---
layout: article
title: Update your Instance
categories: [hosting]
featured: false
popular: false
tags: [hosting, update]
order: 06
---

**It is critically important to keep your Self-hosted Bitwarden instance up to date.**

Updates may include fixes that are important for the security of your Bitwarden instance. Additionally, newer versions of client applications may not support older versions of your self-hosted instance.

{% callout warning %}
We highly recommend backing up your data before updating your self-hosted instance. For more information, see [Backup your Hosted Data]({% link _articles/hosting/backup-on-premise.md %}).
{% endcallout %}

Update your Bitwarden instance using the same Bash (Linux or macOS) or Powershell (Windows) script (`bitwarden.sh`) used to install Bitwarden. Run the following sequence of commands:

{% icon fa-linux %} {% icon fa-apple %} Bash

    ./bitwarden.sh updateself
    ./bitwarden.sh update

{% icon fa-windows %} PowerShell

    .\bitwarden.ps1 -updateself
    .\bitwarden.ps1 -update

Your Bitwarden installation should now be fully up to date and running.

{% callout success %}
We recommend creating a cronjob or scheduled task to run these update commands weekly, or even nightly. This will automatically keep your instance up to date.
{% endcallout %}