New versions of Omeka bring new features, fixes, and security improvements. On RefBytes, upgrading is a couple of clicks, and we handle the work behind the scenes.
How you know an update is waiting
When a newer version of your platform is available, an amber Update available badge appears on the site's card on the Sites page (in the list view, it's under the site's platform). There is no rush; your site keeps running happily on its current version until you decide to upgrade.
Start the upgrade
Open the site and click Version on the left. In the list view, clicking Update available takes you straight there. The Version list shows the version the site runs now; open it and pick the one you want to install. Most of the time you will choose the newest one, which is at the bottom of the list.
Above the version list is a checkbox: Backup site database before upgrading? We recommend always ticking it. It creates a backup of your database right before the upgrade begins, which gives you a restore point if anything about the new version does not suit you. It costs you nothing but a moment.
When you are ready, click the install button at the bottom. It reads Install Omeka Version or Install Omeka S Version, depending on your site's platform.
While the upgrade runs
You are taken back to the site's dashboard, which shows the upgrade under Needs attention while it runs. It takes a few minutes: we download the new version, put it in place, and connect it to your existing database and files. The dashboard's Activity list notes when the new version has been installed.
Your content is untouched by an upgrade. Items, metadata, exhibits, settings, and uploaded files all stay exactly where they are; only the platform software changes. The backup is simply the safety net underneath it all.
After the upgrade
Sign in to your site's Omeka admin. If the new version changes how Omeka stores things, Omeka asks to update its database the first time an administrator signs in. Follow its prompt; it only takes a moment.
Then visit your site and click around. Check a few item pages, open the admin dashboard, and make sure your theme still looks the way you expect. Major version jumps sometimes change how themes and modules behave, so it is worth a quick look.
If something is off and you ticked the backup checkbox, you have an easy way back: restore the pre-upgrade backup and tick the reinstall option to return both your database and platform files to the previous version. Our guide on restoring a backup walks through it step by step.
One more tip: modules and themes have their own updates, separate from the platform. After a platform upgrade, peek at your site's Modules and Themes pages to see if any of them have new versions too. See managing versions for how that works.