Auto-update and Force Update Workstation

Last Updated March 13, 2025

Brief Overview

Auto-update URL Scheme is a feature that allows Workstation to automatically check for updates and install them without any user intervention. This feature is useful in ensuring that users have access to the latest version of Workstation at all times.

Force Update URL Scheme is a feature that allows Workstation to force users to update to a new version of the application. This can be useful in situations where the updated version contains, for example, critical bug fixes or security patches that need to be installed immediately.

To start the auto-update, simply provide a permalink for the user to click.

How It Works

How to send an auto-update permalink to users

To trigger a Workstation update using the auto-update URL:

Compose a message to your users, such as an email or Slack message, and include the update link in the message. For example: walkme-workstation://aa2c91b1ec444c76a313a68f69478c55/checkForUpdate?to=ga
- Send the message to your users, instructing them to click the link to update their Workstation application
If Workstation is closed, clicking the link will force it to open and initiate the update process

Building an auto-update permalink

A permalink is a simple URL with some extra features:

It starts with "walkme-workstation://" as the scheme
Includes the system GUID as the hostname
- The system GUID can be found on the Workstation's "About” page in Settings

Includes checkForUpdate as the path, with few optional args:

Argument	Description
updatesFeedURL	To update the app even when not logged in possible values are: full path of the updates Feed URL `default` to let the app use the default urls per arch, os and env.
to	The version you want to get ahead to - if current version >= the `to` value - no update should take place
from	The version you want to get ahead from- if current > the value of the `from` and `to` is not specified, no update should take place
force	Relaunch after the update was successfully downloaded if an update was already ready even before the permalink was used, it will cause the app to relaunch

The checkForUpdate action should be consumed by the container to deal with the request as early as possible.

Caution

updatesFeedURL should be used carefully! it is a per OS and per architecture url.

Note

There is no guarantee or an ongoing process of a successful update of the app and\or updating it to\above the to value
The new permalink will trigger one traditional update check

Force Update Example URL

walkme-workstation://aa2c91b1ec444c76a313a68f69478c55/checkForUpdate?to=ga

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