Using the patch API

The patch endpoint lets you make small, targeted changes to a resume’s content without sending the whole document. You send a list of JSON Patch (RFC 6902) operations, and the server applies them together and returns the updated resume. This is the same mechanism the MCP server’s apply_resume_patch tool uses.

Before you start

Create an API key and try a first request, as described in Using the API.
Find the resume’s ID with GET /api/openapi/resumes, then fetch its current content with GET /api/openapi/resumes/{id}. Paths in your operations point into the data object of that response.
Keep the JSON resume schema at hand. It lists every field, its type and which fields a new item needs.

Choose PATCH or PUT

You want to	Use
Change one field, such as the headline or a company name	`PATCH /resumes/{id}`
Add, remove or reorder entries in a section	`PATCH /resumes/{id}`
Change the template, colors, fonts or layout	`PATCH /resumes/{id}`
Rename the resume, change its slug or tags, or make it public	`PUT /resumes/{id}`
Replace the whole resume content at once	`PUT /resumes/{id}` with `data`

PATCH only changes the resume’s data. The name, slug, tags and public setting sit outside data, so change them with PUT, which updates only the fields you send.

Send a patch

PATCH /api/openapi/resumes/{id}
x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

The body holds the operations, and optionally the version of the resume you based them on:

{
  "expectedUpdatedAt": "2026-09-30T00:10:08.197Z",
  "operations": [{ "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/headline", "value": "Senior Game Developer" }]
}

Field	Required	Description
`operations`	Yes	At least one JSON Patch operation. They run in order.
`expectedUpdatedAt`	No	The resume’s `updatedAt` when you read it. If the resume has changed since, the patch is rejected with `409`. See Avoid overwriting other edits.

Each operation has these properties:

Property	Required	Description
`op`	Yes	`add`, `remove`, `replace`, `move`, `copy` or `test`
`path`	Yes	A JSON Pointer (RFC 6901) into the resume data, such as `/basics/name`
`value`	For `add`, `replace` and `test`	The value to write or compare
`from`	For `move` and `copy`	A JSON Pointer to the source

A successful patch returns 200 with the full updated resume, including its new updatedAt.

Examples

Replace basic fields

curl -X PATCH "https://rxresu.me/api/openapi/resumes/YOUR_RESUME_ID" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "operations": [
      { "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/name", "value": "David Kowalski" },
      { "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/headline", "value": "Senior Game Developer" }
    ]
  }'

Add an experience entry

A new entry must be a complete item: include every required field of that item type, a unique id (a UUID) and "hidden": false. Set its dates in dates and leave period empty; the server fills it in.

curl -X PATCH "https://rxresu.me/api/openapi/resumes/YOUR_RESUME_ID" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "operations": [
      {
        "op": "add",
        "path": "/sections/experience/items/0",
        "value": {
          "id": "019a0000-0000-7000-8000-000000000001",
          "hidden": false,
          "company": "Northwind Games",
          "position": "Senior Gameplay Engineer",
          "location": "Remote",
          "period": "",
          "dates": { "start": "2024-01", "end": null, "present": true },
          "website": { "url": "", "label": "" },
          "description": "<p>Leading the combat systems team.</p>",
          "roles": []
        }
      }
    ]
  }'

A numeric index inserts at that position (0 puts the entry first). The special index - appends to the end, as in /sections/skills/items/-.

Remove an entry

Remove the second skill:

{ "operations": [{ "op": "remove", "path": "/sections/skills/items/1" }] }

Move an entry within a section

Move the first experience entry to the third position:

{ "operations": [{ "op": "move", "from": "/sections/experience/items/0", "path": "/sections/experience/items/2" }] }

Change the design

Switch the template and the primary color:

{
  "operations": [
    { "op": "replace", "path": "/metadata/template", "value": "bronzor" },
    { "op": "replace", "path": "/metadata/design/colors/primary", "value": "rgba(37, 99, 235, 1)" }
  ]
}

Hide a section

{ "operations": [{ "op": "replace", "path": "/sections/interests/hidden", "value": true }] }

Dates

Experience (and its roles), education, projects and volunteer entries, and awards, certifications and publications, have a structured dates object:

"dates": { "start": "2022-03", "end": null, "present": true }

Field	Value
`start`	A year (`"2022"`) or a year and month (`"2022-03"`), or `null`. Single-date entries (awards, certifications, publications) use only `start`.
`end`	A year or year and month, or `null` while the entry is ongoing or for single dates.
`present`	`true` when the entry is ongoing. It prints as “Present” in the resume’s language.
`raw`	Optional. Original text that couldn’t be read exactly, such as “Summer 2016”. It prints as written until the dates are edited.

