Update a DataExtension field verified

Learn how to update a Data Extension field in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) with SSJS (server-side JavaScript). Code snippets include WSProxy and Core methods.

Core

var customerKey = "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3";

var de = DataExtension.Init(customerKey);

var field = {
    "Name": "LastName",
    "DefaultValue": "Doe",
    "ObjectID": null
}

var fields = de.Fields.Retrieve();

for(var i in fields) {
    if(fields[i].Name == field.Name) field.ObjectID = fields[i].ObjectID;
}

var attrs = {
    CustomerKey: customerKey,
    Fields: [field]
};

var result = de.Update(attrs);

<script runat="server">

    Platform.Load("core", "1");

	try {

        var customerKey = "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3";

        var de = DataExtension.Init(customerKey);

        var field = {
            "Name": "LastName",
            "DefaultValue": "Doe",
            "ObjectID": null
        }

        var fields = de.Fields.Retrieve();

        for(var i in fields) {
            if(fields[i].Name == field.Name) field.ObjectID = fields[i].ObjectID;
        }

        var attrs = {
            CustomerKey: customerKey,
            Fields: [field]
        };

        var result = de.Update(attrs);

        Write(Stringify(result));
		
	} catch(error) {
        Write(Stringify(error));
    }	

</script>

"OK"

WSProxy

var customerKey = "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3";

var field = {
    "Name": "LastName",
    "DefaultValue": "Doe",
    "ObjectID": null
}

var filter = {
    LeftOperand: {
        Property: "DataExtension.CustomerKey",
        SimpleOperator: "equals",
        Value: customerKey
    },
    LogicalOperator: "AND",
    RightOperand: {
        Property: "Name",
        SimpleOperator: "equals",
        Value: field.Name
    }
}

var request = api.retrieve("DataExtensionField", ["ObjectID"], filter);

var objectId = request.Results[0].ObjectID;

field.ObjectID = objectId;

var result = api.updateItem("DataExtension", {
    CustomerKey: customerKey,
    Fields: [field]
});

<script runat="server">

    Platform.Load("core", "1");

    var api = new Script.Util.WSProxy();

	try {

        var customerKey = "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3";

        var field = {
            "Name": "LastName",
            "DefaultValue": "Doe",
            "ObjectID": null
        }

        var filter = {
            LeftOperand: {
                Property: "DataExtension.CustomerKey",
                SimpleOperator: "equals",
                Value: customerKey
            },
            LogicalOperator: "AND",
            RightOperand: {
                Property: "Name",
                SimpleOperator: "equals",
                Value: field.Name
            }
        }

        var request = api.retrieve("DataExtensionField", ["ObjectID"], filter);

        var objectId = request.Results[0].ObjectID;

        field.ObjectID = objectId;

        var result = api.updateItem("DataExtension", {
            CustomerKey: customerKey,
            Fields: [field]
        });

        Write(Stringify(result));
		
	} catch(error) {
        Write(Stringify(error));
    }	

</script>

{
    "Status": "OK",
    "RequestID": "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3",
    "Results": [
        {
            "Object": {
                "CustomerKey": "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3",
                "Name": null,
                "Description": null,
                "IsSendable": false,
                "IsTestable": false,
                "SendableDataExtensionField": null,
                "SendableSubscriberField": null,
                "Template": null,
                "DataRetentionPeriodLength": 0,
                "DataRetentionPeriodUnitOfMeasure": 0,
                "RowBasedRetention": false,
                "ResetRetentionPeriodOnImport": false,
                "DeleteAtEndOfRetentionPeriod": false,
                "RetainUntil": null,
                "Fields": [
                    {
                        "CustomerKey": null,
                        "Name": "LastName",
                        "ObjectID": "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3",
                        "FieldType": "Text",
                        "IsPrimaryKey": false,
                        "MaxLength": 0,
                        "Ordinal": 0,
                        "DefaultValue": "Doe",
                        "StorageType": "Unspecified",
                        "DataExtension": null,
                        "DataType": null,
                        "ValueType": "xsdstring",
                        "PropertyType": "string",
                        "IsCreatable": false,
                        "IsUpdatable": false,
                        "IsRetrievable": false,
                        "IsQueryable": false,
                        "IsFilterable": false,
                        "IsPartnerProperty": false,
                        "IsAccountProperty": false,
                        "PartnerMap": null,
                        "AttributeMaps": null,
                        "Markups": null,
                        "Precision": 0,
                        "Scale": 0,
                        "Label": null,
                        "Description": null,
                        "MinLength": 0,
                        "MinValue": null,
                        "MaxValue": null,
                        "IsRequired": false,
                        "IsViewable": false,
                        "IsEditable": false,
                        "IsNillable": false,
                        "IsRestrictedPicklist": false,
                        "PicklistItems": null,
                        "IsSendTime": false,
                        "DisplayOrder": 0,
                        "References": null,
                        "RelationshipName": null,
                        "Status": null,
                        "IsContextSpecific": false,
                        "Client": null,
                        "PartnerKey": null,
                        "PartnerProperties": null,
                        "CreatedDate": "0001-01-01T00:00:00.000",
                        "ModifiedDate": null,
                        "ID": 0,
                        "Owner": null,
                        "CorrelationID": null,
                        "ObjectState": null,
                        "IsPlatformObject": false
                    }
                ],
                "DataRetentionPeriod": "Days",
                "CategoryID": 0,
                "Status": null,
                "Client": null,
                "PartnerKey": null,
                "PartnerProperties": null,
                "CreatedDate": "0001-01-01T00:00:00.000",
                "ModifiedDate": null,
                "ID": 0,
                "ObjectID": "S0M3-GU1D-K3Y-G03SR1G4T-H3R3",
                "Owner": null,
                "CorrelationID": null,
                "ObjectState": null,
                "IsPlatformObject": false
            },
            "UpdateResults": null,
            "ParentPropertyName": null,
            "StatusCode": "OK",
            "StatusMessage": "Data Extension updated.",
            "OrdinalID": 0,
            "ErrorCode": 0,
            "RequestID": null,
            "ConversationID": null,
            "OverallStatusCode": null,
            "RequestType": "Synchronous",
            "ResultType": null,
            "ResultDetailXML": null
        }
    ]
}

Reference

Ressources and references related to the current methods.

Official documentation

Data Extension Fields

SOAP object