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# Update a session

PATCH https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/{session_id}
Content-Type: application/json

Updates metadata on an existing session. Only `external_ref` and
`metadata` can be changed. Sessions that have been redacted cannot
be updated.


Reference: https://docs.withverifa.com/api-reference/sessions/update-session

## Authentication

- `X-API-Key` header (required) — Organization API key. Keys are prefixed with `vk_live_` (production) or `vk_sandbox_` (sandbox).

## Request

### Path parameters

- `session_id` (string, required) — Session ID (`ses_*`).

### Headers

- `Verifa-Version` (date, optional) — API version date string (e.g. `2026-02-01`). If omitted, the version pinned to your API key is used.
- `Key-Inflection` (enum, optional, default: snake) — Response key casing. Defaults to `snake`.
  - Allowed values: `camel`, `kebab`, `snake`
- `Idempotency-Key` (string, optional) — Unique key for idempotent requests. Cached for 24 hours. Sending the same key with different parameters returns `422`.

### Body (application/json)

This endpoint expects an UpdateSessionRequest.

- `external_ref` (string, optional) — Update the external reference for this session.
- `metadata` (map from string to any, optional) — Merge keys into the session's metadata. Existing keys not included in the request are preserved. Set a key to `null` to remove it. Each value is capped at **16 KB** of serialized UTF-8.

## Response

### 200

Updated session.

- `id` (string, required)
- `status` (enum, required)
  - Allowed values: `pending`, `capturing`, `processing`, `sandbox_pending`, `completed`, `expired`, `failed`, `awaiting_external`, `under_review`
- `is_sandbox` (boolean, required)
- `environment` (string, required) — Environment ID for this session.
- `created_at` (datetime, required)
- `updated_at` (datetime, required)
- `external_ref` (string, optional, nullable)
- `metadata` (map from string to any, optional)
- `country` (string, optional, nullable)
- `checks` (list of string, optional, nullable)
- `workflow_id` (string, optional, nullable) — Workflow used for this session.
- `document_type` (string, optional, nullable) — Detected or specified document type.
- `retention_status` (string, optional, nullable) — Data retention status (active, sensitive_redacted, redacted).
- `processing_attempts` (integer, optional, nullable) — Number of processing attempts for this session.
- `consent_ip` (string, optional, nullable) — IP address from which consent was given.
- `capture_url` (string, optional, nullable) — Capture URL (only present while session is pending/capturing).
- `token_expires_at` (datetime, optional, nullable) — When the capture token expires.
- `case_id` (string, optional, nullable) — Associated review case ID, if any.
- `case_status` (string, optional, nullable) — Status of the associated review case.
- `tags` (list of string, optional) — Free-form tags attached to this session.

## Errors

### 401 Unauthorized Error

Missing or invalid API key.

- `error` (string, required) — Short error code.
- `status_code` (integer, required) — HTTP status code.
- `detail` (string, optional) — Human-readable error description.

### 404 Not Found Error

Resource not found.

- `error` (string, required) — Short error code.
- `status_code` (integer, required) — HTTP status code.
- `detail` (string, optional) — Human-readable error description.

### 422 Unprocessable Entity Error

Validation error (e.g. session has been redacted).

- `error` (string, required) — Short error code.
- `status_code` (integer, required) — HTTP status code.
- `detail` (string, optional) — Human-readable error description.

## Examples

**Request**

```json
{}
```

**Response**

```json
{
  "id": "ses_abc123",
  "status": "pending",
  "is_sandbox": true,
  "environment": "string",
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z",
  "external_ref": "string",
  "metadata": {},
  "country": "string",
  "checks": [
    "string"
  ],
  "workflow_id": "string",
  "document_type": "string",
  "retention_status": "string",
  "processing_attempts": 1,
  "consent_ip": "string",
  "capture_url": "string",
  "token_expires_at": "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z",
  "case_id": "string",
  "case_status": "string",
  "tags": [
    "string"
  ]
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python
import requests

url = "https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id"

payload = {}
headers = {
    "X-API-Key": "<apiKey>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

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

print(response.json())
```

```javascript
const url = 'https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id';
const options = {
  method: 'PATCH',
  headers: {'X-API-Key': '<apiKey>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: '{}'
};

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"strings"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id"

	payload := strings.NewReader("{}")

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("PATCH", url, payload)

	req.Header.Add("X-API-Key", "<apiKey>")
	req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id")

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

request = Net::HTTP::Patch.new(url)
request["X-API-Key"] = '<apiKey>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{}"

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.patch("https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id")
  .header("X-API-Key", "<apiKey>")
  .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
  .body("{}")
  .asString();
```

```php
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('PATCH', 'https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id', [
  'body' => '{}',
  'headers' => [
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
    'X-API-Key' => '<apiKey>',
  ],
]);

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.PATCH);
request.AddHeader("X-API-Key", "<apiKey>");
request.AddHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
request.AddParameter("application/json", "{}", ParameterType.RequestBody);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift
import Foundation

let headers = [
  "X-API-Key": "<apiKey>",
  "Content-Type": "application/json"
]
let parameters = [] as [String : Any]

let postData = JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: parameters, options: [])

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api.withverifa.com/api/v1/sessions/session_id")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "PATCH"
request.allHTTPHeaderFields = headers
request.httpBody = postData as Data

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```