> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://launchdarkly-preview.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Go SDK 5.x to 6.0 migration guide

> This topic explains the changes in the Go SDK 6.0 release and how to migrate to that version.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the full documentation snapshot, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

## Overview

This topic explains the changes in the Go SDK 6.0 release and how to migrate to that version.

**Version 6.0 includes several breaking changes**. Additionally, if you use the Relay Proxy, you must update your Relay Proxy to version 7.0 before you update your SDK to version 6.

0. To learn more, read the [Relay Proxy 7.0 release notes](https://github.com/launchdarkly/ld-relay/releases/tag/v7.0.0). To upgrade to the latest Relay Proxy version, visit [Relay Proxy releases](https://github.com/launchdarkly/ld-relay/releases) on GitHub.

## Identifying supported Go versions for the 6.0 SDK

The minimum Go version for the LaunchDarkly 6.0 SDK is 1.18.

LaunchDarkly no longer supports earlier Go versions, as stated in the [End of Life policy](https://launchdarkly.com/policies/end-of-life-policy/).

## Using Go modules and import paths

[Modules](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/Modules) are supported in all modern versions of Go, and are now the standard way to write Go code. In 6.0, you can only use the Go SDK from module-based code. Go import paths have also changed.

The Go import path changes include:

* `gopkg.in/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk.v5` changed to `github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6`
* `gopkg.in/launchdarkly/go-sdk-common.v2` changed to `github.com/launchdarkly/go-sdk-common/v3`

## Understanding contexts

Many LaunchDarkly customers create targeting rules for feature flags based on a variety of different information, including attributes pertaining to users, organizations, devices, and more. In previous versions of the LaunchDarkly SDK, you could define this information in a user object, using a combination of built-in and custom attributes. Now you can define this information in a more structured way, using **contexts**.

Each context has a required attribute called `kind` that you can use to categorize context instances for targeting and Experimentation. You can also add other attributes. Attributes can be strings, booleans, numbers, arrays, or JSON objects.

When you evaluate a feature flag within your application, the flag's targeting rules use information from one or more kinds of contexts. For example, you may know:

* the username, first name, last name, and email address of a person, as part of a context with `kind` of "user"
* the company, department, and location of an organization, as part of a context with `kind` of "organization"
* the device, model, and operating system of an environment, as part of a context with `kind` of "device"

This new version of the LaunchDarkly SDK requires you to evaluate feature flags using an **evaluation context**, which is an object containing one or more contexts.

To learn more about contexts, read [Contexts](/home/flags/contexts).

## Migrating from users to contexts

The 6.0 version of this SDK only operates on contexts, and the former user type is now an alias for the context type. When you migrate from version 5.x, replace every instance of a user with a context. If there are any you do not replace, the 6.0 version of the Go SDK will treat any remaining `lduser.User` types as `ldcontext.Context` types.

<Note
  title="LaunchDarkly assumes older versions of the SDK use <code>

user</code> contexts"
>
  A context always has a `kind` attribute. When older versions of the SDK send events to LaunchDarkly, LaunchDarkly will convert the users in those events to contexts with a `kind` of `user`.

  If a flag configuration specifies any context `kind`s other than `user`, older versions of the Go SDK will not evaluate the flag correctly. You must upgrade your SDK if you are going to use context `kind`s other than `user` in your flag configurations.
</Note>

The primary differences between working with users and working with contexts include the following:

* [Changes to flag evaluation](#understanding-changes-to-flag-evaluation): The methods for evaluating flags now require contexts, rather than users.
* [Create contexts, not users](#understanding-differences-between-users-and-contexts): Where you previously created users, now you must create contexts.
* [Changes to attributes](#understanding-changes-to-built-in-and-custom-attributes): There are now fewer built-in attributes. You can still add as many custom attributes as you like, although the format has changed slightly. A flag's targeting rules can now address fields within a JSON object.
* [Changes to private attributes](#understanding-changes-to-private-attributes): You can mark specific attributes of a context as private, either across all contexts of any kind, or within a particular context or context kind.
* [Changes to alias events](#understanding-changes-to-alias-events): The alias method has been removed.

To learn more about upgrading to contexts, read [Best practices for upgrading users to contexts](/guides/flags/upgrading-contexts).

### Understanding changes to flag evaluation

The methods for [evaluating flags](/sdk/features/evaluating) and determining [flag evaluation reasons](/sdk/features/evaluation-reasons) have changed slightly. The 6.0 version of the SDK includes the following changes:

* The `variation` and `variationDetail` methods now take a context, rather than a user, as a parameter. To learn more, read the following API documentation:
  * [`BoolVariation`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.BoolVariation)
  * [`IntVariation`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.IntVariation)
  * [`Float64Variation`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.Float64Variation)
  * [`StringVariation`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.StringVariation)
  * [`JSONVariation`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.JSONVariation)
  * [`BoolVariationDetail`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.BoolVariationDetail)
  * [`IntVariationDetail`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.IntVariationDetail)
  * [`Float64VariationDetail`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.Float64VariationDetail)
  * [`StringVariationDetail`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.StringVariationDetail)
  * [`JSONVariationDetail`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#LDClient.JSONVariationDetail)
* The `USER_NOT_SPECIFIED` evaluation error code was previously defined as, the user object or user key was not provided. It has been redefined to mean that the context was not provided or was invalid.

