Designer Server Version Compatibility
Prior to the 2025.2 release, if you used a Designer version that was newer than the Server version, you were prevented from uploading workflows to Server due to potential version compatibility issues.
The 2025.2 Designer and Server release decouples updates for Designer and Server. Read below to learn what this means for you.
Important
In the 2025.2 release, the previous Designer-Server version compatibility limitations still apply to workflow execution. That is, you can’t execute workflows created in a newer version of Designer than Server.
The 2026.1 release will be the first release where you can take advantage of the decoupling between Designer and Server. That is, you can upgrade Designer to 2026.1 and save and execute 2026.1 workflows in Server 2025.2 (noting Potential Execution Impacts).
We encourage you to bookmark this page. We will continue to update this page as we improve and update this experience in future releases.
Decoupled Designer and Server Updates
To modernize the update experience and reduce IT overhead, Alteryx has decoupled Designer and Server updates. This change allows you to upgrade Designer independently from Server, so users can immediately access the latest Designer features without waiting for Server approval or environment upgrades. This improvement streamlines adoption, accelerates access to new functionality, and reduces delays—especially for organizations with lengthy Server update cycles.
With this enhancement, assets built in newer versions of Designer are no longer blocked from being published to older Server environments. Instead of a blocking error, users will now see a warning and can choose whether to proceed, empowering teams with more flexibility while reducing workflow disruptions.
Example Decoupled Designer-Server Warning Message
This warning message displays when you attempt to connect/save to a Server version that’s older than your Designer version:
You’re connecting/saving to a version of Alteryx Server that’s older than your Designer version. Some functionality may not be supported.
Important
Alteryx Designer users who also use Alteryx Server should still consider upgrading Server before upgrading Designer to avoid potential execution impacts. For details, go to Install or Upgrade Server.
Potential Execution Impacts
If you plan to use Designer versions that are newer than the Server, we encourage you to review the logs for the validation run when uploading assets to an older Server, as well as the execution run logs when running workflows on Server.
Please review the table below for a list of potential issues that can arise if you use a Designer version that is newer than your Server version.
Additionally, please review the version-specific information provided below.
Potential Breaking Changes | Why It Could Be Problematic | Specific Areas Affected |
|---|---|---|
Python Upgrade | Discrepancy between Designer and Server | Tools built with the Python SDK might need to be updated.
|
New Formula Functions or Tool Options | The functions or tool options are not available in the Server version. |
|
New Tools or User-Installed Designer Add-On Tools | New tools and user-installed Designer add-ons are not available in the Server version. | An error message will appear during execution indicating that the referenced tool is not installed. |
Change to Existing Tool Configurations | Differences in expected functionality between the Designer and Server versions. | Something that is not expected by the user can fail or be executed silently. |
Updates in the 2025.2 Release
Read below for a list of key changes in the 2025.2 release.
You can now use an older version of Server/Gallery with assets (workflows, Analytic Apps, and macros) produced with a newer version of Designer. A warning message will display when you attempt this, but you can elect to proceed past the warning.
Warning
In the 2025.2 release, the previous Designer-Server version compatibility limitations still apply to workflow execution. That is, you can’t execute workflows created in a newer version of Designer than Server.
The 2026.1 release will be the first release where you can take advantage of the decoupling between Designer and Server. That is, you can upgrade Designer to 2026.1 and save and execute 2026.1 workflows in Server 2025.2 (noting Potential Execution Impacts).
Designer User Interface Updates
If the Designer version is newer than the Server version, users are warned in these scenarios:
When you add a connection to a Server/Gallery that is older than the Designer version, you’ll receive a warning. You can choose to connect anyway.
When you try to upload an asset from Designer to Server, and the asset was built with a newer version of Designer, you’ll receive a warning. You can choose to upload anyway.
This warning message displays for workflows, Analytic Apps, and macros:
You’re connecting/saving to a version of Alteryx Server that’s older than your Designer version. Some functionality may not be supported.
Server Admin Workflow View
If you attempt to upload an asset directly to the Server UI via the Admin Workflows view, you’ll receive a warning about the asset being created in a newer version of Designer. You are allowed to proceed.
This warning message displays for workflows, Analytic Apps, and macros:
You uploaded to an older version of Alteryx Server than your Designer version. Some functionality may be unsupported or not work as expected.
Workflow Versions
A workflow package (YXZP) can include multiple workflows, Analytic Apps, and macros, however, these assets might not necessarily all have the same workflow version.
When you upload a YXZP package (via REST API or Server Admin UI), only the default workflow within the package is used to determine the version check.
Server REST API
If you attempt to upload an asset directly to Server via the REST API, you can bypass the guardrail that typically prevents this action if the Server version is older than the workflow version. To do this, use the new bypassWorkflowVersionCheck flag. For more information, Go to Workflow Endpoints.