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

# Update a contact

> Overwrite the fields you send. Fields you leave out are not touched; a field sent as `null` is cleared. Unlike the upsert, this replaces values a rep set.

`phone` can't be changed. Tags have their own endpoints.

### Update a contact

**Method:** `PATCH` | **Endpoint:** `/v1/contacts/{contact_id}`

**Description:** Overwrite the fields you send. Fields you leave out are not touched, and a field sent as `null` is cleared. Unlike Create or update a contact, this replaces values a rep set.

**Authentication:** API key in the `Authorization` header: `Authorization: Bearer ib_pk_<64 hex>`. Create keys in the dashboard under **Settings → API access**.

#### Request Body

The path parameter `contact_id` is the contact's ID (a UUID). Send at least one field; an empty body changes nothing and returns the contact.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| `first_name` | string or `null`, at most 128 characters | No | New first name; `null` clears it. |
| `last_name` | string or `null`, at most 128 characters | No | New last name; `null` clears it. |
| `email` | string or `null`, at most 254 characters | No | Must look like an email address, or `422 invalid_email`; `null` clears it. |
| `city` | string or `null`, at most 128 characters | No | Trimmed; blank or `null` clears it. |
| `state` | string or `null`, at most 128 characters | No | Trimmed, a 2-letter code upper-cased; blank or `null` clears it. |
| `timezone` | string or `null` | No | One of the supported IANA zones, or `422 invalid_timezone`. `null` makes it automatic again: iBubbl infers the zone from a US or Canadian area code. |

Fields not listed above are rejected with `422 validation_error`, and the message names the field. `phone` can't be changed, and tags have their own endpoints: [Add a tag](https://docs.ibubbl.com/api-reference/contacts/add-tag.md) and [Remove a tag](https://docs.ibubbl.com/api-reference/contacts/remove-tag.md).

```bash cURL theme={null}
curl -X PATCH https://api.ibubbl.com/v1/contacts/c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $IBUBBL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "first_name": "Sam",
    "email": "sam.rivera@example.com",
    "city": null
  }'
```

```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
const contactId = "c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f";

const res = await fetch(`https://api.ibubbl.com/v1/contacts/${contactId}`, {
  method: "PATCH",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.IBUBBL_API_KEY}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    first_name: "Sam",
    email: "sam.rivera@example.com",
    city: null, // null clears the field
  }),
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10_000),
});

const data = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${data.detail?.error}`);
console.log(data.first_name, data.email, data.city);
```

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

import requests

API_KEY = os.environ["IBUBBL_API_KEY"]

contact_id = "c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f"

res = requests.patch(
    f"https://api.ibubbl.com/v1/contacts/{contact_id}",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
    json={
        "first_name": "Sam",
        "email": "sam.rivera@example.com",
        "city": None,  # None (JSON null) clears the field
    },
    timeout=10,
)
data = res.json()
if not res.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{res.status_code} {data['detail']['error']}")
print(data["first_name"], data["email"], data["city"])
```

```json 200 OK theme={null}
{
  "id": "c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f",
  "phone": "+14155551234",
  "first_name": "Sam",
  "last_name": "Rivera",
  "email": "sam.rivera@example.com",
  "city": null,
  "state": "NY",
  "timezone": "America/New_York",
  "tags": [
    "VIP"
  ],
  "opted_out": false,
  "opted_out_at": null,
  "blocked": false,
  "blocked_at": null,
  "created_at": "2026-11-05T14:23:45.123Z"
}
```

```json 422 Unprocessable Entity theme={null}
{
  "detail": {
    "error": "validation_error",
    "message": "phone: Extra inputs are not permitted"
  }
}
```

#### Responses

**200 OK**

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f",
  "phone": "+14155551234",
  "first_name": "Sam",
  "last_name": "Rivera",
  "email": "sam.rivera@example.com",
  "city": null,
  "state": "NY",
  "timezone": "America/New_York",
  "tags": [
    "VIP"
  ],
  "opted_out": false,
  "opted_out_at": null,
  "blocked": false,
  "blocked_at": null,
  "created_at": "2026-11-05T14:23:45.123Z"
}
```

`first_name` and `email` were replaced, `city` was cleared, and every other field kept its value.

