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buildpacks-io

Cloud Native Buildpacks (CNB) is a CNCF Incubating project that transforms application source code into OCI images that can run on any cloud. The v3 specification — Buildpack API 0.12, Platform API 0.15, and Distribution API 0.3 — defines a modular, vendor-neutral contract between buildpacks, builders, lifecycles, and platforms. CNB consolidates a decade of production experience from Heroku and Pivotal/Cloud Foundry and provides the reference lifecycle (buildpacksio/lifecycle), the `pack` CLI, language bindings (libcnb in Go/Rust/.NET), the Kubernetes-native `kpack` platform, the public community registry at registry.buildpacks.io, and an open RFC-driven governance model.

7 APIs 1 Capabilities 20 Features

buildpacks-io publishes 1 API on the APIs.io network: Buildpack Registry Extension.

The buildpacks-io catalog on APIs.io includes 1 machine-runnable capability, 1 JSON-LD context, and 1 Spectral governance ruleset.

buildpacks-io’s developer surface includes developer portal, documentation, getting-started guide, release notes, engineering blog, tooling, SDKs, and 37 more developer resources.

APIs

Buildpack Specification

The Buildpack API (currently 0.12) defines the contract between an individual buildpack and the lifecycle. It specifies the on-disk layout of a buildpack (buildpack.toml, bin/de...

Platform Specification

The Platform API (currently 0.15) defines how platforms (pack, kpack, Tekton Pipelines, GitLab Auto DevOps, CircleCI Orb, Project Piper) orchestrate the lifecycle. Specifies the...

Distribution Specification

The Distribution API (currently 0.3) defines how buildpacks, extensions, and builders are packaged as OCI artifacts and published to OCI registries. Covers labels (io.buildpacks...

Image Extension Specification

Image extensions emit Dockerfile snippets applied by the `extender` lifecycle binary to the build and/or run image. Share the buildpack surface (extension.toml, bin/detect, bin/...

Project Descriptor (project.toml)

The Project Descriptor extension defines project.toml — the optional app-root file letting developers declare their builder image, include/exclude globs, buildpack overrides (pr...

Buildpack Registry Extension

The Buildpack Registry extension specifies the community discovery surface — namespaced buildpack identifiers (e.g. paketo-buildpacks/nodejs), the registry-index GitHub reposito...

Service Bindings Extension

The Service Bindings extension specifies how external service credentials and configuration are surfaced to detect and build under $CNB_PLATFORM_DIR/bindings/. Aligns with the S...

Capabilities

Cloud Native Buildpacks Registry — Buildpacks

Cloud Native Buildpacks Registry API — Buildpacks. 3 operations. Lead operation: Search Buildpacks. Self-contained Naftiko capability covering the registry-index discovery surface.

Run with Naftiko

Features

Buildpack API 0.12 — modular detect/build contract producing OCI layers without Dockerfiles
Platform API 0.15 — lifecycle orchestration surface (analyze, detect, restore, extend, build, export, rebase, launch)
Distribution API 0.3 — OCI-packaged buildpacks, extensions, and builders
Image extensions — Dockerfile snippets applied by the `extender` for base-image customization
Project Descriptor (project.toml) — declarative app-side build configuration
Build plan with provides/requires reconciliation across composite (meta) buildpacks
Per-layer caching with launch/build/cache types in `.toml`
Rebase — swap run image base layers in seconds without rebuilding app layers
Targets (os/arch/distros) replacing the legacy stacks model since Buildpack API 0.12
Per-layer SBOM emission in CycloneDX, SPDX, and Syft formats; aggregated into io.buildpacks.build.metadata
Standard OCI image labels (io.buildpacks.lifecycle.metadata, io.buildpacks.build.metadata, io.buildpacks.project.metadata, io.buildpacks.rebasable)
Reference lifecycle distributed as buildpacksio/lifecycle Docker image
Reference CLI `pack` (v0.40.6, May 2026) implementing the Platform Interface Specification
Public community registry at registry.buildpacks.io with `pack buildpack register/pull/yank`
Language bindings via libcnb (Go), libcnb-rs (Rust), and libcnb.net (.NET)
Kubernetes-native platform via kpack with Image/Builder/Stack CRDs
CI integrations — GitHub Actions, CircleCI Orb, GitLab Auto DevOps, Tekton, Project Piper
Multi-arch builders (linux/amd64, linux/arm64, windows) selected via target reconciliation
Service Bindings extension aligned with the Service Binding Specification for Kubernetes
Vendor-neutral CNCF Incubating project (incubation since 2018-10) with public RFC process

