# Regarding update and upgrade issues after deploying Discourse
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Created:** [January 8, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972 "2026-01-08T14:06:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sniper756](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sniper756)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/1 "2026-01-08T14:06:37Z")
Hello everyone, I am a Discourse beginner, and I would like to ask: after successfully deploying Discourse, I see an updatable version in the admin panel. I have found two upgrade methods:
1. Via SSH, enter the Discourse directory and run `./launcher rebuild app` to upgrade and update.
2. Via Discourse Admin - Updates - Update Discourse.
What is the difference between these two methods? Which upgrade method should be prioritized?
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Andrew\_Rowe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Andrew_Rowe)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/2 "2026-01-08T15:45:25Z")
> [@sniper756](#):
>
> What is the difference between these two methods? Which upgrade method should be prioritized
both are good and (I think) basically do the same thing. Only caveat is that occasionally the UI upgrade will not work and a command line rebuild will be necessary. An example of this was when the database version needed to be upgraded.
So…. run a back up, use the online admin interface but be prepared to have to go into the command line if you have to.
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### Author:  [@sniper756](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sniper756)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/3 "2026-01-08T16:05:01Z")
Once, after upgrading through the backend administrator panel, image attachments went missing, and I only managed to recover them through `recover`. I don’t know the reason why, so since then, I have only used `rebuild` for updates and upgrades.
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2026, 4:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/4 "2026-01-08T16:06:36Z")
i only update via ssh but both should work for updating Discourse. you should update Docker from command line though (updates are less often).
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### Author:  [@sniper756](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sniper756)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/5 "2026-01-08T23:55:42Z")
> [@Lilly](#):
>
> I only update via ssh, but both should work to update Discourse. However, you should update Docker via the command line (updates are less frequent).
How often do you typically rebuild? Or do you wait for a few official updates before rebuilding?
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### Author:  [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/6 "2026-01-09T02:04:01Z")
> [@sniper756](#):
>
> How often do you typically rebuild?
#### Discourse
It depends on which site I am updating and when the best time is. on a busy production forum, generally I update/rebuild once a week, but I will also do it sooner if I know a specific update has a fix I want, or if I need to make a change to `app.yml` (installing a plugin, for example). you probably don’t have to update that often though. on my dev instance I rebuild probably at least every second day.
#### Docker
I update as soon as it is conveniently possible when there is an update available.
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse/392972/7 "2026-02-08T02:04:30Z")
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