---
title: "Updates"
description: "Update Harblet from the browser. Harblet keeps k3s on your servers up to date."
canonical_url: "https://harblet.com/docs/administration/updates"
---
# Updates

> Update Harblet from the browser. Harblet keeps k3s on your servers up to date.

Harblet checks GitHub for new releases at most once an hour. When one is out, admins see an **Update** badge next to **General** in the sidebar.

<note>

Updating is for admins.

</note>

## Update Harblet

<steps level="3">

### Read the release notes

Go to **Settings** → **General**. The **Updates** card shows the installed version and the new one. Click **Release notes** to see what changed.

### Update

Click **Update to** the new version. Harblet downloads the new version first and only then restarts with it. The page reloads when the new version is ready.

</steps>

Harblet is unreachable for a few seconds while it restarts. Your services keep running, and builds and deployments that were running are picked up again.

<tip>

Take a [backup of Harblet](https://harblet.com/docs/backups/harblet-backups) before you update. Harblet doesn't take one by itself.

</tip>

## If the update fails

If the new version can't be downloaded or doesn't start, nothing changes: Harblet keeps running the installed version, and the **Updates** card shows why. Common reasons:

- The release is brand new and its image isn't published yet. Try again a few minutes later.
- The server can't reach `ghcr.io`, where Harblet's images are published.
- The server can't reach `api.github.com`. Then the **Updates** card shows that checking for a newer version failed.

Harblet can't go back to an older version from the browser. See [Troubleshooting](https://harblet.com/docs/reference/troubleshooting#an-update-doesnt-start) if a new version doesn't start after the update.

## k3s upgrades

Each Harblet release comes with the k3s version it was tested with. After an update to a release with a newer k3s version, Harblet upgrades every server by itself:

1. The first server upgrades first. Harblet's interface and your domains may be unreachable for a few seconds while k3s restarts.
2. Then the other servers upgrade one at a time.

Services keep running during the upgrade. The [Servers](https://harblet.com/docs/administration/servers#k3s-upgrades) page shows **Upgrading to** the new version while a server upgrades.

Harblet only upgrades k3s, never downgrades it. Traefik, containerd and the other components that come with k3s upgrade with it.

## What doesn't update

- **Harblet's own PostgreSQL** stays on the PostgreSQL 18 patch release it was installed with.
- **Your databases** update to the newest patch release of their version when you deploy them, and whenever they restart, for example after a reboot. See [Databases](https://harblet.com/docs/deploy/databases#update-to-a-new-patch-release).
- **Ubuntu** on your servers is yours to update.

Harblet doesn't update itself automatically. You decide when to click **Update**.


## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://harblet.com/sitemap.md) for all pages.