Content-Type for JSON Patch (RFC 6902)

JSON Patch Media Type

JSON Patch (RFC 6902) defines a format for describing changes to a JSON document. It uses a distinct media type so the server knows the body contains patch operations, not a complete replacement.

The Header Value

Content-Type: application/json-patch+json; charset=utf-8

JSON Patch Format

A JSON Patch document is an array of operation objects:

[
  { "op": "replace", "path": "/email", "value": "new@example.com" },
  { "op": "add", "path": "/phone", "value": "+1-555-0100" },
  { "op": "remove", "path": "/fax" }
]

Supported Operations

Operation	Description
add	Add a value at the specified path
remove	Remove the value at the specified path
replace	Replace the value at the specified path
move	Move a value from one path to another
copy	Copy a value from one path to another
test	Test that a value at the specified path equals the given value

Related: JSON Merge Patch

For simpler partial updates, consider JSON Merge Patch (RFC 7396) which uses application/merge-patch+json. It lets you send only the fields you want to change without operation objects.

curl Example

curl -X PATCH \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json-patch+json" \
  -d '[{"op":"replace","path":"/name","value":"New Name"}]' \
  https://api.example.com/users/123