New homeowner, appraisal lower than what we paid but still +$30k vs previous year

Should we protest? Been seeing mixed opinions online – some say we would be silly to protest since we clearly valued the house more than the stated appraisals, while others say to always protest because the worse they could say is no & also they shouldnt know how much was paid for the house. What are your thoughts?

For those who protest – do you do it yourselves or hire someone else to do it?

And no, real estate agents do not explain this.

Thanks in advance for your advice!