packer/website/content/docs/upgrade/v1_13.mdx

---
page_title: Upgrade to v1.13
description: Learn how to upgrade your Packer installation to v1.13
---

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> [!IMPORTANT]  
> **Documentation Update:** Product documentation previously located in `/website` has moved to the [`hashicorp/web-unified-docs`](https://github.com/hashicorp/web-unified-docs) repository, where all product documentation is now centralized. Please make contributions directly to `web-unified-docs`, since changes to `/website` in this repository will not appear on developer.hashicorp.com.
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# Upgrade to v1.13

The topic describes upgrade considerations for Packer v1.13. Refer to the [v1.13 release notes](/packer/docs/release-notes/v1_13) for details about changes in v1.13.

## Overview

You can use the upgrade command for the package manager you installed Packer with or download and replace the existing binary to upgrade Packer. Refer to [Install Packer](https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/install) for instructions.

## Upgrade from 1.12

Packer 1.13's notable changes can be summarised by the following points:

1. Provisioner Enhancement
2. New functions Support
3. Packer fmt command to format multiple HCL files
4. Top-Level hcp_packer_registry Block Support

**Note**: The Powershell provisioner changes are breaking changes.

## Provisioner Enhancement

The `shell` provisioner’s inline field now supports executing scripts directly, including those with their own shebang (#!) lines.
This enhancement allows you to provide a full script as an inline command, enabling dynamic scripts via tools like templatefile.

Added a wrapper around inline `PowerShell` commands executed by the provisioner to catch errors and ensure the Packer build fails if any command results in an error.

## New functions Support

As part of Packer 1.13, we have introduced more functions.

* `sum`: takes a list or set of numbers and returns the sum of those numbers..
* `startswith`: takes two values: a string to check and a prefix string. The function returns true if the string begins with that exact prefix.
* `endswith`: takes two values: a string to check and a suffix string. The function returns true if the first string ends with that exact suffix.

## Packer fmt command to format multiple HCL files

Added the ability for the packer fmt command to format multiple HCL files at once.

## Top-Level hcp_packer_registry Block Support

Added support for defining the `hcp_packer_registry` block at the top level of the Packer configuration. Enables improved management and referencing of HCP Packer registries directly in the root schema.