like a bug. At the very least, the code should be re-examined and likely refactored for clarity.
• unpredictable: the code may work fine under current conditions, but may fail erratically if conditions change.
• unused: unused code; for example, a private variable that is never used.
• user-experience: there’s nothing technically wrong with your code, but it may make some or all of your users hate you.