Semantic Vocabularies

Buildpacks Io Context

21 classes · 10 properties

JSON-LD

API Governance Rules

buildpacks-io API Rules

8 rules · 3 errors 4 warnings 1 info

SPECTRAL

Resources

🌐
Portal
Portal
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🚀
GettingStarted
GettingStarted
🔗
Community
Community
📄
ReleaseNotes
ReleaseNotes
📰
Blog
Blog
🔗
VideoChannel
VideoChannel
🔗
SocialMedia
SocialMedia
👥
GitHubOrganization
GitHubOrganization
👥
GitHubOrganization
GitHubOrganization
🔗
Repository
Repository
🔗
Repository
Repository
🔗
Repository
Repository
🔗
Governance
Governance
🔗
Roadmap
Roadmap
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
CaseStudies
CaseStudies
🔧
Tool
Tool
🔧
Tool
Tool
🔗
ContainerImage
ContainerImage
📦
SDK
SDK
📦
SDK
SDK
📦
SDK
SDK
💻
CodeExamples
CodeExamples
🔧
Tool
Tool
🔧
Tool
Tool
🔧
Tool
Tool
🔗
Repository
Repository
🔗
Repository
Repository
🌐
Portal
Portal
🔗
Analytics
Analytics
🔗
Documentation
Documentation
🔗
MailingList
MailingList
🔗
Forum
Forum
🔗
Forum
Forum
🔗
Forum
Forum
🔗
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
🔗
SpectralRules
SpectralRules
🔗
JSONLD
JSONLD