**401 Unauthorized**

```json theme={null}
{
  "detail": {
    "error": "unauthorized",
    "message": "Invalid or revoked API key"
  }
}
```

Other `message` values: `Authorization Bearer token required`, `API key required (use Authorization: Bearer ib_pk_…)`, `Invalid API key format`, `Customer account not found`.

**403 Forbidden**

```json theme={null}
{
  "detail": {
    "error": "forbidden",
    "message": "Account is suspended"
  }
}
```

Your iBubbl account is suspended or cancelled (`message` is then `Account is cancelled`). Every API-key endpoint returns this.

**404 Not Found**

```json theme={null}
{
  "detail": {
    "error": "not_found",
    "message": "Contact not found"
  }
}
```

Also returned for a malformed ID, a deleted contact, and a contact that belongs to another account.

**422 Unprocessable Entity**

```json theme={null}
{
  "detail": {
    "error": "validation_error",
    "message": "phone: Extra inputs are not permitted"
  }
}
```

Other `error` values: `validation_error` for any other unknown field (including `tags`) or a value too long; `invalid_email` (`'sam' is not an email address`); `invalid_timezone`.


## OpenAPI

````yaml PATCH /v1/contacts/{contact_id}
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: iBubbl API
  version: v1
  description: >-
    The iBubbl REST API. Send iMessages, manage contacts, and subscribe to
    webhook events from your backend.


    Authenticate every request with a Bearer API key (`ib_pk_<hex>`) — generate
    one from your dashboard's API Access settings. See the
    [Authentication](/authentication) guide.
servers:
  - url: https://api.ibubbl.com
security:
  - BearerAuth: []
tags:
  - name: Messages
  - name: Contacts
  - name: Conversations
  - name: Webhooks
  - name: Inbound Events
paths:
  /v1/contacts/{contact_id}:
    patch:
      tags:
        - Contacts
      summary: Update a contact
      description: >-
        Overwrite the fields you send. Fields you leave out are not touched; a
        field sent as `null` is cleared. Unlike the upsert, this replaces values
        a rep set.


        `phone` can't be changed. Tags have their own endpoints.
      operationId: v1_update_contact_v1_contacts__contact_id__patch
      parameters:
        - name: contact_id
          in: path
          required: true
          schema:
            type: string
            title: Contact Id
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/ContactUpdate'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: The updated contact.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Contact'
        '401':
          description: Missing or invalid API key.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ApiError'
        '403':
          description: '`forbidden`: your iBubbl account is suspended or cancelled.'
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ApiError'
        '404':
          description: Contact not found.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ApiError'
        '422':
          description: >-
            `validation_error` (bad request shape or an unknown field, including
            `phone` and `tags`), `invalid_timezone` or `invalid_email`.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ApiError'
components:
  schemas:
    ContactUpdate:
      properties:
        first_name:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
              maxLength: 128
            - type: 'null'
          title: First Name
          examples:
            - Sam
        last_name:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
              maxLength: 128
            - type: 'null'
          title: Last Name
          examples:
            - Rivera
        email:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
              maxLength: 254
            - type: 'null'
          title: Email
          description: Must look like an email address, or `422 invalid_email`.
          examples:
            - sam@example.com
        city:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
              maxLength: 128
            - type: 'null'
          title: City
          description: Trimmed; blank clears it.
          examples:
            - Brooklyn
        state:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
              maxLength: 128
            - type: 'null'
          title: State
          description: Trimmed, a 2-letter code upper-cased; blank clears it.
          examples:
            - NY
        timezone:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Timezone
          description: >-
            One of the supported IANA zones, or `422 invalid_timezone`. `null`
            returns the contact to automatic: iBubbl infers the zone from a US
            or Canadian area code again.
          examples:
            - America/New_York
      additionalProperties: false
      type: object
      title: ContactUpdate
      description: >-
        Only the fields you send change. Send a field as `null` to clear it.
        `phone` can't be changed, and tags have their own endpoints. Fields not
        listed here are rejected with `422 validation_error`.
      example:
        email: sam.rivera@example.com
    Contact:
