> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.autosend.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Update Automation

> Updates a workflow automation. Only draft and paused workflows can be edited. Pass `active: true` to activate after the update.

<Note>
  Updates a workflow automation. Only `draft` and `paused` workflows can be edited — active workflows must be paused first. Pass `active: true` to re-activate as part of the update.
</Note>

<Warning>
  When `steps` is provided, the supplied array fully replaces the existing step list. Steps not included will be removed and any in-flight executions on those steps will exit.
</Warning>

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request PATCH \
    --url https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc \
    --header 'Authorization: Bearer AS_your-project-api-key' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --data '{
    "name": "Welcome Series — v2",
    "tags": ["onboarding", "v2"],
    "trackingClick": true,
    "active": true
  }'
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  url = "https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc"

  headers = {
      "Authorization": "Bearer AS_your-project-api-key",
      "Content-Type": "application/json"
  }

  payload = {
      "name": "Welcome Series — v2",
      "tags": ["onboarding", "v2"],
      "trackingClick": True,
      "active": True
  }

  response = requests.patch(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
  print(response.json())
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  fetch('https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc', {
    method: 'PATCH',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer AS_your-project-api-key',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      name: 'Welcome Series — v2',
      tags: ['onboarding', 'v2'],
      trackingClick: true,
      active: true
    })
  })
    .then(response => response.json())
    .then(data => console.log(data))
    .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));
  ```

  ```php PHP theme={null}
  <?php

  $url = 'https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc';

  $data = [
      'name' => 'Welcome Series — v2',
      'tags' => ['onboarding', 'v2'],
      'trackingClick' => true,
      'active' => true
  ];

  $ch = curl_init($url);
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'PATCH');
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($data));
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
      'Authorization: Bearer AS_your-project-api-key',
      'Content-Type: application/json'
  ]);

  $response = curl_exec($ch);
  curl_close($ch);

  echo $response;
  ?>
  ```

  ```go Go theme={null}
  package main

  import (
      "bytes"
      "encoding/json"
      "fmt"
      "io"
      "net/http"
  )

  func main() {
      url := "https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc"

      payload := map[string]interface{}{
          "name":          "Welcome Series — v2",
          "tags":          []string{"onboarding", "v2"},
          "trackingClick": true,
          "active":        true,
      }

      jsonData, _ := json.Marshal(payload)

      req, _ := http.NewRequest("PATCH", url, bytes.NewBuffer(jsonData))
      req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer AS_your-project-api-key")
      req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

      client := &http.Client{}
      resp, err := client.Do(req)
      if err != nil {
          fmt.Println("Error:", err)
          return
      }
      defer resp.Body.Close()

      body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
      fmt.Println(string(body))
  }
  ```

  ```java Java theme={null}
  import java.io.OutputStream;
  import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
  import java.net.URL;
  import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;

  public class UpdateWorkflow {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
          try {
              URL url = new URL("https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc");
              HttpURLConnection con = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();

              con.setRequestMethod("PATCH");
              con.setRequestProperty("Authorization", "Bearer AS_your-project-api-key");
              con.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
              con.setDoOutput(true);

              String jsonInputString = "{\n" +
                  "  \"name\": \"Welcome Series — v2\",\n" +
                  "  \"active\": true\n" +
                  "}";

              try (OutputStream os = con.getOutputStream()) {
                  byte[] input = jsonInputString.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
                  os.write(input, 0, input.length);
              }

              int status = con.getResponseCode();
              System.out.println("Response Status: " + status);

          } catch (Exception e) {
              e.printStackTrace();
          }
      }
  }
  ```

  ```ruby Ruby theme={null}
  require 'net/http'
  require 'json'
  require 'uri'

  uri = URI('https://api.autosend.com/v1/automations/60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc')

  http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
  http.use_ssl = true

  request = Net::HTTP::Patch.new(uri.path)
  request['Authorization'] = 'Bearer AS_your-project-api-key'
  request['Content-Type'] = 'application/json'

  request.body = {
    name: 'Welcome Series — v2',
    tags: ['onboarding', 'v2'],
    trackingClick: true,
    active: true
  }.to_json

  response = http.request(request)
  puts response.body
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json Response theme={null}
  {
    "success": true,
    "data": {
      "id": "60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b9abc",
      "projectId": "60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b1111",
      "name": "Welcome Series",
      "description": "Sends a 2-email welcome flow when a contact is created",
      "status": "active",
      "entryCriteria": { "type": "contact_created" },
      "exitCriteria": { "type": "workflow_complete" },
      "steps": [
        { "stepId": "step_aa11", "type": "wait", "delay": { "value": 0, "unit": "minutes" } },
        { "stepId": "step_bb22", "type": "email", "email": { "templateId": "60d5ec49f1b2c72d9c8b1234" } }
      ],
      "tags": ["onboarding"],
      "trackingOpen": true,
      "trackingClick": true,
      "analytics": {
        "totalEntered": 1250,
        "totalCompleted": 980,
        "totalExited": 40,
        "totalActive": 230
      },
      "activeAt": "2026-05-08T10:00:00.000Z",
      "createdAt": "2026-05-01T08:00:00.000Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-05-08T10:00:00.000Z"
    }
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>

