# Upgrading PostgreSQL extensions
<a name="USER_UpgradeDBInstance.Upgrading.ExtensionUpgrades"></a>

Upgrading your Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster to a new major or minor version doesn't upgrade the PostgreSQL extensions at the same time. For most extensions, you upgrade the extension after the major or minor version upgrade completes. However, in some cases, you upgrade the extension before you upgrade the Aurora PostgreSQL DB engine. For more information, see the [list of extensions to update](USER_UpgradeDBInstance.PostgreSQL.MajorVersion.md#upgrade-extensions) in [Testing an upgrade of your production DB cluster to a new major version](USER_UpgradeDBInstance.PostgreSQL.MajorVersion.md#USER_UpgradeDBInstance.PostgreSQL.MajorVersion.Upgrade.preliminary).

Installing PostgreSQL extensions requires `rds_superuser` privileges. Typically, an `rds_superuser` delegates permissions over specific extensions to relevant users (roles), to facilitate the management of a given extension. That means that the task of upgrading all the extensions in your Aurora PostgreSQL DB cluster might involve many different users (roles). Keep this in mind especially if you want to automate the upgrade process by using scripts. For more information about PostgreSQL privileges and roles, see [Security with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL](AuroraPostgreSQL.Security.md). 

**Note**  
For information about updating the PostGIS extension, see [Managing spatial data with the PostGIS extension](Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.PostGIS.md) ([Step 6: Upgrade the PostGIS extension](Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.PostGIS.md#Appendix.PostgreSQL.CommonDBATasks.PostGIS.Update)).  
To update the `pg_repack` extension, drop the extension and then create the new version in the upgraded DB instance. For more information, see [pg\$1repack installation](https://reorg.github.io/pg_repack/) in the `pg_repack` documentation.

To update an extension after an engine upgrade, use the `ALTER EXTENSION UPDATE` command.

```
ALTER EXTENSION extension_name UPDATE TO 'new_version';
```

To list your currently installed extensions, use the PostgreSQL [pg\$1extension](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/catalog-pg-extension.html) catalog in the following command.

```
SELECT * FROM pg_extension;
```

To view a list of the specific extension versions that are available for your installation, use the PostgreSQL [ pg\$1available\$1extension\$1versions](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/view-pg-available-extension-versions.html) view in the following command. 

```
SELECT * FROM pg_available_extension_versions;
```