Totara Product Release Model
This page explains how Totara releases are structured and how updates are delivered. It is intended for developers and technical teams who need to understand how new functionality, fixes, and changes are introduced across versions.
For version support timelines and end-of-life dates, see the Totara Product Release and Support Lifecycle page.
Overview
Version numbering
Major releases
Minor releases
Patch releases
Release candidates
Mobile app releases
Upgrade recommendations
Overview
Totara releases updates regularly to deliver improvements, new capabilities, and security fixes while maintaining platform stability.
There are three types of releases:
Major releases
Minor releases
Patch releases
Each release type introduces a different level of change.
Version numbering
Totara uses semantic versioning to indicate the scope of changes within a release.
Version format: Major.Minor.Patch
Example: 20.1.2
Where:
Major represents the annual platform release
Minor represents a quarterly feature release
Patch represents a monthly and emergency maintenance release containing fixes and security updates
Major Releases
Major releases are published once per year and represent the primary platform upgrade. Example: Totara 20.0
Major releases may include:
architectural improvements
major feature enhancements
dependency upgrades
breaking changes where required
A major release establishes the baseline for future minor and patch releases within that version.
Minor Releases
Minor releases are published quarterly between major releases. Example: Totara 20.1
Minor releases introduce new functionality while maintaining compatibility with the major version. Minor releases are optional upgrades but are recommended to benefit from the latest improvements.
Minor releases typically include:
new features
usability improvements
performance enhancements
improvements to existing functionality
Minor releases do not introduce breaking changes, ensuring smoother upgrades.
Patch releases
Patch releases are generally published monthly. Example: Totara 20.1.3
Patch releases focus on platform stability and security.
Patch releases typically include:
bug fixes
security updates
small stability improvements
Patch releases do not introduce new features and are intended to be safe upgrades with minimal disruption.
Release candidates
Before each annual major release, Totara provides a Release Candidate (RC) to Alliance Partners.
Release Candidates are feature-complete preview builds that allow partners to test integrations, extensions, and customisations ahead of the final release.
Important notes:
Release Candidates have not completed full quality assurance testing
Release Candidates are not suitable for production environments
Totara Product Support does not provide support for issues encountered when running Release Candidates in production
Mobile app releases
The Totara Mobile app follows a similar release structure to the Totara platform, with major, minor, and patch releases.
Mobile releases are delivered independently of Totara platform releases, although feature development typically aligns with platform capabilities.
Version numbering also follows the format: Major.Minor.Patch
Examples:
Major release (4.0.0) Introduces significant changes such as architectural updates or major feature redesigns.
Minor release (3.1.0) Introduces new functionality and improvements.
Patch release (3.0.1) Contains bug fixes and stability improvements.
Patch releases may occur more frequently when required to address critical issues.
For all installations, it is recommended to use the latest available version of the mobile app.
Upgrade recommendations
To maintain security and platform stability, Totara recommends:
installing patch releases regularly
upgrading to minor releases to access improvements and new capabilities
planning upgrades to new major releases before the end of General Support
For version support timelines and end-of-life dates, see the Totara version support page.