Write dates, not the text. Each entry also has a text field, period (ranges) or date (single dates). On every save, the server rewrites that text from dates, in the resume’s language and date format (/metadata/page/dateFormat: short, long, numeric or iso). A patch that changes only period or date is overwritten, and the resume keeps its old dates. To change an entry’s dates, replace the whole object:

{
  "operations": [
    {
      "op": "replace",
      "path": "/sections/experience/items/0/dates",
      "value": { "start": "2021", "end": "2024-06", "present": false }
    }
  ]
}

With the long date format, that entry’s period becomes “2021 – June 2024”. An entry sent without dates (for example from an older export) gets them read from its text.

Avoid overwriting other edits

Someone might edit the resume in the browser between your read and your write. Two tools protect you: expectedUpdatedAt rejects the whole patch if the resume changed after you read it. Send the updatedAt value from your last read:

{
  "expectedUpdatedAt": "2026-09-30T00:10:08.197Z",
  "operations": [{ "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/headline", "value": "Lead Game Developer" }]
}

If the resume has moved on, you get 409 with the code RESUME_VERSION_CONFLICT and the current updatedAt in data. Read the resume again, rebuild your operations and retry. test checks a value before the other operations run. If it doesn’t match, nothing is applied:

{
  "operations": [
    { "op": "test", "path": "/basics/name", "value": "David Kowalski" },
    { "op": "replace", "path": "/basics/name", "value": "Dave Kowalski" }
  ]
}

What happens when a patch is applied

All or nothing. The operations run in order inside one transaction. If any operation fails, or the result doesn’t match the resume schema, none of them are saved.
Validation. The patched resume must pass the same validation as any other save. For example, /metadata/template must be one of the available templates. Rich-text fields such as description and /summary/content are HTML strings, so send HTML (<p>…</p>) rather than plain text or Markdown.
History. Each successful patch saves a version in the resume’s history. It appears as AI edit, described as “from the assistant or API”, and you can restore an earlier version from the editor. See Undoing changes and version history.
Cover letters leave the resume. If a patch adds a section of type cover-letter, the server saves its letter as a separate cover letter linked to the resume and removes the section. Manage letters with the /cover-letters endpoints instead.
Public resumes update at once. If the resume is public, the change is visible on its public page straight away.

Errors

Status	Code	Cause
`400`	`BAD_REQUEST`	The body is malformed, for example `operations` is empty or an operation lacks `value` or `from`.
`400`	`INVALID_PATCH_OPERATIONS`	An operation targets a path that doesn’t exist, a `test` failed, or the result doesn’t match the schema. `data` holds the failing `index`, the `operation` and a `code` such as `TEST_OPERATION_FAILED` or `OPERATION_PATH_UNRESOLVABLE`.
`401`	`UNAUTHORIZED`	The API key is missing, revoked or expired.
`404`	`NOT_FOUND`	The resume doesn’t exist or belongs to someone else.
`409`	`RESUME_VERSION_CONFLICT`	The resume changed after `expectedUpdatedAt`.
`403`	`RESUME_LOCKED`	The resume is locked. Unlock it with `POST /resumes/{id}/lock` and `{ "isLocked": false }`, or in the app.

Locked resume writes return HTTP 403 with code RESUME_LOCKED. Unlock the resume before retrying.

Using the API: keys, authentication and the other endpoints.
JSON resume schema: every path and value type you can patch.
Using the MCP server: let an AI client write these patches for you.

Getting Started

Account

Documents

Resume Editor

Design

Checking Your Resume

Cover Letters

Sharing and Exporting

AI Assistant

Application Tracker

Integrations

Use Cases

Comparisons

Self-Hosting

Server Configuration

Upgrade Guides

Contributing

Community

Legal

Before you start

Choose PATCH or PUT

Send a patch

Examples

Replace basic fields

Add an experience entry

Remove an entry

Move an entry within a section

Change the design

Hide a section

Dates

Avoid overwriting other edits

What happens when a patch is applied

Errors

​Before you start

​Choose PATCH or PUT

​Send a patch

​Examples

​Replace basic fields

​Add an experience entry

​Remove an entry

​Move an entry within a section

​Change the design

​Hide a section

​Dates

​Avoid overwriting other edits

​What happens when a patch is applied

​Errors

​Related guides

Before you start

Choose PATCH or PUT

Send a patch

Examples

Replace basic fields

Add an experience entry

Remove an entry

Move an entry within a section

Change the design

Hide a section

Dates

Avoid overwriting other edits

What happens when a patch is applied

Errors

Related guides