# Attribute observation field updates from taxon changes to iNaturalist rather than iNatters **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Requests\ **Tags:** web\ **Created:** [September 30, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201 "2026-09-30T21:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201/1 "2026-09-30T21:40:07Z")
**Platform(s)**: web **URLs** : Observation detail, dashboard, notifications **Description of need** : When taxon changes occur, observations fields with `datatype=taxon` are automatically updated as well. For example, if someone had added the observation field “Interaction-\>visited flower of” with a value _Coreopsis tripteris_, they recently were automatically changed to the new name _Anacis tripteris_ due a taxon change[[1]](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes/171296). The ensuing flurry of notifications about changes to observation fields causes confusion[[2]](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/thousands-of-observation-field-notifications-cannot-be-cleared-all-from-myself/83448)[[3]](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/now-getting-notifications-for-observation-field-additions-on-other-peoples-observations/86074) and are technically incorrect, since the iNatters mentioned in the notifications didn’t themselves take any recent actions and the taxon name selection cannot solely be attributed to them (also mentioned by @annkatrinrose here[[4]](https://www.inaturalist.org/comments/23436916/)). **Feature request details** : I suggest iNat/the system be attributed to making the change rather than the original user who added the observation field. Similar to how IDs from taxon changes were updated last year[[5]](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/improve-wording-of-ids-created-by-taxon-changes/3705/7) to say “iNaturalist updated the ID suggested by @usera” instead of “@usera suggested an ID”. I suspect retaining the previously entered taxon for each observation field as a separate record is unlikely, so maybe there could just be a link to the taxon changes page for that taxon (e.g. [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon\_changes?taxon\_id=1673460](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=1673460)). Current situation after taxon changes: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/f/d/fd21c421436334aa72aedb5d88eff0026fcfe861.png) Observation detail pop-up: “Added by: @usera” With notification: “@usera added a value for “Interaction-\>Visited flower of” t@userb an observation by @userb” Suggested alternative: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/a/c/aced99ae5983747c40834ba640e987e3aa0f7b3d.png) Observation detail pop-up: “iNaturalist updated the field added by @usera ([see taxon changes](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=1673460))” With notification: “iNaturalist updated @usera’s value for “Interaction-\>Visited flower of” to an observation by @userb” ---
**Author:** ![nathantaylor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nathantaylor/32/1152_2.png) [@nathantaylor](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/nathantaylor)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201/2 "2026-10-01T08:58:57Z")
Depending on how it would be implemented, it could cause problems with ident\_user\_id and the ability to download identifications based on its use. If this could be implemented in such a way that it doesn’t cause problems to that functionality, I’d be in favor of this change. If not, I’d rather stick with the current system. ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201/3 "2026-10-01T11:46:32Z")
observation field entries affect that? ---
**Author:** ![chase-prairie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/chase-prairie/32/60346_2.png) [@chase-prairie](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/chase-prairie)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201/4 "2026-10-02T19:41:33Z")
Yes please. People already get super annoyed by OF notifications. Having them re-appear in their inbox multiple times is even more notifs perceived as “spam”. ---
**Author:** ![nathantaylor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nathantaylor/32/1152_2.png) [@nathantaylor](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/nathantaylor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/attribute-observation-field-updates-from-taxon-changes-to-inaturalist-rather-than-inatters/86201/6 "2026-10-04T01:07:52Z")
I completely misunderstood what this change applied to. Sorry about that, I just looked at this too quickly. Good change.