--- title: "Orbs FAQ" description: "Find answers to frequently asked questions and common technical issues that come up when you use CircleCI orbs in your projects." platform: "Cloud, Server" doc_version: "unversioned" last_updated: "2026-09-29" --- > For current CircleCI product defaults, deprecated patterns, and Cloud/Server differences, see [AGENTS.md](https://circleci.com/docs/AGENTS.md). > > For the complete documentation index and site structure, see [llms.txt](https://circleci.com/docs/llms.txt). # Orbs FAQ This document describes various questions and technical issues that you may find helpful when working with orbs. ## FAQs ### What types of orbs are available? CircleCI supports three types of orbs: **Registry orbs** Registry orbs can be developed using the orb dev kit (there is also a manual process) and published for use by anyone (public) or within your organization (private). Registry orbs follow strict semantic versioning. Public registry orbs are available from the [Orbs Registry](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs). Registry orbs are available for many languages, platforms, services, and tools. Visit the [Orbs Registry](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs) to search for orbs to help simplify your configuration. If you would like to author your own registry orb, read more on the [Create a Registry Orb](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/author/create-test-and-publish-a-registry-orb/) page. **URL orbs** URL orbs are stored in a publicly accessible location (for example, a git repository or a public S3 object) and are not published to the orbs registry. URL orbs do not follow semantic versioning, and can be accessed directly using an `https` URL. An org-level allow list is used to manage the addresses of URL orbs that can be used in a project in that organization. Organization admins can manage the allow list at **Org**  **Orbs**. See the [Managing URL Orb Allow Lists](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/managing-url-orbs-allow-lists/) guide for more information on scoping allowed URL orbs for your organization. If you would like to author your own URL orb, see the [Create, Test, and Use URL Orbs](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/author/create-test-and-use-url-orbs/) guide. **Inline orbs** Inline orbs are defined directly within your project’s configuration file. They are project-specific and not published or shared externally. Inline orbs are ideal for reusable configuration within a single project. They are also useful for learning orb concepts and testing configurations before extracting to a URL or registry orb. Inline orbs do not require publishing, versioning, or external hosting. They exist only within your `.circleci/config.yml` file. See the [Create an Inline Orb](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/author/create-an-inline-orb/) guide for more information on creating inline orbs. For a detailed comparison, see the [Orb Types Comparison](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-concepts/#orb-types-comparison) section. ### Which orb type do I use? Choose **registry orbs** when: * You want to share with the community. * You need semantic versioning. * You want discoverability in the Orb Registry. Choose **URL orbs** when: * You need to share configuration across your organization. * You need direct control over updates. * Configuration contains proprietary logic. Choose **inline orbs** when: * Configuration is specific to one project. * You want zero publishing overhead. * You are learning about orbs and want to experiment. * You want to test out packaging some configuration before extracting it to a URL or registry orb. See the [Choosing an Orb Type](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-intro/#choosing-an-orb-type) section for more guidance. ### Can registry orbs be made private? [Private Registry Orbs](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-intro/#public-or-private) are available on any of our [Current Plans](https://circleci.com/pricing). Inline orbs are inherently private to the project. URL orbs are controlled by your organization’s allow-list and hosting access. ### What is the difference between commands and jobs? Both [Commands](https://circleci.com/docs/reference/reusing-config/#the-commands-key) and [Jobs](https://circleci.com/docs/reference/reusing-config/#authoring-parameterized-jobs) are elements that can be used within orbs. _Commands_ contain one or many [Steps](https://circleci.com/docs/reference/configuration-reference/#steps), which contain the logic of the orb. Commands generally execute some shell code (Bash). _Jobs_ are a definition of what steps/commands to run and the [Executor](https://circleci.com/docs/reference/reusing-config/#the-executors-key) to run them in. _Jobs_ invoke commands, and are orchestrated using [Workflows](https://circleci.com/docs/guides/orchestrate/workflows/#workflows-configuration-examples). ### Can orbs be used on a private installation of CircleCI Server? Orbs can be used with installations of CircleCI Server. For information on importing and using orbs for server, see the [CircleCI Server Managing Orbs](https://circleci.com/docs/server-admin/latest/operator/managing-orbs/) page. ### How can I report a bug or issue with a public orb? All public orbs are open source projects. Issues, bug reports, or even pull requests can be made against the orb’s git repository. Public orb authors may opt to include a link to the git repo on the orb registry. If the git repo link is unavailable, contact support and we will attempt to contact the author. Alternatively, consider forking the orb and publishing your own version. ### How do I use the latest version of a registry orb? Registry orbs use semantic versioning. If you set the _major_ version (example: `3`), you will receive all _minor_ and _patch_ updates. If you statically set the version (example: `3.0.0`), no updates will apply. Using a static version is the most deterministic and recommended method. Inline orbs do not have versions (updated by editing the config file), and URL orbs use Git-based versioning (branches, tags, or commits) rather than semantic versioning. NOT RECOMMENDED - It is possible to use `@volatile` to receive the last published version of an orb. Using `@volatile` is not recommended as breaking changes are expected. ## See also * [Orb Types Comparison](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-concepts/#orb-types-comparison) for understanding inline, URL, and registry orbs. * [Choosing an Orb Type](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-intro/#choosing-an-orb-type) for guidance on selecting the right orb type. * [Orbs Concepts](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/use/orb-concepts/) for high-level information about CircleCI orbs. * [Orb Publishing Process](https://circleci.com/docs/orbs/author/create-test-and-publish-a-registry-orb/) for information about publishing registry orbs. * [Orbs Reference](https://circleci.com/docs/reference/reusing-config/) for examples of reusable orbs, commands, parameters, and executors.