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Freedom251 › Blog › Docker

How to Update Uptime Kuma Safely to the Latest Version

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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The correct Uptime Kuma update procedure depends on how it is installed. Docker users pull a newer image and recreate the container while keeping its persistent data volume; Docker Compose users pull the image and force-recreate the service; Git/Node.js installations require a tagged checkout, production dependency installation, frontend download, and a PM2 restart. A move from v1 to v2 is a separate major migration that requires a backup and log monitoring.

Official documentation does not establish which release is globally latest on 15 October 2026. Select and verify the tag you intend to run before changing a production monitor, rather than assuming that an example tag in the wiki is current.

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Choose the update path before running a command

Uptime Kuma stores its configuration and monitor history in its data directory. Updating the application should replace the running code without discarding that data. The deployment method determines which code is replaced and how the data is retained.

Installation Update mechanism Data-preservation method Important scope
Docker container Pull a newer image, remove the old container, and run a new container Reuse the existing named or bind-mounted data volume Routine image update; use the v2 image for a v1-to-v2 migration
Docker Compose docker compose pull, then docker compose up -d --force-recreate Keep the volume and other mounts declared in the Compose file Routine service recreation using the image tag in the Compose file
Git/Node.js (non-Docker) Fetch tags, check out a selected release, install production dependencies, download the frontend, and restart PM2 Back up and preserve the installation’s data directory Direct v1-to-v2 migration is not supported by the documented non-Docker procedure

If you are unsure which method is active, identify the process that owns the web service before stopping anything. A container appears in docker ps; a Compose deployment is represented by a project and service; a direct installation normally runs from an Uptime Kuma directory under a process manager such as PM2. Do not apply a Docker command to a direct installation or run Git commands inside a container that is managed from an image.

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Prepare a reversible update

Do these checks while the current instance is still running. They turn an otherwise simple update into a change you can recover from if the selected release has a startup problem.

  1. Record the current version reference. Write down the Docker image tag or digest, the Compose image line, or the Git commit/tag checked out in the Uptime Kuma directory. Also record any custom port, restart policy, environment variable, and volume mapping.
  2. Confirm the persistent data location. For Docker, note the exact volume or host path mounted at /app/data. For a direct installation, identify the installation’s data directory. The official installation guidance says to use a local volume; NFS and other volume types are not supported.
  3. Back up before a major change. Make a restorable copy of the data directory, especially when crossing from v1 to v2. A backup is useful only if you know where it is stored and have checked that it can be read or restored.
  4. Select a deliberate target tag. The documentation’s 2.5.6 checkout is an example, not proof that it is the newest release. Confirm the release tag you want from the project’s published release information and use that exact tag in your command or Compose file.
  5. Plan the interruption. Stopping a container or restarting PM2 briefly removes the monitoring page. If the monitor protects production systems, schedule the change and make sure you can reach the host through an alternate channel.

Update a standard Docker installation

The official Docker pattern pulls the image, stops and removes the existing container, then starts a replacement with the same data volume. The example below uses the v2 major tag, port 3001, and a named volume.

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docker pull louislam/uptime-kuma:2
docker stop uptime-kuma
docker rm uptime-kuma
docker run -d --restart=always -p 3001:3001 -v uptime-kuma:/app/data --name uptime-kuma louislam/uptime-kuma:2

What each Docker command changes

  • docker pull downloads the image identified by the tag. Image creation can lag behind a published release; the project update wiki edited 9 October 2026 asks operators to be patient when a new image is not immediately available.
  • docker stop gives the current container a clean stop.
  • docker rm removes only the container definition. It does not remove the named volume used by -v uptime-kuma:/app/data.
  • docker run creates a fresh container from the pulled image and attaches the existing data volume.

Preserve custom Docker settings

Do not copy the example blindly if the original deployment uses a different host port, volume name, bind mount, restart policy, network, or environment variable. Recreate the same settings and change only the image reference. Losing the old volume mapping can make a healthy database appear to be a new, empty Uptime Kuma instance.

If your original container was created with a bind mount, keep that host path mapped to /app/data. If it used a named volume, use that exact name. A local persistent volume is the supported arrangement; do not move the data to NFS as part of the update.

Check the result

After docker run returns the new container ID, confirm that the container is running and inspect its logs if it exits or the page does not load:

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docker ps
docker logs -f uptime-kuma

Open the web interface on the same host port you recorded before the change. Sign in, check that the existing monitors and notification settings are present, and load several representative monitor pages. These checks distinguish an application problem from a lost port mapping or an incorrect volume.

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Update with Docker Compose

Compose keeps the image, ports, volumes, and environment settings in the project file. Run the update from the directory that contains docker-compose.yml (or the Compose file used by your project):

cd "<YOUR docker-compose.yml DIRECTORY>"
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d --force-recreate

Inspect the Compose file first

Verify that the Uptime Kuma service points to the tag you intend to deploy before pulling. Check the service’s volume mapping to ensure the same persistent data location is retained, and confirm that the published host port has not changed. If the file references an old major tag while you intend a v2 migration, edit the tag before running pull.

Why force recreation matters

docker compose pull downloads the newer image but does not by itself replace a running service. docker compose up -d --force-recreate then recreates the service from the updated image while applying the Compose file’s existing mounts and settings. The result is a new container with the old persistent data attached.

Verify the Compose service

Use the project directory to check status and follow logs:

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docker compose ps
docker compose logs -f <uptime-kuma-service-name>

Use the service name from your file in place of the placeholder. Once the service is running, test the web interface, authentication, existing monitors, and a representative notification path. If the page is empty, stop and check the volume mapping before making further changes.

