# CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM

Added in version 4.0.

Specify a minimum Policy Version for a project without modifying its calls to `cmake_minimum_required(VERSION)` and `cmake_policy(VERSION)`.

This variable should not be set by a project in CMake code as a way to set its own policy version. Use `cmake_minimum_required(VERSION)` and/or `cmake_policy(VERSION)` for that. This variable is meant to externally set policies for which a project has not itself been updated:

- Users running CMake may set this variable in the cache, e.g., `-DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5`, to try configuring a project that has not been updated to set at least that policy version itself.

  Alternatively, users may set the `CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM` environment variable to initialize the cache entry in new build trees automatically.

- Projects may set this variable before a call to `add_subdirectory()` that adds a third-party project in order to set its policy version without modifying third-party code.

See `CMAKE_POLICY_DEFAULT_CMP<NNNN>` to set individual policies.