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
          title: Id
          description: Unique contact identifier (UUID).
        phone:
          type: string
          title: Phone
          description: >-
            Contact's phone number as first seen. Usually E.164; a contact first
            created by an inbound SMS can carry the sender's bare national form
            (e.g. `4155551234`). Upserting any form of the same number returns
            this contact.
        first_name:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: First Name
        last_name:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Last Name
        email:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Email
        city:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: City
        state:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: State
        timezone:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Timezone
          description: >-
            IANA timezone used for this contact's sending hours, or null if not
            set yet. When it is null and the number is a US or Canadian one,
            iBubbl infers the zone from the area code and saves it here when the
            contact's first message is processed; otherwise your account's
            timezone is used. Once set, an upsert never replaces it, so pass
            `timezone` on the first upsert, before you send, or change it with
            PATCH.
        tags:
          items:
            type: string
          type: array
          title: Tags
          description: The contact's tag names, sorted case-insensitively.
        opted_out:
          type: boolean
          title: Opted Out
          description: >-
            True if this person has opted out: a STOP reply, a rep in the
            dashboard, a Do Not Disturb in your connected GoHighLevel account,
            or `POST /v1/contacts/{id}/opt-out`. When true, every send to this
            contact returns `422 contact_opted_out`. An opt-out can't be undone,
            and it belongs to the number: a contact deleted and created again is
            still opted out.
        opted_out_at:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Opted Out At
          description: ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the opt-out, or null.
        blocked:
          type: boolean
          title: Blocked
          description: >-
            True if you blocked this contact (dashboard or `POST
            /v1/contacts/{id}/block`). Sends to them return `422
            contact_blocked` until you unblock them. Unlike an opt-out, a block
            is yours to undo, and it fires no webhook.
          default: false
        blocked_at:
          anyOf:
            - type: string
            - type: 'null'
          title: Blocked At
          description: ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of the block, or null.
        created_at:
          type: string
          title: Created At
          description: ISO 8601 UTC timestamp the contact was created.
      type: object
      required:
        - id
        - phone
        - opted_out
        - created_at
      title: Contact
      example:
        blocked: false
        city: Brooklyn
        created_at: '2026-05-17T14:23:45.123Z'
        email: sam@example.com
        first_name: Sam
        id: c8a1f4e2-3b9d-4f7c-a8e5-1d2c3b4a5e6f
        last_name: Rivera
        opted_out: false
        phone: '+14155551234'
        state: NY
        tags:
          - Spring promo
          - VIP
        timezone: America/Los_Angeles
    ApiError:
      properties:
        detail:
          allOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/ApiErrorDetail'
          description: >-
            Error envelope. Every `/v1` error response wraps a stable `error`
            code and a human-readable `message` in `detail`.
      type: object
      required:
        - detail
      title: ApiError
      example:
        detail:
          error: validation_error
          message: >-
            Exactly one of contact_id, to, chat_guid, or participant_phones is
            required
    ApiErrorDetail:
      properties:
        error:
          type: string
          title: Error
          description: >-
            Stable machine-readable error code. Use this for branching logic in
            your integration; the human-readable `message` is subject to change.
            See the Error Reference for the catalog.
          examples:
            - validation_error
        message:
          type: string
          title: Message
          description: Human-readable description of what went wrong.
          examples:
            - >-
              Exactly one of contact_id, to, chat_guid, or participant_phones is
              required
      type: object
      required:
        - error
        - message
      title: ApiErrorDetail
  securitySchemes:
    BearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: ib_pk_<64 hex>
      description: >-
        Bearer API key. Format: `Authorization: Bearer ib_pk_<64 hex>` (70
        characters). Generate keys from Dashboard → Settings → API Access.

````

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