---
title: "Update Policy"
method: PATCH
path: "/api/v3/policy/{policy_id}"
tags: ["Policy"]
---

# Update Policy

`PATCH /api/v3/policy/{policy_id}`

## Request

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

Update a Policy.

## Restrictions

- Only data policies can be updated; requests targeting other policy types are rejected.
- Only `name` and `description` may be modified.
- `name` must be unique among the tenant's data policies.

## Path parameters

- `policy_id` string, required

## Request body

- UpdatePolicyInput
  - `description` string, nullable: The description of the Policy. Pass null to clear the description.
  - `name` string: The name of the Policy

## Response `200`

OK

- Policy: Defines a named set of permissions that can be assigned to users or groups through collaborations. Policies contain PolicyStatements that specify allowed actions on different item types. When a user is granted a collaboration with a specific policy, they receive all permissions defined in that policy's statements. Common policies include viewer (read-only access), editor (read and write), and admin (full control). Policies are reusable and can be applied across many collaborations.
  - `__typename` string
  - `createdAt` string, datetime
  - `description` string, nullable
  - `id` string
  - `modifiedAt` string, datetime
  - `name` string
  - `policyStatements` PolicyStatement[]
    - `__typename` string
    - `action` 'READ' | 'APPEND' | 'WRITE' | 'ADMIN' | 'ARCHIVE' | 'CHANGE_ASSIGNMENT_OF_OBJECTS' | 'CHANGE_REGISTRY_IDENTIFIER' | 'CREATE' | 'CREATE_ENTRIES_FROM_DRAFT_TEMPLATES' | 'CREATE_LOCATION' | 'CREATE_REQUEST' | 'CREATE_RESULT' | 'CREATE_SUBFOLDER' | 'CREATE_TEST_ORDERS' | 'EDIT_BARCODES' | 'EDIT_CHEMICAL_STRUCTURE' | 'EDIT_CONTAINER' | 'EDIT_FIELDS_IF_PENDING_INVALID' | 'EDIT_FIELDS_IF_IN_PROGRESS' | 'EDIT_FIELDS_IF_TERMINAL' | 'EDIT_NAMES_AND_ALIASES' | 'EDIT_NAMES_AND_BARCODES' | 'EDIT_POLYMER_FEATURES' | 'EDIT_RESIDUES' | 'EDIT_RESTRICTED_SAMPLE_USERS' | 'EDIT_RESULT' | 'EDIT_SCHEMA_AND_FIELDS' | 'EDIT_STATUS' | 'EDIT_USER_EMAIL' | 'EXECUTE_REQUEST' | 'LIST_DEFINITION' | 'MANAGE_COLLABORATORS' | 'MANAGE_CAPABILITIES' | 'READ_APP_CONFIG' | 'READ_APP_SESSION' | 'REGISTER' | 'RETRACT_REVIEW' | 'RESTRICT_SAMPLES' | 'REVOKE_USER_CREDENTIALS' | 'SUSPEND_USER' | 'UNREGISTER' | 'UNRESTRICT_SAMPLES' | 'WRITE_APP_CONFIG' | 'WRITE_APP_SESSION' | 'UNKNOWN'
    - `condition` 'ALWAYS' | 'IS_AUTHOR' | 'IS_ASSIGNEE' | 'UNKNOWN'
    - `itemType` 'AA_MONOMER' | 'AGENT_MEMORY' | 'AGENT_SKILL' | 'AI_MODEL' | 'ANALYSIS' | 'SQL_DASHBOARD' | 'PROTEIN_FORMAT' | 'APP_DEFINITION' | 'ASYNC_TASK' | 'AV_SCAN_RECORD' | 'BATCH' | 'APP_INSTALLATION' | 'APP_SESSION' | 'BIOENTITY' | 'BOX' | 'BUSINESS_RULE' | 'ASSEMBLY' | 'CHAT' | 'CHEMICAL_COUNTERPART' | 'CONFIG_MIGRATION_HISTORY' | 'CONNECTION' | 'CONTAINER' | 'EVENT_SUBSCRIPTION' | 'EXTENSION_DEFINITION' | 'FOLDER_OR_PROJECT' | 'FILE' | 'INSTRUMENT' | 'NON_LOCATION_STORABLE' | 'LEGACY_DATA_IMPORT_RUN' | 'LIBRARY_PARAMETER_DEFINITION' | 'LOCATION' | 'MCP_SERVER_CONFIG' | 'MCP_SERVER_USER_CONFIGURATION' | 'MODEL_RUN' | 'NUCLEOTIDE_MONOMER' | 'ENTRY' | 'ORGANIZATION' | 'PLATE' | 'PROCEDURE' | 'WORKFLOW_TASK_GROUP' | 'WORKFLOW_TASK' | 'WORKFLOW_OUTPUT' | 'PROTOCOL' | 'REGISTRY' | 'REVIEW_PROCESS' | 'LEGACY_REQUEST' | 'REQUEST_TEMPLATE' | 'REQUEST' | 'RESULT' | 'AGENT' | 'SAMPLE_TYPE' | 'SCHEMA' | 'STUDY' | 'TEAM' | 'TEMPLATE_COLLECTION' | 'TENANT' | 'TEST_ORDER' | 'USER' | 'WAREHOUSE_LOGIN' | 'WAREHOUSE_CUSTOM_VIEW' | 'WORKFLOW' | 'WORKLIST' | 'WORKSHEET' | 'OTHER' | 'UNIT_TYPE' | 'UNKNOWN'
  - `policyType` 'DATA_POLICY' | 'SCHEMA_POLICY' | 'POLICY'

## 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/c9f087b98b8b?raw)