Bubble's version history lets you roll back to a previous state of your app after a broken deployment or accidental change. You access version history in the deployment dialog, select a stable save point, and restore it to either development or live. This tutorial covers accessing version history, creating manual save points before risky changes, restoring previous versions, and best practices for safe deployment workflows.
Overview: Version Rollback in Bubble
This tutorial explains how to use Bubble's version history to recover from broken deployments or accidental changes. You will learn to navigate the version timeline, create save points, and restore previous app states.
Prerequisites
- A Bubble app on a paid plan (Starter or higher)
- At least one previous deployment to have version history
- Admin access to the app
Step-by-step guide
Access version history in Bubble
Access version history in Bubble
Click the deployment icon (rocket) in the top-right corner of the editor. In the deployment dialog, you will see a 'Version history' or 'Revert' option. Click it to see a timeline of your app versions. Each version is timestamped and may have a label if you named it. Development and Live versions are tracked separately. You can see what was deployed and when.
Expected result: The version history timeline is visible showing all previous app states with timestamps.
Create a save point before making risky changes
Create a save point before making risky changes
Before making significant changes (restructuring data, rewriting workflows, installing plugins), create a named save point. In the deployment dialog, look for the option to create a save point or deploy with a descriptive name. Name it clearly: 'Before payment refactor - March 28'. This gives you a known-good state to return to. Make it a habit to create save points before every major change.
Pro tip: Create save points at the end of each working session, not just before risky changes. This gives you granular restore options.
Expected result: A named save point exists that you can identify and restore to if the upcoming changes cause problems.
Identify the stable version to restore
Identify the stable version to restore
When something goes wrong, open version history and look for the last known-good version. Check the timestamps against when the problem started. If you named your save points descriptively, finding the right version is straightforward. If not, you may need to restore a few candidates to find the correct one. Note: Bubble's version history includes both editor changes and deployments.
Expected result: You have identified the specific version that represents the last stable state of your app.
Restore the previous version
Restore the previous version
Select the target version in the history timeline. Click 'Revert to this version' or the equivalent restore button. Bubble will replace your current development version with the selected historical version. Review the restored version in the editor to confirm it looks correct. If it does, deploy it to live to fix the production issue. Note: reverting affects app logic and UI but does not roll back database data changes.
Expected result: Your app's development version is restored to the selected historical state, ready for testing and deployment.
Test the restored version before deploying to live
Test the restored version before deploying to live
After restoring, thoroughly test the development version. Check the specific area that was broken to confirm it works in the restored version. Test other areas to ensure the restore did not introduce regressions. Once satisfied, deploy to live using the standard deployment process. The live app will now run the restored version.
Expected result: The restored version is tested and deployed to live, resolving the production issue.
Complete working example
1VERSION ROLLBACK — WORKFLOW SUMMARY2=====================================34PREVENTION (before changes):5 1. Open deployment dialog6 2. Create named save point7 Name: 'Before [change description] - [date]'8 3. Make your changes9 4. Test thoroughly in development10 5. Deploy to live only when confident1112ROLLBACK (when something breaks):13 1. Open deployment dialog → Version history14 2. Find last known-good version by timestamp/name15 3. Click 'Revert to this version'16 4. Review restored state in editor17 5. Test the affected functionality18 6. Deploy restored version to live1920IMPORTANT NOTES:21 - Version rollback affects app logic and UI22 - Database DATA is NOT rolled back23 - New data created after the save point persists24 - Data TYPE changes may cause mismatches25 - Always test before deploying restored version2627BEST PRACTICES:28 - Save point before every major change29 - Save point at end of each work session30 - Name save points descriptively31 - Never deploy directly to live without testingCommon mistakes when using Version Rollback for Troubleshooting in Bubble
Why it's a problem: Expecting version rollback to also roll back database data
How to avoid: Understand that data changes are permanent. If you deleted data or changed data structures, rolling back the app does not restore the data
Why it's a problem: Not creating save points before making major changes
How to avoid: Create a named save point before every significant change session
Why it's a problem: Deploying the restored version to live without testing first
How to avoid: Always test the restored version in development mode before deploying to live
Best practices
- Create named save points before every major change session
- Use descriptive names with dates for save points
- Test restored versions thoroughly before deploying to live
- Keep a simple change log noting what was changed and when
- Deploy to live only after testing in development — never skip this step
- Remember that data rollback is not included — plan data migrations separately
- Use Bubble's built-in duplicate feature to create a full app backup before structural changes
Still stuck?
Copy one of these prompts to get a personalized, step-by-step explanation.
I deployed a bad update to my live Bubble.io app and need to roll back to a previous version. How do I access version history, find the right version, and restore it safely?
My latest deployment broke the checkout flow. Help me find the previous working version in version history, restore it to development, verify it works, and deploy it to live to fix the production issue.
Frequently asked questions
How far back does Bubble keep version history?
Version history retention depends on your plan. Paid plans retain versions for a longer period. The exact retention varies, so check your plan details in Bubble's pricing page.
Can I restore only specific parts of a previous version?
No. Version restore is all-or-nothing — it replaces the entire app state. You cannot selectively restore just one page or workflow.
Does rolling back affect my database data?
No. Version rollback only affects app logic (pages, workflows, styles, plugins). Your database data remains unchanged. If you made destructive data changes, they persist.
Can I use version control branches instead of rollback?
Bubble offers version control with branches on Team plan and above. Branches let you develop features separately and merge when ready, reducing the need for rollbacks.
Can RapidDev help recover from a broken Bubble deployment?
Yes. RapidDev can help diagnose deployment issues, restore stable versions, fix broken workflows, and establish safe deployment practices for your Bubble app.
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