---
title: "Update Dropdown"
method: PATCH
path: "/api/v3/dropdown/{dropdown_id}"
tags: ["Dropdown"]
---

# Update Dropdown

`PATCH /api/v3/dropdown/{dropdown_id}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://{tenant_name}.benchling.com`
- URL: `https://{tenant_name}.benchling.com/api/v3/dropdown/{dropdown_id}`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Update Dropdown.

## Path parameters

- `dropdown_id` string, required

## Request body

- UpdateDropdownInput
  - `archiveReason` string: Why it is being archived. Required when `archived` is `true`, and not allowed when unarchiving.
  - `archived` boolean: Set to `true` to archive or `false` to unarchive it. Archiving requires `archiveReason`.
  - `name` string: Updated dropdown name.
  - `options` UpdateDropdownInputOptionsItems[]: Replacement list of options. Include existing options to retain them.
    - union
      - CreateDropdownOptionInput
        - `name` string, required: The display name of this dropdown option.
      - UpdateDropdownOptionInput
        - `archiveReason` string: Why it is being archived. Required when `archived` is `true`, and not allowed when unarchiving.
        - `archived` boolean: Set to `true` to archive or `false` to unarchive it. Archiving requires `archiveReason`.
        - `id` string, required
        - `name` string: Updated display name.

## Response `200`

OK

- Dropdown: A configurable list of predefined values used for standardizing data entry in schema fields. Dropdowns provide controlled vocabulary choices that ensure consistency when users fill out entity and object fields. Each Dropdown belongs to a Registry (see `registry`) and contains one or more selectable options (see `DropdownOption`). Dropdowns are referenced by schema field definitions (see `DropdownLinkFieldDefinition`) to constrain the allowed values for a field. Organizations use dropdowns to enforce standardized terminology across experiments, samples, and other registered entities.
  - `__typename` string
  - `archiveReason` string, nullable
  - `archived` boolean
  - `id` string: ID of the dropdown
  - `name` string: Name of the dropdown
  - `options` string, uri: Array of dropdown options
  - `registry` RegistryRef
    - `__typename` string
    - `id` string, api_id

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad Request
- `403`: Forbidden
- `404`: Not Found
- `409`: Conflict
- `429`: Too Many Requests
- `500`: Internal Server Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/benchling/apis/benchling-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/benchling/apis/benchling-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/benchling/apis/benchling-api/revisions/3873a10bf7b8?raw)