Sources

Raw ↑
aid: buildpacks-io
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/buildpacks-io/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
apis:
- aid: buildpacks-io:buildpack-spec
  name: Buildpack Specification
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Buildpack API
  - Specification
  - CNCF
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/buildpack.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/buildpack.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
    type: Repository
  - url: json-schema/buildpacks-buildpack-toml-schema.json
    type: JSONSchema
  - url: json-schema/buildpacks-build-plan-schema.json
    type: JSONSchema
  - url: json-schema/buildpacks-launch-toml-schema.json
    type: JSONSchema
  - url: json-structure/buildpacks-io-structure.json
    type: JSONStructure
  - url: json-ld/buildpacks-io-context.jsonld
    type: JSONLD
  description: The Buildpack API (currently 0.12) defines the contract between an individual buildpack and the
    lifecycle. It specifies the on-disk layout of a buildpack (buildpack.toml, bin/detect, bin/build), the build
    plan provides/requires graph, layer types (launch/build/cache), launch.toml and build.toml outputs, target
    declarations (os/arch/distros), SBOM emission, and the CNB_* environment variable contract.
- aid: buildpacks-io:platform-spec
  name: Platform Specification
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Platform API
  - Specification
  - CNCF
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/platform.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/platform.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
    type: Repository
  - url: json-structure/buildpacks-io-structure.json
    type: JSONStructure
  description: The Platform API (currently 0.15) defines how platforms (pack, kpack, Tekton Pipelines, GitLab Auto
    DevOps, CircleCI Orb, Project Piper) orchestrate the lifecycle. Specifies the lifecycle binary surface
    (analyzer, detector, restorer, extender, builder, exporter, creator, rebaser, launcher), the TOML files
    exchanged on disk (group.toml, plan.toml, order.toml, run.toml, metadata.toml, report.toml, analyzed.toml,
    project-metadata.toml), the standard io.buildpacks.* OCI image labels, and runtime process selection.
- aid: buildpacks-io:distribution-spec
  name: Distribution Specification
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Distribution
  - OCI
  - CNCF
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/distribution.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/distribution.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
    type: Repository
  description: The Distribution API (currently 0.3) defines how buildpacks, extensions, and builders are packaged
    as OCI artifacts and published to OCI registries. Covers labels (io.buildpacks.buildpack.api,
    io.buildpacks.buildpack.layers), multi-buildpack OCI artifacts, and image extension distribution.
- aid: buildpacks-io:image-extension-spec
  name: Image Extension Specification
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Image Extension
  - Dockerfile
  - Specification
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/image_extension.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/image_extension.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
    type: Repository
  description: Image extensions emit Dockerfile snippets applied by the `extender` lifecycle binary to the build
    and/or run image. Share the buildpack surface (extension.toml, bin/detect, bin/generate) but produce Dockerfile
    output instead of layers — enabling base-image customization (apt packages, native libs) inside a buildpacks
    workflow.
- aid: buildpacks-io:project-descriptor-spec
  name: Project Descriptor (project.toml)
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Project Descriptor
  - App Surface
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/project-descriptor.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/project-descriptor.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: json-schema/buildpacks-project-toml-schema.json
    type: JSONSchema
  description: The Project Descriptor extension defines project.toml — the optional app-root file letting
    developers declare their builder image, include/exclude globs, buildpack overrides (pre/group/post), and
    build-time env vars. Read by `pack build` and other platforms before invoking the lifecycle.
- aid: buildpacks-io:buildpack-registry-spec
  name: Buildpack Registry Extension
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Registry
  - Discovery
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/buildpack-registry.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/buildpack-registry.md
    type: Documentation
  - url: https://registry.buildpacks.io
    type: Portal
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/registry-index
    type: Repository
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/registry-api
    type: Repository
  - url: openapi/buildpacks-registry-api-openapi.yml
    type: OpenAPI
  - url: examples/buildpacks-registry-search-example.json
    type: Example
  - url: examples/buildpacks-registry-version-example.json
    type: Example
  - type: NaftikoCapability
    url: capabilities/registry-buildpacks.yaml
  description: The Buildpack Registry extension specifies the community discovery surface — namespaced buildpack
    identifiers (e.g. paketo-buildpacks/nodejs), the registry-index GitHub repository as the source of truth, and
    the HTTP API exposed at registry.buildpacks.io/api/v1 (search and per-buildpack version lookup). Backed by the
    `pack buildpack register/yank/pull` commands.
- aid: buildpacks-io:service-bindings-spec
  name: Service Bindings Extension
  tags:
  - Cloud Native Buildpacks
  - Service Bindings
  - Kubernetes
  humanURL: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/bindings.md
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec/blob/main/extensions/bindings.md
    type: Documentation
  description: The Service Bindings extension specifies how external service credentials and configuration are
    surfaced to detect and build under $CNB_PLATFORM_DIR/bindings/. Aligns with the Service Binding Specification
    for Kubernetes and lets buildpacks discover databases, message brokers, and CA bundles without provider
    coupling.
common:
- url: https://buildpacks.io
  type: Portal
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/concepts/
  name: Concepts
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-app-developers/
  name: For App Developers
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-buildpack-authors/
  name: For Buildpack Authors
