> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chowder.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Update Instance

> Update an instance's name or OpenClaw configuration.

Update an instance's metadata or runtime configuration. If the instance is running and you change `openclaw_config`, the new config is pushed to the live sandbox immediately — the gateway hot-reloads config changes automatically.

<Note>
  Accepts an **organization key** (`chd_org_*`) or a **scoped key** (`chd_sk_*`) with `configure` permission on this instance.
</Note>

## Path Parameters

<ParamField path="instance_id" type="string" required>
  The ID of the instance to update.
</ParamField>

## Request Body

All fields are optional. Only include what you want to change.

<ParamField body="name" type="string">
  New name for the instance. 1–128 characters.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="openclaw_config" type="object">
  OpenClaw configuration overrides. These are applied as dot-path key/value pairs via `openclaw config set`. If the instance is running, changes take effect immediately.
</ParamField>

## Response

Returns `200 OK` with the updated instance object.

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-dimmed"}}
  curl -X PATCH https://api.chowder.dev/v1/instances/f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479 \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer chd_org_abc123..." \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "name": "my-assistant-v2",
      "openclaw_config": {
        "agent": {
          "system_prompt": "You are a helpful coding assistant."
        }
      }
    }'
  ```
</RequestExample>

<ResponseExample>
  ```json 200 theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-dimmed"}}
  {
    "id": "f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479",
    "organization_id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
    "name": "my-assistant-v2",
    "status": "running",
    "model_provider": "anthropic",
    "sandbox_provider": "sandbox",
    "sandbox_id": "sb_abc123",
    "gateway_url": "https://sb-abc123-18789.preview.sandbox.app",
    "openclaw_version": "v1",
    "openclaw_config": {
      "agent": {
        "system_prompt": "You are a helpful coding assistant."
      }
    },
    "region": null,
    "error_message": null,
    "created_at": "2026-02-14T16:00:00.000000+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-02-14T17:00:00.000000+00:00"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>