Hotfix
In plain terms
An urgent patch to fix a critical production problem.
Going deeper
A hotfix is a quick, targeted fix deployed outside the normal release cycle to resolve a serious live issue. Speed is its priority.
Under the hood
Branches off production to fix fast, then merges back; bypasses normal cadence but still needs testing.
Examples
Critical bug patches, security fixes, emergency deploys, hotfix branches.
Think of it like...
Like an emergency repair done immediately rather than waiting for scheduled maintenance.