How to update SillyTavern without breaking it
Updated
Back up the data folder, then update the way you installed. With git, open a terminal in the SillyTavern folder, run git pull and start it as usual so it installs new packages. With a zip, extract the new release into a new folder and copy your data folder across. Stay on the release branch unless you want to test features; staging changes first and breaks more often.
Try it now, free, no account neededStart a story with FizzYour downstairs neighbour builds bombs. Lots of them.Two minutes before you update
- Stop SillyTavern, and close its browser tab.
- Copy the data folder somewhere safe (backing up SillyTavern shows how). Updates rarely touch it, but a rollback can need it.
- Note the version the terminal prints on start-up, so you know what to return to.
- For git installs, run git branch --show-current to see whether you are on release or staging.
Updating a git install
This is the common case on Windows, Linux, macOS and Termux alike:
- cd SillyTavern
- git pull
- ./start.sh on Linux, macOS or Termux, or Start.bat on Windows
The start scripts install whatever new packages the update needs, so the first start after an update takes longer. On Windows the folder also has an update-and-start script that runs the pull for you. Third-party extensions are separate projects and update from the Extensions panel, not with git pull.
On Termux, run pkg upgrade every so often as well. A new SillyTavern can need a newer Node.js than the one you installed months ago.
Release or staging
| Branch | What it gets | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| release | Tested versions, a few times a month or less | Anyone who wants their roleplay to just work |
| staging | New features as soon as they are merged | Extension authors and people who enjoy testing |
To move between them, run git switch release (or staging) and then git pull. Going from staging back to release can occasionally leave settings saved by newer code, which is one more reason to keep that backup.
When an update breaks something
Match what you see:
- git says your local changes would be overwritten by merge: you edited a file that the project also tracks. Run git stash, then git pull. Your edit is saved in the stash if you need it back.
- SillyTavern will not start and the terminal complains about missing modules: delete the node_modules folder and start again, which reinstalls them.
- Errors about the Node.js version or unexpected syntax: Node.js is too old. Install the current LTS release and start again.
- It starts, but the page looks broken or buttons are missing: hard-refresh the browser tab (Ctrl+Shift+R), then disable third-party extensions and turn them back on one at a time.
- The API no longer connects: menu labels sometimes change between versions. Re-check the API type and source rather than assuming your key broke.
If nothing works and you need to play tonight, go back. git tag lists version numbers; git checkout followed by your previous version returns you there, and git switch release brings you forward again later. Restore your backed-up data folder if the newer version already converted it.
Zip installs and keeping your connection
If you downloaded a zip, never extract the new one over the old folder: stale files linger and cause the strangest bugs. Extract it to a new folder, copy data and config.yaml from the old one, start it, and delete the old folder once everything checks out.
Keys live in secrets.json inside the data folder, so an update does not lose them. If a UnsavedAI connection stops working after an update, re-importing the SillyTavern preset from Setup refills the endpoint and model fields in one go without touching your prompts, and you paste nothing new because the key is still saved.
Questions people ask
How often should I update SillyTavern?
On release, whenever a new version is out and you have a quiet moment, not in the middle of a long session. There is no need to chase every change.
Will updating change my presets or prompts?
Your saved presets stay as they are. New versions sometimes add new default presets or settings, which appear alongside yours.
Can I install two versions side by side?
Yes. Clone or extract into a second folder, copy a backup of your data into it, and run one at a time, since both want port 8000 by default.
