When do you use @ConfigurationProperties instead of @Value?

Uses typed grouped binding and validation for application configuration while reserving @Value for small isolated expressions.

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TL;DR

@ConfigurationProperties binds a group of related external properties to a typed object, supports relaxed binding and validation, and gives the application one coherent configuration contract. @Value injects an individual expression or property and is convenient for a small isolated value. For a client with URL, timeout, retry limit, and credentials reference, I prefer one validated properties class rather than several strings scattered across beans.

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Configuration ownership, type conversion, validation, metadata, immutability, and maintainable property grouping.

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Overview
Grouped configuration deserves a typed contract; one isolated value may not.
@ConfigurationProperties binds a group of related external properties to a typed object, supports relaxed binding and validation, and gives the application one coherent configuration contract. @Value injects an individual expression or property and is convenient for a small isolated value. For a client with URL, timeout, retry limit, and credentials reference, I prefer one validated properties class rather than several strings scattered across beans.
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Typed binding catches conversion errors early and makes defaults and units visible, especially with types such as or . The properties object can be immutable and passed to the component that owns it. supports expression language, but that power can hide configuration logic and is harder to discover at scale. Neither approach should embed secrets in source; they bind values supplied through controlled external sources.

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Scattering a related configuration group across many @Value fields.
Using strings for durations and sizes without conversion.
Treating source-code defaults as secret management.

When do you use @ConfigurationProperties instead of @Value?

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