Intermediate
How to rollback App Platform deployments on DigitalOcean
Quick Answer
Rollback App Platform deployments by accessing your app's deployment history in the DigitalOcean control panel, selecting a previous stable deployment, and clicking the rollback button. The process preserves your database and environment variables while reverting your application code to the selected version.
Prerequisites
- Active DigitalOcean account with App Platform access
- Existing app with previous deployment history
- Admin or owner permissions for the application
- Basic understanding of DigitalOcean control panel
1
Access your App Platform dashboard
Log into your DigitalOcean account and navigate to the Apps section from the main dashboard. Select the specific app you want to rollback from your list of applications.
Tip
Bookmark your app's direct URL for faster access during emergencies
2
Navigate to deployment history
In your app's overview page, click on the Deployments tab in the left sidebar. This will display a chronological list of all your app deployments with timestamps and status indicators.
Tip
Take note of the current deployment's timestamp before proceeding
3
Identify the target deployment
Review the deployment history to find the stable version you want to rollback to. Look for deployments marked with Success status and check the deployment date to ensure it's the correct version.
Tip
Check deployment logs to verify the target deployment was functioning correctly
4
Initiate the rollback process
Click on the three-dot menu (...) next to your target deployment and select Rollback to this deployment. A confirmation dialog will appear explaining what will be reverted.
5
Review rollback details
In the confirmation dialog, review which components will be affected by the rollback. Ensure you understand that only the application code will be reverted, while databases and environment variables remain unchanged.
Tip
Document any configuration changes made since the target deployment
6
Confirm and execute rollback
Click Rollback to confirm and start the process. The system will begin redeploying your app using the selected previous version, and you'll see the progress in real-time.
Tip
Keep the browser tab open to monitor the rollback progress
7
Monitor the rollback deployment
Watch the deployment logs in the Runtime Logs section to ensure the rollback completes successfully. The status should change to Success when the process is complete.
Tip
Save the deployment logs in case you need to troubleshoot issues later
8
Verify application functionality
Once the rollback is complete, test your application thoroughly by visiting the app URL and checking critical functionality. Verify that all services are running properly and user-facing features work as expected.
Tip
Run through your standard testing checklist to ensure nothing was missed
Troubleshooting
Rollback option is grayed out or unavailable
Ensure you have sufficient permissions and the target deployment was successful. Only deployments with
Success status can be used for rollbacks.Rollback fails with build errors
Check if your current environment variables or database schema are incompatible with the older code version. You may need to adjust configurations before rolling back.
App shows 502 errors after rollback
Verify that all required environment variables exist and check the Runtime Logs for specific error messages. The older version may expect different configuration values.
Database connections failing after rollback
Ensure the previous code version is compatible with your current database schema. You may need to manually revert recent database migrations or update connection strings.
Ready to get started with DigitalOcean?
Put this tutorial into practice. Visit DigitalOcean and follow the steps above.
Visit DigitalOcean →