---
title: "Upload cover methods"
method: POST
path: "/cover-methods"
tags: ["Cover methods"]
---

# Upload cover methods

`POST /cover-methods`

## Query parameters

- `dry_run` boolean

## Response `200`

Upload accepted. When `dry_run=false` (default), returns an upload summary. When `dry_run=true`, the same summary is nested under `dry_run_data` and the data is not actually inserted into VegBank.

- union
  - UploadSummary — Counts of inserted records per entity type, plus the uploaded and VegBank-assigned identifiers for each record. Entity type keys (e.g. `pl`, `ob`, `rf`, `ds`) vary depending on what was uploaded. `ds` always appears and represents the internal dataset record created to log the upload.
    - `counts` object
    - `resources` object
  - object — Returned when `dry_run=true`. Transaction is rolled back.
    - `dry_run_data` UploadSummary — Counts of inserted records per entity type, plus the uploaded and VegBank-assigned identifiers for each record. Entity type keys (e.g. `pl`, `ob`, `rf`, `ds`) vary depending on what was uploaded. `ds` always appears and represents the internal dataset record created to log the upload.
      - `counts` object
      - `resources` object
    - `message` string

## Other responses

- `403` — Uploads not allowed
- `500` — Invalid data upload

## Changes

> 50 revisions in range; 1 not diffed, 13 could not be searched.

- **2026-03-26** `4c741713474d` — 5 breaking, 2 info
  - added the new required request property `cover_methods`
  - request body became required
  - the request's body type/format changed from `array`/`` to `object`/``
  - added `#/components/schemas/UploadSummary, subschema #2: DryRunSummary` to the response body `oneOf` list for the response status `200`
  - …3 more
- **2026-03-02** `8e27e0e126e7` — 1 info
  - the endpoint scheme security `oauth2` was added to the API
- **2026-01-18** `2e123831df6e` — 4 warning, 4 info
  - removed the request property `items/accession_code`
  - removed the request property `items/cover_type`
  - removed the request property `items/cover_types`
  - removed the request property `items/reference`
  - …4 more
- **2025-05-24** `16a2946a00d0` — 1 info
  - endpoint added
- **2025-04-29** `c9e23cb778c9` — 1 breaking
  - api path removed without deprecation

[Change history](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi/changes/cover-methods/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/nceas/apis/vegbankapi/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/nceas/vegbankapi/revisions/852fd165e202/schema)