# Updating a Node-RED flow from the file system
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205
**Category:** General
**Created:** [30 June 2020 08:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205 "2020-06-30T08:39:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vp2021](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/vp2021)
#### Post date: [30 June 2020 08:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/1 "2020-06-30T08:39:58Z")
Hello,
I would like to know if it is possible to update and deploy a node-RED "flow" just by modifying files.
Let me explain: If for example I have 10 machines with Node-RED, I would like to be able to update their flow and deploy it without having to go through the Node-RED GUI, but simply by modifying a file via SSH.
The idea would be to modify 1x the flow via the Node-RED GUI and then push the new flow + deploy it via SSH on the 10 other endpoints.
Is this possible?
Thanks for your help.
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [30 June 2020 10:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/2 "2020-06-30T10:52:04Z")
Flows are just stored as a file on disk - so you could certainly scp your flows (and credentials) files to all of the devices and then restart Node-RED on each of them to pickup the changes.
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### Author:  [@vp2021](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/vp2021)
#### Post date: [30 June 2020 11:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/3 "2020-06-30T11:58:32Z")
Okay. And do you know where the file contains the "Flow" Node-RED on the disk?
Thank you
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [30 June 2020 12:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/4 "2020-06-30T12:04:15Z")
Node-RED logs the full path of the flow file it is using when it starts. It will typically be in `~/.node-red`
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### Author:  [@vp2021](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/vp2021)
#### Post date: [2 July 2020 07:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/5 "2020-07-02T07:07:41Z")
I saw that the flows are saved in the following file: "/root/.node-red/flows\_.json"
I've taken the following steps:
1. Realization of a flow in Node-RED
2. Deploy the Flow
3. Copy the file "/root/.node-red/flows\_.json" to a temporary directory
4. Delete the flow in Node-RED
5. Deploys the changes
6. Copy the ".json" file from the temporary folder to "./node-red".
After that, I don't see the old flow in Node-RED again. How can I make Node-RED read this file and display it to me again without using the Node-RED GUI and the "import" function, but just by copying this file ?
I looked, and it seems that the "flows\_.json" file is the only file that is modified when I modify a flow and click on "Deploy".
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [2 July 2020 07:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/6 "2020-07-02T07:21:32Z")
You need to restart Node-RED to load the changed flows.
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [2 July 2020 07:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/7 "2020-07-02T07:25:05Z")
Or push the flow to the running instance using ~~node-red-admin tool or~~ a suitable curl command. You will then still need to refresh the browser.
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [2 July 2020 07:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/8 "2020-07-02T07:28:20Z")
> [@dceejay](#):
>
> Or push the flow to the running instance using node-red-admin tool
Umm, not an existing feature of node-red-admin.
But yes, a curl command to trigger a reload is also doable.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [16 July 2020 07:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/updating-a-node-red-flow-from-the-file-system/29205/9 "2020-07-16T07:28:23Z")
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