Updating

Updates are included with your purchase. When a new version is available, download it and follow the steps below.

Checking your current version

Your current version is shown in Admin → Updates and in the sidebar footer. You can also find it in the VERSION file in your installation root.

In-Admin Update (recommended)

1. Download the latest .zip release
2. Log in to VoxelBooking as the operator
3. Go to Admin → Updates
4. Click Choose File and select the .zip you downloaded
5. Click Apply Update
6. Wait for the confirmation message - it shows how many files were updated

VoxelBooking extracts the update to a staging area first. If extraction fails, no files are changed. Only after all files extract cleanly are they written to the live application.

Upload too large? If your hosting limits the upload size and the zip is rejected, use the FTP method below instead.

FTP Upload + In-Admin Apply

If your hosting's PHP upload limit is too low for the zip file, upload it via FTP and apply it from the admin panel:

1. Download the latest .zip release
2. Connect to your server via FTP/SFTP
3. Upload the .zip file (don't extract it) to the /dist/ folder in your VoxelBooking installation root. Create the folder if it doesn't exist.
4. Log in to VoxelBooking as the operator
5. Go to Admin → Updates
6. The uploaded zip appears automatically with its version number and an Apply button
7. Click Apply and wait for the confirmation message

This method bypasses the PHP upload limit since the file is already on the server. After the update completes, you can delete the .zip from /dist/ to save disk space.

What is preserved

All update methods preserve your data:

Manual Update (FTP)

Use this method as a last resort - for example, if neither of the methods above work for your hosting setup.

1. Download the latest .zip release
2. Extract it on your computer
3. Upload the following directories to your server via FTP/SFTP, overwriting the existing ones:
   • app/
   • config/
   • lang/
   • templates/
   • vendor/
   • public/assets/
4. Upload the following root files, overwriting the existing ones:
   • public/index.php
   • public/.htaccess
   • VERSION
5. Do NOT overwrite these files and directories:
   • .env - your database credentials and configuration
   • storage/ - logs, cache, sessions, demo database
   • public/uploads/ - business logos, cover images, and uploaded files

After uploading, visit your admin panel to verify the new version appears in the sidebar and on the Updates page.

Backup first

While the updater is designed to be safe, back up before major updates:

• .env - database credentials
• storage/ - logs and demo database
• public/uploads/ - uploaded images and files
• Your MySQL database (via phpMyAdmin or mysqldump)

Most hosting control panels have a one-click backup option, or you can download these files via FTP.

Troubleshooting

Upload fails or times out - Your hosting may limit upload size or execution time. Try the FTP Upload + In-Admin Apply method - upload the zip to /dist/ via FTP and apply it from the admin panel. Alternatively, ask your hosting provider to increase upload_max_filesize and max_execution_time in PHP settings.

"This is not a valid VoxelBooking update package" - Make sure you're uploading the original .zip release, not a file you re-zipped yourself. The updater looks for a VERSION file and app/Engine/Version.php inside the zip to verify it's a genuine VoxelBooking package.

ext-zip not available - The PHP zip extension is required for in-admin updates. The Updates page shows a notice if it's missing. Ask your hosting provider to enable it, or use the Manual Update (FTP) method instead.

White screen after update - Clear your browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) and reload. If the issue persists, check your hosting error log for PHP errors.