---
id: update-a-component
title: Update a Component
description: Update an existing component.
---

Audience: Developers

## Overview

Components in the Software Catalog are created using a software template. The template generates a `catalog-info.yaml` file in either GitHub or GitLab that defines the entity. To update the component, you must edit its corresponding `catalog-info.yaml` entity definition file.

## Updating the component

To update a component using the Backstage UI:

1. Select the "Edit" icon associated with the component. In this example, the `tutorial` entity is selected.

   ![select edit icon for component](../assets/uiguide/select-edit-icon-for-component.png)

   The associated `catalog-info.yaml` file is displayed.

   ![tutorial component catalog-info.yaml file](../assets/uiguide/tutorial-catalog-info-yaml-file.png)

2. Make your changes to the YAML file. In this example, the name of the component is changed to `mytutorial`.

   ![component name updated](../assets/uiguide/component-name-updated.png)

3. Select `Commit changes` to commit your changes to the appropriate branch and go through your normal PR review procedure.

4. Once the updated `catalog-info.yaml` file has been merged into the branch associated with the component, then you will see the updated information in the Software Catalog.

   ![updated component name in ui](../assets/uiguide/updated-component-name-in-ui.png)