Last Updated: December 6, 2025
When working with annotations in Java, you may find yourself asking how long your annotations are relevant.
This is where retention policies come into play. Understanding retention policies is crucial because they determine when and how annotations are processed by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and tools like compilers.
With the right retention policy, you can ensure your annotations serve their intended purpose effectively, whether it's at compile time, runtime, or somewhere in between.