***

#### Authorizations

<ParamField path="Authorizations" type="string | header" required>
  Project API key header of the form Bearer `AS_<key>`.
</ParamField>

### Path Parameters

<ParamField path="id" type="string" required>
  Workflow automation ID.
</ParamField>

### Body

All fields are optional. See [Create Automation](./create-workflow-automation) for the full shape of each field.

<ParamField path="name" type="string">
  New workflow name. Maximum length `255`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="description" type="string">
  Maximum length `1000`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="entryCriteria" type="object">
  Replacement entry criteria.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="exitCriteria" type="object">
  Replacement exit criteria.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="steps" type="object[]">
  Replacement step list. Fully replaces the existing steps. Every `email` step must be preceded by a `wait` step (use a delay of `0` to send immediately), including email steps inside a branch.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="tags" type="string[]">
  Replacement tag list.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="unsubscribeGroupId" type="string">
  Suppression group applied to all email steps.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="trackingOpen" type="boolean" />

<ParamField path="trackingClick" type="boolean" />

<ParamField path="active" type="boolean">
  When `true`, the workflow is validated and activated after the update. When `false`, the workflow is left in (or moved to) `draft` state.
</ParamField>

#### Response

<span className="text-sm">Workflow automation updated successfully</span>

<ResponseField name="success" type="boolean">
  Example: `true`
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="data" type="object">
  The updated workflow automation.

  <Expandable title="child attributes">
    <ResponseField name="data.id" type="string">
      Unique workflow identifier.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.projectId" type="string">
      Project the workflow belongs to.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.name" type="string">
      Display name of the workflow.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.description" type="string">
      Optional description.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.status" type="string">
      Current status: `draft`, `active`, `paused`, or `archived`.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.entryCriteria" type="object">
      Conditions that determine which contacts enter the workflow.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.exitCriteria" type="object">
      Conditions that cause contacts to exit the workflow early.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.steps" type="object[]">
      Full ordered step graph after the update.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.tags" type="string[]">
      Tags for filtering and organization.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.trackingOpen" type="boolean">
      Whether open tracking is enabled.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.trackingClick" type="boolean">
      Whether click tracking is enabled.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.analytics" type="object">
      Live engagement metrics (`totalEntered`, `totalCompleted`, `totalExited`, `totalActive`).
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.activeAt" type="string">
      ISO 8601 timestamp when the workflow was last activated.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.createdAt" type="string">
      ISO 8601 creation timestamp.
    </ResponseField>

    <ResponseField name="data.updatedAt" type="string">
      ISO 8601 last-updated timestamp.
    </ResponseField>
  </Expandable>
</ResponseField>

#### Error Responses

<ResponseField name="400 - Cannot edit workflow" type="object">
  Returned when the workflow is `active` or `archived` — pause it first.

  ```json theme={null}
  {
    "success": false,
    "error": {
      "message": "Only draft or paused workflows can be edited",
      "code": "CANNOT_EDIT_AUTOMATION"
    }
  }
  ```
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="404 - Workflow not found" type="object">
  ```json theme={null}
  {
    "success": false,
    "error": {
      "message": "Workflow automation not found",
      "code": "WORKFLOW_NOT_FOUND"
    }
  }
  ```
</ResponseField>


## OpenAPI

````yaml PATCH /automations/{id}
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: AutoSend API
  description: >-
    AutoSend REST API for managing workflow automations. Workflow automations
    send a sequence of emails to contacts based on entry criteria (contact
    created, added to a list, segment match, contact-property match,
    contact-property change, or a custom event). These endpoints accept a
    standard project API key (AS_ prefix).
  version: 1.0.0
servers:
  - url: https://api.autosend.com/v1
security:
  - bearerAuth: []
paths:
  /automations/{id}:
    patch:
      summary: Update Automation
      description: >-
        Updates a workflow automation. Only draft and paused workflows can be
        edited. Pass `active: true` to activate after the update.
components: {}

````

## Related topics

- [Changelog](/changelog.md)
- [AutoSend MCP Server](/ai/mcp-server.md)
- [Get Automation](/api-reference/automations/get-automation.md)
- [Delete Automation](/api-reference/automations/delete-automation.md)
- [List Automations](/api-reference/automations/list-automations.md)