Workflow templates in Ecoscope Desktop are versioned packages that define the analysis logic and environment for your workflows. When a template is updated — either in the cloud or in a local folder — you can pull in the latest version directly from the app.
This article explains why you may need to update a template, how to do it, and what to expect before and after.
Why Update a Template?
Template updates may include:
- Bug fixes or corrections to analysis logic
- New or improved workflow configurations
- Updated dependencies or environment packages
- Performance improvements
Keeping templates up to date ensures you are running the most reliable and current version of an analysis. If your organization or the template publisher has released a new version, updating is the recommended way to access it.
Before You Update
Important: Updating a template will make any workflows you created with the older version unrunnable. There is currently no migration tool to carry those workflows forward to the new version. Before updating, make sure you no longer need to run or re-run any workflows built on the current version.
Where to Update Templates
Template updates can be initiated from two places in the app:
From the Workflow Cards View
If you have already imported a template, you may see an update indicator directly on the workflow card. You can trigger the update from there.
From the Template Catalog
The catalog shows all templates you have imported, along with any that are available but not yet imported. When an update is available for an imported template, the catalog will display an update option alongside it.
How to Update a Template
- Open Ecoscope Desktop and go to the Template Catalog.
- Locate the template you want to update. Templates with available updates will show an Update button.
- Click Update.
- A confirmation dialog will appear. Review the notice about existing workflows becoming unrunnable, then click Confirm to proceed.
- The app will download the updated template code and re-initialize the environment. This process is typically fast if most dependencies have not changed, as they are pulled from the local cache.
- Once complete, the template is ready to use. You can create new workflows from the updated version.
Updating Local Templates
Note: This section applies to developers or advanced users who are working with templates stored in a local folder on their machine.
If you are working with a locally sourced template — one that points to a folder on your computer rather than the cloud — you can also update it in the same way. To do this:
- Bump the version number in the template source files.
- Import the updated version through the standard import flow.
- The app will detect the version change and treat it as an update. Note that you may have to refresh the workflow template library for the app to detect the version change.
After the Update
Once a template is updated:
- New workflows you create will use the updated version.
- Workflows made with the previous version will no longer be runnable.
- The catalog will no longer show an update prompt for that template.