---
obj: concept
website: https://jsonpatch.com
rfc: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6902
---

# JSONPatch
JSON Patch is a format for describing changes to a [JSON](../files/JSON.md) document. It can be used to avoid sending a whole document when only a part has changed. When used in combination with the [HTTP](../internet/HTTP.md) PATCH method, it allows partial updates for [HTTP](../internet/HTTP.md) APIs in a standards compliant way.

The patch documents are themselves [JSON](../files/JSON.md) documents.
A JSON Patch document is just a [JSON](../files/JSON.md) file containing an array of patch operations. The patch operations supported by JSON Patch are “add”, “remove”, “replace”, “move”, “copy” and “test”. The operations are applied in order: if any of them fail then the whole patch operation should abort.

## Simple example
### The original document
```json
{
  "baz": "qux",
  "foo": "bar"
}
```

### The patch
```json
[
  { "op": "replace", "path": "/baz", "value": "boo" },
  { "op": "add", "path": "/hello", "value": ["world"] },
  { "op": "remove", "path": "/foo" }
]
```

### The result
```json
{
  "baz": "boo",
  "hello": ["world"]
}
```

## JSON Pointer
JSON Pointer ([IETF RFC 6901](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6901/)) defines a string format for identifying a specific value within a [JSON](../files/JSON.md) document. It is used by all operations in JSON Patch to specify the part of the document to operate on.

A JSON Pointer is a string of tokens separated by `/` characters, these tokens either specify keys in objects or indexes into arrays. For example, given the [JSON](../files/JSON.md)
```json
{
  "biscuits": [
    { "name": "Digestive" },
    { "name": "Choco Leibniz" }
  ]
}
```

`/biscuits` would point to the array of biscuits and `/biscuits/1/name` would point to `"Choco Leibniz"`.

To point to the root of the document use an empty string for the pointer. The pointer `/` doesn’t point to the root, it points to a key of `""` on the root (which is totally valid in [JSON](../files/JSON.md)).

If you need to refer to a key with `~` or `/` in its name, you must escape the characters with `~0` and `~1` respectively. For example, to get `"baz"` from `{ "foo/bar~": "baz" }` you’d use the pointer `/foo~1bar~0`.

Finally, if you need to refer to the end of an array you can use `-` instead of an index. For example, to refer to the end of the array of biscuits above you would use `/biscuits/-`. This is useful when you need to insert a value at the end of an array.

## Operations
### Add
```json
{ "op": "add", "path": "/biscuits/1", "value": { "name": "Ginger Nut" } }
```

Adds a value to an object or inserts it into an array. In the case of an array, the value is inserted before the given index. The `-` character can be used instead of an index to insert at the end of an array.

### Remove
```json
{ "op": "remove", "path": "/biscuits" }
```

Removes a value from an object or array.
```json
{ "op": "remove", "path": "/biscuits/0" }
```

Removes the first element of the array at `biscuits` (or just removes the “0” key if `biscuits` is an object)

### Replace
```json
{ "op": "replace", "path": "/biscuits/0/name", "value": "Chocolate Digestive" }
```

Replaces a value. Equivalent to a "remove" followed by an "add".

### Copy
```json
{ "op": "copy", "from": "/biscuits/0", "path": "/best_biscuit" }
```

Copies a value from one location to another within the [JSON](../files/JSON.md) document. Both `from` and `path` are JSON Pointers.

### Move
```json
{ "op": "move", "from": "/biscuits", "path": "/cookies" }
```

Moves a value from one location to the other. Both `from` and `path` are JSON Pointers.

### Test
```json
{ "op": "test", "path": "/best_biscuit/name", "value": "Choco Leibniz" }
```

Tests that the specified value is set in the document. If the test fails, then the patch as a whole should not apply.