# Clarification of RCP "updateWebsite"

**URL:** <https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081>\
**Category:** MPS\
**Tags:** build-language\
**Created:** [September 17, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081 "2026-09-17T11:46:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![s.franzen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@s.franzen](https://platform.jetbrains.com/u/s.franzen)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081/1 "2026-09-17T11:46:06Z")

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The build language concept _BuildMps\_BrandingUpdateSite_ allows you to configure your RCP to notify users of new releases, for which it provides the string values _check url_, _update url_ and _channel_. It is possible to see how MPS itself uses these values in its own IDEA branding:

```auto
Update website 
  check url https://www.jetbrains.com/mps/update.xml 
  update url https://www.jetbrains.com/mps/download/?utm_source=product&utm_media=link&utm_campaign=MPS&utm_content=${version.major}.${version.minor} 
  channel MPS253

```

However, I think this feature should get some more coverage in the documentation. Specifically, I’d like to know how to disable the update website: even if the build script says “no updateWebsite”, the resulting RCP currently displays a message suggesting that version 2025.3.2 is now available, which is false. This is an update to the underlying MPS version, not to the RCP, so it doesn’t make sense to tell our users about it.

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**Author:** ![venca](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/platform.jetbrains.com/venca/32/714_2.png) [@venca](https://platform.jetbrains.com/u/venca)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 6:58am UTC](https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081/2 "2026-09-23T06:58:44Z")

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Hi Steven,

You’re right that this needed better documentation and I’ll do it today (for 2026.1 and later).

on its own is not a complete kill switch. Leaving branding at (deleting the child) omits the element from your generated ApplicationInfo.xml. It does not strip an update feed that was already packaged from MPS.

That balloon is almost certainly the MPS update checker. Typical RCP layouts import mpsStandalone::lib, which includes MPS’s own lib/branding.jar. The update UI reads that jar

(idea/ApplicationInfo.xml). If the layout still copies MPS branding, the IDE keeps polling [https://www.jetbrains.com/mps/update.xml](https://www.jetbrains.com/mps/update.xml) with an MPS\* channel.

To disable it:

1. Keep branding at .

2. When importing mpsStandalone::lib, exclude branding.jar.

3. After that, create lib/branding.jar from your idea branding part. The jar must keep that name.

4. Rebuild and inspect: jar tf /lib/branding.jar should list idea/MPSApplicationInfo.xml. That file should have no and no update-channel=“MPS…”.

Vaclav

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![s.franzen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@s.franzen](https://platform.jetbrains.com/u/s.franzen)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081/3 "2026-09-25T13:30:53Z")

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Hi Vaclav,

Thanks for your quick reply! I had another look at our RCP build, but it appears to be fine: branding is excluded from mpsStandalone::lib and replaced by our own, and neither the generated ant build file nor MPSApplicationInfo.xml mention any update website or channel settings. Maybe it’s bugged?

I also noticed these other things:

- Under Settings \> Appearance & Behavior \> System Settings \> Updates, the option “Check IDE updates for: Stable Release” was enabled.
- Disabling this and restarting the RCP removes the update notification and download link from the gearbox menu in the top right corner. However, the tooltip continues to say “Updates available. IDE and Project Settings”.

So there is at least a way to disable the notification, but we would still like it to be shown only if we define our own updateWebsite, and not shown if that is left undefined.

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**Author:** ![mikev](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/platform.jetbrains.com/mikev/32/3395_2.png) [@mikev](https://platform.jetbrains.com/u/mikev)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://platform.jetbrains.com/t/clarification-of-rcp-updatewebsite/5081/4 "2026-09-25T15:27:07Z")

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> [@s.franzen](#):
>
> - However, the tooltip continues to say “Updates available. IDE and Project Settings”.

I think it is necessary to check for updates one more time to update status of updates. 🙂

Indeed you can try this option in vmoptions:  
-Dide.no.platform.update=Steven Franzen  
It disables IDE updates while leaving plugin updates available.

It also appears that an omitted `updateWebsite` is ignored because MPS inherits the default JetBrains update URL. This may be a bug, but I have not investigated the implementation in detail yet.

Mike.