Update a non-Docker Git/Node.js installation

The documented direct-installation procedure assumes Node.js, Git, and PM2 are already installed. Run it from the Uptime Kuma directory:

cd <uptime-kuma-directory>
git fetch --all --tags
git checkout 2.5.6 --force
npm install --omit dev --no-audit
npm run download-dist
pm2 restart uptime-kuma

Replace 2.5.6 with the release tag you deliberately selected. It is an example from the installation wiki, not a verified statement about the latest release on the date of this article.

Understand the sequence

  1. cd places you in the existing checkout, where the application and its data directory are located.
  2. git fetch --all --tags downloads remote branch and tag information so the desired release can be selected.
  3. git checkout <tag> --force switches the working tree to that release. The force option discards local tracked-file changes, so save any intentional modifications before using it.
  4. npm install --omit dev --no-audit installs the production dependency set without development packages or an npm audit step.
  5. npm run download-dist downloads the prebuilt frontend required by the server.
  6. pm2 restart uptime-kuma restarts the process managed under the PM2 name uptime-kuma.

Direct-installation checks

Before restarting, confirm that your backup is outside the checkout or otherwise protected from file replacement. After the restart, inspect PM2 status and logs, then open the web interface and verify existing monitors. The v2 migration guide specifies Node.js 20.4 as the minimum supported version for v2; check the installed Node.js version before selecting a v2 tag.

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Migrate from Uptime Kuma v1 to v2

Moving from v1 to v2 is not an ordinary patch update. Treat it as a major migration with a backup, a planned maintenance window, and active log monitoring. The official migration guide documents the Docker route and does not support a direct v1-to-v2 migration using the non-Docker procedure.

Documented Docker migration sequence

  1. Stop the v1 container. Use the container-management command appropriate to your deployment.
  2. Back up the data directory. Preserve the complete directory associated with the v1 container’s /app/data mount.
  3. Change the image tag to v2. Set the image to louislam/uptime-kuma:2 in the command or Compose file while keeping the same data mapping.
  4. Start the container and watch migration logs. Follow docker logs -f uptime-kuma and look for migration activity or startup errors before declaring the change complete.

Rootless images are not recommended for upgrading from v1 to v2 because startup issues may occur. Use the supported image arrangement for this migration, and keep the backup untouched until the v2 instance has been checked.

What not to do for this migration

  • Do not run the routine non-Docker checkout sequence as a substitute for the documented v1-to-v2 migration.
  • Do not remove or overwrite the only copy of the v1 data directory.
  • Do not assume that a container that starts has completed migration; inspect its logs and then verify the web interface and stored monitors.
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Post-update verification and recovery

Use the same checks regardless of deployment method, adapting the command to Docker, Compose, or PM2.

  1. Confirm the process is running. Check docker ps, docker compose ps, or PM2 status.
  2. Read startup output. Follow container logs or PM2 logs until startup and any migration activity have finished.
  3. Open the configured URL. Use the recorded host and port; a changed port can look like an application failure.
  4. Check retained state. Confirm that users, monitors, notification settings, and history expected from the previous instance are present.
  5. Exercise representative monitors. Load monitors covering the protocols and notification routes you rely on, rather than checking only the login page.

If the new container will not start

Stop following the failing logs and preserve them for diagnosis. Confirm that the selected image tag exists locally or can be pulled, that the data path is readable, and that the host port is not occupied by another process. Re-check the image-to-data pairing and any custom environment settings copied from the old container.

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If Uptime Kuma starts with no monitors

This usually indicates that the replacement is using a different or empty data location. Stop the new instance, compare its /app/data mapping with the recorded old mapping, and restore the original volume or bind mount. Do not initialize the empty instance with new configuration before correcting the mapping.

If the direct installation fails after checkout

Confirm the Node.js version, rerun the production dependency installation from the selected checkout, run npm run download-dist, and inspect PM2 output. If the release is unsuitable, return to the previously recorded Git tag and restore the data backup only if the application has changed the data in a way that cannot be used by the old release.

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Rollback readiness

A rollback requires both a known previous image/tag and a restorable data backup. For Docker or Compose, redeploy the recorded image reference while retaining the data mapping. For a direct installation, check out the recorded Git tag and restart PM2. A major-version migration can alter data during startup, so never treat rollback as guaranteed without the backup made before migration.

Which update method should you use?

  • Use Docker when you want image-based upgrades and a persistent volume separating application code from data.
  • Use Compose when your deployment already centralizes ports, volumes, and environment values in a Compose file or runs multiple related services.
  • Use the non-Docker procedure only when Uptime Kuma is intentionally managed from a Git/Node.js checkout and you can maintain its Node.js, Git, and PM2 prerequisites.
  • Use the migration procedure for any v1-to-v2 change, regardless of whether the routine update steps look similar.

The safest update is the one whose data location, target tag, and rollback point are recorded before the first stop command. Once the new process is running and representative monitors behave normally, retain the backup according to your normal change-management policy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2.5.6 tag definitely the latest Uptime Kuma release?

No. The installation wiki uses 2.5.6 as an example checkout. Confirm the release tag you want from the project’s current release information before updating.

Can I migrate directly from v1 to v2 with the non-Docker commands?

The official migration guide says the direct non-Docker v1-to-v2 procedure is not supported. Use the documented Docker migration sequence, back up the data directory, and monitor migration logs.

Why did an updated container show a blank Uptime Kuma setup?

The replacement container is probably not attached to the original /app/data volume or bind mount. Stop it, restore the original mapping, and start it again before creating new configuration.

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