Here's how to evaluate a flag using a context:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax" theme={null}
      client.BoolVariation("example-flag-key", context, false)
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Understanding differences between users and contexts

Where you previously created users, now you must create contexts.

Here's how to construct a basic context, as compared with constructing a user:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="5.x syntax, user with key" theme={null}
      user1 := lduser.NewUser("example-user-key")
  ```

  ```go title="6.0 syntax, context with key" theme={null}
      context1 := ldcontext.New("example-context-key")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Here's how to construct a basic context, with a context kind of something other than "user":

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, single context with key" theme={null}
      context1 := ldcontext.NewWithKind("organization", "example-organization-key")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Here's how to construct a multi-context, which includes multiple context kinds:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, multi-context" theme={null}
      multiContext := ldcontext.NewMulti(
          ldcontext.New("example-user-key"),
          ldcontext.NewWithKind("device", "example-device-key")
      )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Each individual context within a multi-context can have the same attributes as a basic context. The only restriction is that each context has to have a different context `kind` from the others within the multi-context.

You can also use the context builder to create each of the individual contexts:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, multi-context builder" theme={null}
      multiContext := ldcontext.NewMulti(
          ldcontext.NewBuilder("example-user-key").Name("Sandy").Build(),
          ldcontext.NewBuilder("example-device-key").Kind("device").Name("iPad").Build(),
      )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The Go 6.0 SDK retains the `UserBuilder` type, but modifies it to be a wrapper for `ldcontext.Builder`. This allows code that uses the older model for building users to continue to work, with minor adjustments.

### Understanding changes to built-in and custom attributes

This section describes the changes to built-in and custom attributes in the 6.0 version of the SDK.

#### Working with built-in and custom attributes

In previous SDK versions, the user object included several built-in attributes for describing the user. It also included optional custom attributes, which you could add to a `custom` object within the user object and then populate.

In version 6.0, the only built-in attributes are `kind`, `key`, `name`, and `anonymous`.

You can define additional attributes for a context kind by passing in a name and value for each. The value can be any JSON type, including boolean, number, string, array, or object. In version 6.0, you do not need to add custom attributes within a `custom` object.

Here's how to construct a context with additional attributes, as compared with constructing a similar user:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="5.x syntax, user with attributes" theme={null}
      user2 := lduser.NewUserBuilder("example-user-key").
          Name("Sandy").
          Email("sandy@example.com").
          Custom("groups", ldvalue.ArrayOf(
              ldvalue.String("Acme"), ldvalue.String("Global Health Services"))).
          Build()
  ```

  ```go title="6.0 syntax, context with attributes" theme={null}
      context2 := ldcontext.NewBuilder("example-user-key").
          Name("Sandy").
          SetString("email", "sandy@example.com").
          SetValue("groups", ldvalue.ArrayOf(
            ldvalue.String("Acme"), ldvalue.String("Global Health Services"))).
          Build()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

#### Referencing properties of an attribute object

In previous versions of the SDK, if you set the value of a user's custom attribute to an object, you could not reference that object in evaluations. In version 6.0, if a context attribute's value is a JSON object, you can reference properties of that object as the attribute in the targeting rules for a flag or segment.

Here's one way to add object attributes to a context:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, context with object attributes" theme={null}
      addressData := ldvalue.ObjectBuild().
          SetString("street", "Main St").
          SetString("city", "Springfield").
          Build()
      context3 := ldcontext.NewBuilder("example-user-key").
          SetValue("address", addressData).
          Build()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

There are multiple ways you can construct attribute values. To learn more about additional methods, read [`ldvalue`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-sdk-common/v3/ldvalue).

In your flag or segment targeting, use `/` as the delimiter to refer to specific object fields. For example, you can use `/address/city` in your targeting. To learn more, read [Target with flags](/home/flags/target).

#### Removing the secondary attribute

In previous versions of the SDK, you could set the value of a user's `SecondaryKeyAttribute`, as an optional secondary key for a user. The SDK would incorporate this attribute into the variation bucket assignment hash.

In version 6.0, the `SecondaryKeyAttribute` attribute has been removed. If you were previously using this attribute as part of distinguishing [percentage rollouts](/home/releases/percentage-rollouts#percentage-rollout-logic), that will no longer work for your users.

### Understanding changes to private attributes

As in previous versions of the SDK, you can mark specific attributes of a context as private. This restricts the context data your application sends to LaunchDarkly, while still using that data for flag targeting.

