Overview

For AI agents: a documentation index is available at /llms.txt; a markdown version of this page is available at /v1.2.0.0/docs/01-overview/index.md.

PackageUpdateInfo helps you keep installed PowerShell modules up to date. It compares local module versions with versions from configured online repositories (for example PSGallery) and reports when newer versions are available.

What does PackageUpdateInfo do?

The module can:

• Query locally installed modules.
• Discover current online versions.
• Compare versions with configurable sensitivity (major, minor, build, revision).
• Show rich output including repository, release notes, author, and project links.
• Export results for later import and fast startup workflows.

Why use PackageUpdateInfo?

Convenience

• Quickly identify outdated modules without manually checking each one.
• Export and import update information for offline or delayed review.
• Run update checks in background jobs.
• Use optional toast notifications on Windows.

Automation

• Schedule update checks using your profile, scheduled tasks, or startup routines.
• Enforce an update-check interval to reduce unnecessary repository queries.
• Keep custom rules per module pattern for update sensitivity.
• Reuse previously exported data for low-latency shell startup.

Flexibility

• Include or exclude module name patterns.
• Define rule scope and precedence with default and custom rules.
• Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• Supports Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7+.

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+.
• PowerShellGet access to your target repository (for example PSGallery).
• Optional: BurntToast module for toast notifications on Windows.

Installation

Install for all users (requires administrative rights):

Install-Module PackageUpdateInfo

Install for the current user:

Install-Module PackageUpdateInfo -Scope CurrentUser

Quick start

Run an interactive check:

Get-PackageUpdateInfo

Show only modules that need an update:

Get-PackageUpdateInfo -ShowOnlyNeededUpdate

Force a check even if the configured update interval has not expired:

Get-PackageUpdateInfo -Force

Use toast notifications (Windows with BurntToast):

Get-PackageUpdateInfo -ShowToastNotification

Practical automation pattern

Export update data in a background job and import it on shell startup:

Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Get-PackageUpdateInfo -ShowOnlyNeededUpdate -ShowToastNotification | Export-PackageUpdateInfo } | Out-Null
Import-PackageUpdateInfo

This keeps startup interactive while still surfacing recent update information.

Next steps

• Continue with Operational best practices for tuning, rule design, and automation.
• Continue with Troubleshooting for common errors and recovery flows.