--- title: Update metadata fields description: List, change, or remove the file metadata fields that filters can read. doc_version: 0.1.0-preview last_updated: 2026-09-14 --- # Update metadata fields `PATCH /namespaces/{namespace}/collections/{collection}/metadata-fields` List, change, or remove the file metadata fields that filters can read. **Permission:** Cluster key, or a scoped key with write on this collection. [API key types and authentication](/engine/reference/authentication.md). Fields that you omit keep their type. Send null for a field to remove it from the list. A change returns 202 with a reindex_metadata job. Filters are checked against the new fields at once, so a removed key returns not_listed, but they read the old index until the job succeeds. A request that changes nothing returns 200 with the fields, also while a job runs. On a collection with no files, the job succeeds at once. On a collection with files, the index is rebuilt in the background, and the job stays running until the rebuild is done. Poll Get job until it succeeds. A collection lists at most 256 fields. A change while the index of the last change is still being rebuilt returns operation_in_progress. ## Example request ```http PATCH /namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/metadata-fields HTTP/1.1 Host: engine.example.com Authorization: Bearer Content-Type: application/json { "fields": { "environment": { "type": "text" }, "severity": { "type": "number" } } } ``` ## Path parameters ### `namespace` **string · required** Namespace name or ns_ ID. It must be visible to this key. ### `collection` **string · required** Collection name or col_ ID within the namespace. It must be visible to this key. ## Request body ### `fields` **map · required** Map of metadata key to its setting. A setting lists the field with that type. null removes the field. Keys that you omit keep their setting. #### `fields[key].type` **string · required** How filters read the values of this field. - `text`: Text. A number or a boolean is read as its JSON text. Compares in byte order. - `number`: A number, or a string that holds a plain decimal number. - `time`: An RFC 3339 date or date-time. Compares instants, so time zone offsets count. - `bool`: true or false, or the string "true" or "false". ## Responses ### 200 · No change The request gave the same fields. The response is the field list. #### Request for this response ```http PATCH /namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/metadata-fields HTTP/1.1 Host: engine.example.com Authorization: Bearer Content-Type: application/json { "fields": { "environment": { "type": "text" } } } ``` Content type: `application/json`. #### Response headers ##### `x-engine-request-id` **string · required** The Engine request ID. Retain it when investigating a failed or unexpected request. ##### `x-request-id` **string · required** The X-Request-Id you sent, echoed when it is a valid ID. Otherwise, the Engine request ID. ```json { "fields": { "environment": { "type": "text", "status": "ready", "invalid_values": 0 }, "severity": { "type": "number", "status": "indexing", "invalid_values": 0 } } } ``` #### Response fields ##### `fields` **map · required** Map of metadata key to the field. Only these keys can be used in a filter. ###### `fields[key].invalid_values` **integer · required** At least this many stored values do not fit the type, counted on a sample of the indexed files. They are stored, but no filter matches them. ###### `fields[key].status` **string · required** ready, or indexing while the index of this field is rebuilt after a change. - `ready`: Filters read the current index of this field. - `indexing`: The index of this field is being rebuilt. Filters read the old index. ###### `fields[key].type` **string · required** How filters read the values of this field. - `text`: Text. A number or a boolean is read as its JSON text. Compares in byte order. - `number`: A number, or a string that holds a plain decimal number. - `time`: An RFC 3339 date or date-time. Compares instants, so time zone offsets count. - `bool`: true or false, or the string "true" or "false". ### 202 · Reindex accepted The field list changed. The response is the job that rebuilds the metadata index. Content type: `application/json`. #### Response headers ##### `x-engine-request-id` **string · required** The Engine request ID. Retain it when investigating a failed or unexpected request. ##### `x-request-id` **string · required** The X-Request-Id you sent, echoed when it is a valid ID. Otherwise, the Engine request ID. ```json { "id": "job_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6", "type": "reindex_metadata", "status": "running", "namespace": "acme", "collection": "incident-logs", "error": null, "created_at": "2026-10-06T10:00:00Z", "updated_at": "2026-10-06T10:00:00Z" } ``` #### Response fields ##### `collection` **string · optional · nullable** Collection name when this job belongs to a collection. Otherwise omitted. ##### `created_at` **string (date-time) · required** Time the resource was created, as an ISO 8601 UTC timestamp. ##### `error` **object · required · nullable** Failure details, or null when no failure is recorded. ###### `error.code` **string · required** Machine-readable reason for the failure. Use this value for program logic and message for display or diagnostics. ###### `error.message` **string · required** Human-readable explanation of the failure. Do not parse this text to decide how to retry. ##### `file_id` **string · optional · nullable** File ID when this job acts on one file. Otherwise omitted. ##### `id` **string · required** Immutable job ID with the job_ prefix. Use it to read the current state. ##### `namespace` **string · optional · nullable** Namespace name when this job belongs to a namespace. ##### `status` **string · required** Current state of the asynchronous work. succeeded, failed, and canceled are terminal states. - `queued`: Accepted and waiting to start. - `running`: Work is in progress. - `succeeded`: Work completed successfully. - `failed`: Work ended with an error. - `canceled`: Work ended after cancellation. ##### `type` **string · required** Kind of work accepted by the API. - `index_file`: Index a new or replacement file. - `delete_file`: Remove a file and clean its derived data. - `reindex_collection`: Rebuild the collection’s derived data. - `delete_collection`: Remove a collection and its derived data. - `delete_namespace`: Remove a namespace and its collections. - `apply_access_rule`: Apply changed governing rules to affected files. - `reindex_metadata`: Rebuild the metadata index after a change of the metadata fields. ##### `updated_at` **string (date-time) · required** Time the resource last changed, as an ISO 8601 UTC timestamp. ## Errors [Error format and retry guidance](/engine/reference/errors.md). ### 400 · `invalid_request` A field, path, parameter, or conditional request rule is invalid. Correct the request. Unknown fields are rejected. ```json { "error": { "code": "invalid_request", "message": "A field, path, parameter, or conditional request rule is invalid.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ### 401 · `unauthenticated` The API key is missing, invalid, or revoked. Send an active key in Authorization: Bearer or X-API-Key. ```json { "error": { "code": "unauthenticated", "message": "The API key is missing, invalid, or revoked.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ### 403 · `forbidden` The key can see the resource but lacks permission for this operation. Use a key with the required action or scope kind. ```json { "error": { "code": "forbidden", "message": "The key can see the resource but lacks permission for this operation.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ### 404 · `not_found` The resource is absent, deleted, or outside this key’s scope. Check the identifier and the key’s namespace and collection scope. ```json { "error": { "code": "not_found", "message": "The resource is absent, deleted, or outside this key’s scope.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ### 409 · `operation_in_progress` An unfinished operation conflicts with this request. Inspect the existing job and wait for its completion event before retrying. ```json { "error": { "code": "operation_in_progress", "message": "An unfinished operation conflicts with this request.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": true, "details": {} } } ``` ### 413 · `request_too_large` The JSON body exceeds the route limit: 6,291,456 bytes on :answer and research, 4,194,304 bytes on :search and :read-spans, and 1,048,576 bytes elsewhere. Reduce the JSON body. Use upload or a URI source for larger file content. ```json { "error": { "code": "request_too_large", "message": "The JSON body exceeds the route limit: 6,291,456 bytes on :answer and research, 4,194,304 bytes on :search and :read-spans, and 1,048,576 bytes elsewhere.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ### 503 · `temporarily_unavailable` A dependency, cluster readiness condition, or capacity limit prevents this operation. Inspect retryable and details. Retry only when permitted, preserving the idempotency key for the same write. ```json { "error": { "code": "temporarily_unavailable", "message": "A dependency, cluster readiness condition, or capacity limit prevents this operation.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": true, "details": {} } } ``` ### 500 · `internal_error` An unexpected server failure prevented this request from completing. Retain request_id for investigation. Follow retryable before retrying a write. ```json { "error": { "code": "internal_error", "message": "An unexpected server failure prevented this request from completing.", "request_id": "req_example", "retryable": false, "details": {} } } ``` ## Other request languages ### cURL ```bash curl -sS -X PATCH "$GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/metadata-fields" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY" \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data-raw '{ "fields": { "environment": { "type": "text" }, "severity": { "type": "number" } } }' ``` ### Python ```python import json import os import urllib.request request = urllib.request.Request( os.environ["GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL"] + "/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/metadata-fields", data=json.dumps({"fields": {"environment": {"type": "text"}, "severity": {"type": "number"}}}).encode("utf-8"), headers={ "Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY"], "Content-Type": "application/json", }, method="PATCH", ) with urllib.request.urlopen(request) as response: print(response.read().decode()) ``` ### JavaScript ```javascript const response = await fetch(process.env.GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL + "/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/metadata-fields", { method: "PATCH", headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY}`, "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({"fields":{"environment":{"type":"text"},"severity":{"type":"number"}}}), }); console.log(response.status, await response.text()); ``` ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.