In version 6.0, there are two scopes for which you can mark attributes as private:

* Across all contexts of any context kind. You might use this if you want to ensure that the SDK never stores an "email" attribute in LaunchDarkly, no matter whether it occurs in a user context, an organization context, or something else.
* Within a particular context or context kind. You might use this if you want an "email" attribute to be private in a user context, but not in an organization context.

In the first example, all attributes are marked private for all contexts. In the second example, the "email" and "address" attributes are private for all contexts:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, all attributes marked private" theme={null}
      import (
          ld "github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6"
          "github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6/ldcomponents"
      )
      var config ld.Config
      config.Events = ldcomponents.SendEvents().AllAttributesPrivate(true)
  ```

  ```go title="6.0 syntax, two attributes marked private" theme={null}
      import (
          ld "github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6"
          "github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6/ldcomponents"
      )
      var config ld.Config
      config.Events = ldcomponents.SendEvents().
          PrivateAttributes("email", "address")
  ```
</CodeGroup>

To learn more, read the [API documentation](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-sdk-common/v3@v3.0.0/ldcontext#hdr-Designating_an_entire_attribute_as_private).

Here's how to mark an attribute as private for a particular context:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, attribute marked private for one context" theme={null}
      context := ldcontext.NewBuilder("key").
          Name("Sandy").
          SetString("email", "sandy@example.com").
          Private("email").
          Build()
  ```
</CodeGroup>

For attributes that are objects, you can mark specific fields private, using the `/` delimiter followed by the attribute name, then the `/` delimiter followed by the JSON property within the value.

For example, for the attribute `"address": { "street": "Main St", "city": "Springfield" }`, you could set just the `/address/street` as private.

### Understanding changes to alias events

In previous versions of the SDK, multiple user objects could represent one person. For example, this could happen the first time a person logged in to your application. The person might be represented by an anonymous user before they logged in, and a different user after they logged in. You could associate these two LaunchDarkly users by sending an `alias` event in the SDK.

With the introduction of contexts, the person in this scenario is represented by two different context kinds. For example, before they log in, they might be represented by a device context. After they log in, they might be represented by a multi-context, for example, by one context kind based on their device and simultaneously by another context kind based on their user information.

The 6.0 version of the SDK removes the ability to send an `alias` event. If you currently [alias users](/sdk/features/aliasing-users), you will need to remove this code when you migrate to version 6.0.

If you want to continue associating two contexts with each other, you can use two different context kinds, and then identify a multi-context that includes both individual contexts when you want the association to occur. Unlike the aliasing method, the association doesn't persist between calls. You must send the contexts you want to associate in each `variation` or `identify` call and each `track` call.

Here's how:

<CodeGroup>
  ```go title="6.0 syntax, associating two contexts" theme={null}
      context1 := ldcontext.New("example-user-key")
      context2 := ldcontext.NewWithKind("device", "example-device-key")
      multiContext := ldcontext.NewMulti(context1, context2)
      client.Identify(multiContext)
  ```
</CodeGroup>

To learn more, read [`NewMulti`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-sdk-common/v3@v3.0.0/ldcontext#NewMulti).

## Understanding changes to configuration options

In the 6.0 version of the SDK, several configuration options have changed:

* The `PrivateAttributes` and `AllAttributesPrivate` configuration options both now apply to all contexts of any context kind. To learn more, read [Understanding changes to private attributes](#understanding-changes-to-private-attributes).
* `PrivateAttributeNames` is now called `PrivateAttributes`. To learn more, read [Understanding changes to private attributes](#understanding-changes-to-private-attributes).
* The `InlineUsersInEvents` option has been removed.
* The `UserKeysCapacity` and `UserKeysFlushInterval` options have been renamed `ContextKeysCapacity` and `ContextKeysFlushInterval`, respectively.

To learn more, read [`Config`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/v6#Config).

## Understanding what was deprecated

All types and methods that were marked as deprecated in the last 5.x release have been removed from the 6.0 release. If you were using these with a recent version previously, you should already have received deprecation warnings at compile time, with suggestions about their recommended replacements.

To learn more about deprecated types and methods, read the following:

* [EventProcessorBuilder.BaseURI](https://pkg.go.dev/gopkg.in/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk.v5@v5.10.0/ldcomponents#EventProcessorBuilder.BaseURI)
* [PollingDataSourceBuilder.BaseURI](https://pkg.go.dev/gopkg.in/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk.v5@v5.10.0/ldcomponents#PollingDataSourceBuilder.BaseURI)
* [StreamingDataSourceBuilder.BaseURI](https://pkg.go.dev/gopkg.in/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk.v5@v5.10.0/ldcomponents#StreamingDataSourceBuilder.BaseURI)
* [release notes in GitHub](https://github.com/launchdarkly/go-server-sdk/releases)