How do I roll back a bad update correctly?

Roll back fast to a confirmed-good build, then diagnose and fix the cause before re-releasing, and verify both the rollback and the eventual fix. The common mistakes are rolling back too late (after the bad build spread), not fixing the cause (re-shipping the problem), not knowing which build was good (rolling back to another flawed one), and not verifying. To roll back correctly: catch the bad build fast (via per-version monitoring with alerts) so you can roll back early, revert to a build you know was stable (from per-version stability data), confirm the rollback worked (the crash rate returning to the good build's level), then use the captured data from the bad build to diagnose and fix the root cause properly without time pressure, and verify the fixed build before re-releasing. Bugnet's per-version tracking catches the bad build fast, identifies the confirmed-good rollback target, verifies the rollback, preserves the evidence to fix the cause, and verifies the re-released fix, so your rollback is fast, to the right build, and leads to a genuinely fixed re-release rather than a repeat of the problem.

When should I roll back instead of fixing forward?

Roll back when the update is broadly broken, the issue is severe and widespread, or you cannot fix it quickly, where reverting stops the damage fastest; fix forward when you can resolve the issue with a fast targeted hotfix. Both reverse a bad update, and the choice depends on how broken it is and how fast you can fix it. Roll back when the build is broadly broken (many issues, high crash rate), the issue is severe and widespread (a game-breaker hitting many players), or the fix will take time, rolling back immediately returns players to a working build, stopping the bleeding while you fix properly. Fix forward (hotfix) when the issue is specific and you can fix it fast (a clear cause, a contained fix), resolving it without losing the update's content. A common mistake is fixing forward under pressure on a badly-broken build (slow and risky) when rolling back would stop the damage faster. When in doubt with a severe, widespread issue you cannot immediately fix, roll back first, fix properly second. Bugnet's per-version data shows how broadly a build broke things and how severe the issues are, informing the roll-back-versus-fix-forward decision, and its captured context helps you gauge whether a fast forward-fix is feasible, so you can choose the path that stops the damage fastest.

How do I know which version to roll back to?

Roll back to the most recent build with a confirmed-low crash rate, which you know from per-version stability data, rather than guessing. A common rollback mistake is reverting to a previous build without knowing whether it was actually stable, you might roll back to another flawed version, or further than necessary. With per-version crash tracking, you can see each build's crash rate and stability, so you identify the most recent build that was confirmed good (low, stable crash rate, no major issues) as your rollback target, returning players to a genuinely working version. After rolling back, confirm the crash rate returned to that build's good level, verifying the rollback worked. This is far more reliable than guessing or rolling back blindly. Bugnet tracks crash rate per version, so you can see which previous builds were stable and choose the right rollback target (the most recent confirmed-good build), then verify the rollback restored that stability, so your rollback returns players to a known-working version rather than another problematic one, and you know it worked rather than assuming.

Common Rollback Mistakes

Quick answer: The biggest rollback mistakes are rolling back too late, not fixing the cause before re-releasing, not knowing the good build, and not verifying, fix these with fast rollback to a confirmed-good build and verification.

Rolling back a bad update stops the bleeding, but common mistakes undermine it. Here are the most common rollback mistakes and how to avoid them.

Rolling Back Too Late

The most common rollback mistake is rolling back too late, after a bad build has already spread to most players and done its damage. Rollback's value is stopping the bleeding fast, and a slow rollback (because you noticed the problem late) lets the bad build hurt many players first.

The fix is catching the problem fast so you can roll back early, via per-version monitoring with alerts. Bugnet tracks crash rate per version and alerts on spikes, so a bad build surfaces within minutes, letting you roll back early while it has only reached a fraction of players, not after it has spread.

Not Fixing the Cause Before Re-Releasing

A second mistake is rolling back and then re-releasing the same broken build (or a still-broken fix), repeating the problem. Rollback stops the bleeding but does not fix the underlying issue, and re-shipping without fixing it wastes the rollback.

The fix is diagnosing and fixing the cause before re-releasing, using the captured data from the bad build. Bugnet preserves the crashes and per-version comparison from the bad build, so after rolling back you have the evidence to fix the root cause properly, then verify the fixed build before re-shipping.

Not Knowing Which Build Was Good

A third mistake is rolling back without knowing which previous build was actually stable, so you might roll back to another flawed version. Without per-version stability data, your rollback target is a guess.

The fix is knowing your builds' stability per version, so you roll back to a confirmed-good one. Bugnet tracks crash rate per version, so you can see which previous build had a low crash rate (the safe rollback target) and confirm the rollback returned stability to that level, rather than guessing.

Avoid the big rollback mistakes: rolling back too late, not fixing the cause before re-releasing, not knowing the good build, and not verifying. Roll back fast to a confirmed-good build, fix the cause, and verify.