## [Updating Drupal core with Composer](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/updating-drupal-core-composer)
This article assumes you installed Drupal with a composer project like `drupal/core-recommended` or `drupal/dxpr-marketing-cms-project`
## List available Drupal updates
```php
composer outdated "drupal/*"
```
If there is no line starting with `drupal/core`, Composer isn't aware of any update. If there is an update, continue with the commands below
## Create a backup of your Drupal instance
When updating a production website, always create a backup before doing an update, even if have successfully tried the update on a development or test environment. Use your hosting provider's tools to create a backup or snapshot of your Drupal site.
## Update Drupal core code
**if you are using** `drupal/core-recommended`:
```php
composer update "drupal/core-*" --with-all-dependencies
```
To simulate the update, and show you what would happen, without actually changing anything, add `--dry-run`.
### Update to the latest patch version of core
If you want to update your site to the latest patch version, but not the latest minor version, then add `--with=` options for each `drupal/core-*` dependency listed in `composer.json`.
For example, if 10.2 is the current minor version and you want to update your site to the latest patch version of 10.3:
`composer update "drupal/core-*" --with-all-dependencies --with=drupal/core-recommended:~10.3.0 --with=drupal/core-composer-scaffold:~10.3.0`
This example assumes that `drupal/core-recommended` and `drupal/core-composer-scaffold `are the only Drupal core dependencies in `composer.json`.
### Update to a specific version of core
In general, we recommend that you do not specify a specific version of Drupal core when updating, unless you know that you want to pin to a specific version. If you do want to pin your site to a specific version, you can use the following example:
To pin your site to version 10.3.6 and update all dependencies accordingly:
```php
composer require drupal/core-recommended:10.3.6 drupal/core-composer-scaffold:10.3.6 drupal/core-project-message:10.3.6 --update-with-all-dependencies
```
**Warning**: If you pin your site to a specific core version, that version will be added to the lock file, and future updates will not go past this version. Re-run the require command as specified below to return to an 'unpinned' version of core.
### Unpinning from a specific version of core
If you are running a pinned version of Drupal core, and want to update your site to another version, you have two choices.
1. You can run the composer require command above to specify a new, pinned version of core.
2. You can unpin your core version, and update to the latest version of Drupal.
To unpin your version of Drupal, run this command:
```php
composer require drupal/core-recommended drupal/core-composer-scaffold drupal/core-project-message --update-with-all-dependencies
```
## Run database updates
For convenience we included the [Drush](http://www.drush.org/) commands necessary to complete an update, many people find Drush quicker and easier than the web-based admin area.
You can either use drush:
```php
drush updatedb
drush cache:rebuild
```
Or you can visit `[YOUR DOMAIN]/update.php` in a browser.