# API - ability to create/update multiple observation field values in one call?

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** api, observation-field\
**Created:** [November 12, 2024, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157 "2024-11-12T10:04:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nigel\_charman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nigel_charman/32/24756_2.png) [@nigel\_charman](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/nigel_charman)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2024, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157/1 "2024-11-12T10:04:28Z")

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Our [custom user interface](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/custom-user-interface-for-updating-observation-fields-available-as-open-source/58156) typically updates 2-10 observation fields taking 10-15 seconds.

The API calls to POST or PUT `/observation_field_values` only take a single observation field.

Is there a way to update multiple observation field values in one API call? This would help improve performance of the updates, and possibly make it atomic.

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**Author:** ![nigel\_charman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nigel_charman/32/24756_2.png) [@nigel\_charman](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/nigel_charman)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157/2 "2025-01-06T01:25:04Z")

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Each call to the API is taking between 1.2 and 2.5 seconds. We are making multiple calls, one to add the observation to the project and one per observation field. This causes a slow response of 10-15 seconds on our user interface.

@carrieseltzer - would it be possible to get some input from an iNaturalist developer on how to improve the performance of updating multiple observation fields?

/cc @jon_sullivan @murray_dawson

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**Author:** ![bazwal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bazwal/32/109_2.png) [@bazwal](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bazwal)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157/3 "2025-01-06T19:39:18Z")

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The [v2 API](https://api.inaturalist.org/v2/docs/#/ObservationFieldValues/post_observation_field_values) still only takes a single field value, so it looks like there’s currently no plans to allow updating multiple values in a single request.

This would seem to imply that making parallel requests is the only way to reduce upload time. I’m not sure how this would work out when adding multiple field values to the same observation. I suppose the easiest way to find out is to just try it and see what happens…

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/api-ability-to-create-update-multiple-observation-field-values-in-one-call/58157/4 "2025-03-07T19:39:27Z")

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