Skip to main content
2026-07-29 16:01
REST API

PATCH Partial Update

RequestValidateParseMedium
Try Interactive Demo

What you will learn

  • JSON Patch (RFC 6902) vs JSON Merge Patch (RFC 7396) produce different results — know which the API uses
  • Partial updates must not clear fields accidentally — sending empty is not the same as sending null
  • Test that unmodified fields are unchanged — a PATCH that resets them is a full PUT in disguise

Description

Partially update a user with only changed fields. Verify only specified fields are modified.

Test Scenario

const response = await request.patch('/api/v1/users/1', {
  data: { name: 'New Name' } // Only update name
});
expect(response.status()).toBe(200);
Endpoint/api/v1/users/:id

Testing Tips

  • •PATCH updates only specified fields
  • •Other fields remain unchanged
  • •Good for single-field updates
// Playwright API Testing - REST
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';


test('REST API request', async ({ request }) => {
  const response = await request.get('/api/v1/resource');


  expect(response.ok()).toBeTruthy();
  expect(response.status()).toBe(200);


  const data = await response.json();
  expect(data).toBeDefined();
});

Challenge ID: rest-patch-partial-update

2 frameworks available

API Playground

Send requests and inspect responses

Endpoint: /api/v1/users/:id

Press Enter to send