apache/airflow

Can't select the desired dag version for a backfill dag run

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#50,102 opened on May 1, 2025

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 (8 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (44,809 stars) (16,781 forks)batch import
area:backfillarea:coregood first issuekind:bug

Description

Apache Airflow version

3.0.0

If "Other Airflow 2 version" selected, which one?

No response

What happened?

I am making a bunch of edits to a dag, and I want to re-run a backfill for a specified date range. When I do, Airflow performs the backfill with the version of the dag that originally ran, and there's seemingly no way in the UI to specify that I want to re-run using the latest dag version.

What you think should happen instead?

The latest version should maybe be the default version for backfills, and users should be able to select the version that runs.

How to reproduce

  1. Run a backfill over a certain date.
  2. Update the dag code
  3. Run a backfill over the same date from (1)

Operating System

n/a

Versions of Apache Airflow Providers

n/a

Deployment

Astronomer

Deployment details

No response

Anything else?

No response

Are you willing to submit PR?

  • Yes I am willing to submit a PR!

Code of Conduct

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
frontendbackend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
PythonAirflow backfill conceptFamiliarity with Airflow UI
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Examine how the backfill UI currently selects the DAG version. Look at the relevant backend code in `airflow/jobs/backfill job.py` and the frontend components in `airflow/www/`. Identify where the version is determined and propose a way to allow user selection. Review the discussion in the issue comments for additional insights.