# PATCH Update a backboard

Applies an RFC 7396 JSON Merge Patch to one backboard: properties omitted from the body are unchanged, and `null` clears a nullable property (`description`, `backboard_type`, `outline_size`, `price_per_sq_cm`). Arrays are replaced wholesale, so sending `letter_type_ids` replaces the whole assignment. Read-only and unknown fields are rejected. An empty object `{}` is a valid no-op. Requires `customisers:write`. `backboard_type` may only become `custom_shape` or `cutout` on a backboard that already carries an uploaded shape, and `custom_shape` is additionally refused while the customiser has a border margin configured, because a shape owns its own proportions. Clear the border margins first. An `Idempotency-Key` is optional here: sending one makes the update safe to retry (an exact repeat replays the original response; the same key with a different body is a 409). The update clears the customiser's cached storefront configuration and runs the advisory language sync, and never regenerates Shopify products, product images, or the product cache.

- Source URL: https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/v3-patch-update-a-backboard/
- Markdown URL: https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/v3-patch-update-a-backboard.md
- Group: Customiser backboards
- Method: PATCH
- Path: /api/v3/customisers/{customiser_id}/backboards/{backboard_id}
- Auth: Bearer token
- Required scopes: `customisers:write`

## Path parameters

- customiser_id (string, required): The customiser id. Example: 1
- backboard_id (string, required): The backboard id. Example: 11

## Body parameters

- name (string, optional): No description provided.
- description (string, optional): No description provided.
- letter_type_ids (array, optional): No description provided.
- base_price (integer, optional): No description provided.
- price_per_sq_cm (number, optional): No description provided.

## Request body example

```json
{
  "name": "Clear Acrylic Panel",
  "description": "A 5mm clear acrylic panel",
  "letter_type_ids": [
    3
  ],
  "base_price": 500,
  "price_per_sq_cm": 0.022
}
```

## cURL example

```bash
curl https://web.signcustomiser.com/api/v3/customisers/1/backboards/11 \
  --request PATCH \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
  "name": "Clear Acrylic Panel",
  "description": "A 5mm clear acrylic panel",
  "letter_type_ids": [
    3
  ],
  "base_price": 500,
  "price_per_sq_cm": 0.022
}'
```

## Response examples

### 200 PATCH 200 example 1

```json
{
  "data": {
    "object": "backboard",
    "id": 11,
    "customiser_id": 42,
    "name": "Clear Acrylic Panel",
    "description": "A 5mm clear acrylic panel",
    "backboard_type": "board",
    "letter_type_ids": [
      3
    ],
    "outline_size": null,
    "allow_multilayer": false,
    "custom_background_enabled": false,
    "show_custom_background": false,
    "base_price": 500,
    "currency": "USD",
    "price_multiplier": 1,
    "price_multiplier_target": "base_letter_price",
    "price_per_sq_cm": 0.022,
    "sort_order": 1,
    "image_url": null,
    "button_image_url": null,
    "geometry": {
      "has_custom_shape": false,
      "status": null,
      "failure_reason": null,
      "measured_at": null
    },
    "created_at": "2026-08-13T00:00:00Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-08-13T00:05:00Z"
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://web.signcustomiser.com/api/v3/customisers/42/backboards/11",
    "documentation": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/"
  },
  "meta": {
    "api_version": "v3",
    "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
  }
}
```

### 400 Malformed JSON body

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/malformed_json",
  "title": "Malformed JSON",
  "status": 400,
  "code": "malformed_json",
  "detail": "The request body is not valid JSON: Syntax error.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 401 Missing API key

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/missing_api_key",
  "title": "Missing API key",
  "status": 401,
  "code": "missing_api_key",
  "detail": "Provide a store API key as a bearer token.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 403 Insufficient scope

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/insufficient_scope",
  "title": "Insufficient scope",
  "status": 403,
  "code": "insufficient_scope",
  "detail": "This operation requires the customisers:write scope.",
  "required_scopes": [
    "customisers:write"
  ],
  "granted_scopes": [
    "customisers:read"
  ],
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 404 Unknown backboard

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/resource_not_found",
  "title": "Resource not found",
  "status": 404,
  "code": "resource_not_found",
  "detail": "The requested resource does not exist or does not belong to the authenticated store.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 409 Idempotency conflict

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/idempotency_key_conflict",
  "title": "Idempotency key conflict",
  "status": 409,
  "code": "idempotency_key_conflict",
  "detail": "This Idempotency-Key was already used for a different request body on this operation.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 413 Request body too large

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/request_too_large",
  "title": "Request too large",
  "status": 413,
  "code": "request_too_large",
  "detail": "The request body must not exceed 2 MiB.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 422 Read-only field

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/validation_failed",
  "title": "Validation failed",
  "status": 422,
  "code": "validation_failed",
  "detail": "The request payload failed validation.",
  "errors": [
    {
      "pointer": "/geometry",
      "code": "prohibited",
      "detail": "The geometry field is prohibited."
    }
  ],
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 429 Option write budget exhausted

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/rate_limited",
  "title": "Too many requests",
  "status": 429,
  "code": "rate_limited",
  "detail": "You have exceeded the request limit for this API key.",
  "retry_after": 37,
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```