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-platform-operators/
  name: For Platform Operators
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/reference/
  name: Reference
  type: Documentation
- url: https://buildpacks.io/docs/app-journey
  name: An App's Brief Journey from Source to Image
  type: GettingStarted
- url: https://buildpacks.io/community/
  type: Community
- url: https://buildpacks.io/releases/
  name: Releases
  type: ReleaseNotes
- url: https://medium.com/buildpacks
  name: Buildpacks on Medium
  type: Blog
- url: https://www.youtube.com/@buildpacks
  type: VideoChannel
- url: https://twitter.com/buildpacks_io
  type: SocialMedia
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks
  name: Cloud Native Buildpacks GitHub
  type: GitHubOrganization
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks-community
  name: CNB Community GitHub
  type: GitHubOrganization
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
  name: Buildpacks Specification
  type: Repository
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/rfcs
  name: Buildpacks RFCs
  type: Repository
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community
  name: Community Repository
  type: Repository
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community/blob/main/GOVERNANCE.md
  type: Governance
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community/blob/main/ROADMAP.md
  type: Roadmap
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community/blob/main/TEAMS.md
  name: Teams
  type: Documentation
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community/blob/main/ADOPTERS.md
  name: Adopters
  type: CaseStudies
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/pack
  name: pack CLI
  type: Tool
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/lifecycle
  name: lifecycle
  type: Tool
- url: https://hub.docker.com/r/buildpacksio/lifecycle
  name: buildpacksio/lifecycle Docker image
  type: ContainerImage
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/libcnb
  name: libcnb (Go)
  type: SDK
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/libcnb-rs
  name: libcnb (Rust)
  type: SDK
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks-community/libcnb.net
  name: libcnb (.NET)
  type: SDK
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/samples
  name: Samples
  type: CodeExamples
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/github-actions
  name: GitHub Actions for Buildpacks
  type: Tool
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/pack-orb
  name: pack CircleCI Orb
  type: Tool
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks-community/kpack
  name: kpack (Kubernetes)
  type: Tool
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/registry-index
  name: Registry Index
  type: Repository
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/registry-api
  name: Registry API
  type: Repository
- url: https://registry.buildpacks.io
  name: Buildpack Registry
  type: Portal
- url: https://buildpacks.devstats.cncf.io/
  name: CNCF DevStats
  type: Analytics
- url: https://www.cncf.io/projects/buildpacks/
  name: CNCF Incubating Project Page
  type: Documentation
- url: https://lists.cncf.io/g/cncf-buildpacks
  type: MailingList
- url: https://slack.cncf.io
  name: CNCF Slack (#buildpacks)
  type: Forum
- url: https://github.com/buildpacks/community/discussions
  type: Forum
- url: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/buildpack
  name: Stack Overflow — buildpack tag
  type: Forum
- type: Features
  data:
  - Buildpack API 0.12 — modular detect/build contract producing OCI layers without Dockerfiles
  - Platform API 0.15 — lifecycle orchestration surface (analyze, detect, restore, extend, build, export, rebase, launch)
  - Distribution API 0.3 — OCI-packaged buildpacks, extensions, and builders
  - Image extensions — Dockerfile snippets applied by the `extender` for base-image customization
  - Project Descriptor (project.toml) — declarative app-side build configuration
  - Build plan with provides/requires reconciliation across composite (meta) buildpacks
  - Per-layer caching with launch/build/cache types in `<layer>.toml`
  - Rebase — swap run image base layers in seconds without rebuilding app layers
  - Targets (os/arch/distros) replacing the legacy stacks model since Buildpack API 0.12
  - Per-layer SBOM emission in CycloneDX, SPDX, and Syft formats; aggregated into io.buildpacks.build.metadata
  - Standard OCI image labels (io.buildpacks.lifecycle.metadata, io.buildpacks.build.metadata, io.buildpacks.project.metadata, io.buildpacks.rebasable)
  - Reference lifecycle distributed as buildpacksio/lifecycle Docker image
  - Reference CLI `pack` (v0.40.6, May 2026) implementing the Platform Interface Specification
  - Public community registry at registry.buildpacks.io with `pack buildpack register/pull/yank`
  - Language bindings via libcnb (Go), libcnb-rs (Rust), and libcnb.net (.NET)
  - Kubernetes-native platform via kpack with Image/Builder/Stack CRDs
  - CI integrations — GitHub Actions, CircleCI Orb, GitLab Auto DevOps, Tekton, Project Piper
  - Multi-arch builders (linux/amd64, linux/arm64, windows) selected via target reconciliation
  - Service Bindings extension aligned with the Service Binding Specification for Kubernetes
  - Vendor-neutral CNCF Incubating project (incubation since 2018-10) with public RFC process
  sources:
  - https://buildpacks.io/
  - https://buildpacks.io/docs/
  - https://github.com/buildpacks/spec
  - https://github.com/buildpacks/rfcs
  - https://github.com/buildpacks/community
  - https://www.cncf.io/projects/buildpacks/
  updated: '2026-05-25'
- url: vocabulary/buildpacks-io-vocabulary.yml
  type: Vocabulary
- url: rules/buildpacks-io-rules.yml
  type: SpectralRules
- url: json-ld/buildpacks-io-context.jsonld
  type: JSONLD
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
position: Producing
description: Cloud Native Buildpacks (CNB) is a CNCF Incubating project that transforms application source code
  into OCI images that can run on any cloud. The v3 specification — Buildpack API 0.12, Platform API 0.15, and
  Distribution API 0.3 — defines a modular, vendor-neutral contract between buildpacks, builders, lifecycles, and
  platforms. CNB consolidates a decade of production experience from Heroku and Pivotal/Cloud Foundry and provides
  the reference lifecycle (buildpacksio/lifecycle), the `pack` CLI, language bindings (libcnb in Go/Rust/.NET),
  the Kubernetes-native `kpack` platform, the public community registry at registry.buildpacks.io, and an open
  RFC-driven governance model.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: [email protected]
  X: apievangelist
  url: https://apievangelist.com
specificationVersion: '0.16'