# Updating a Channel

There are two ways to update a channel with the Stream API: partial updates and full updates. A partial update preserves existing custom key–value data, while a full update replaces the entire channel object and removes any fields not included in the request.

## Partial Update

A partial update lets you set or unset specific fields without affecting the rest of the channel’s custom data — essentially a patch-style update.

```dart label="Dart"
// Here's a channel with some custom field data that might be useful
final channel = client.channel(type, id: id, extraData: {
  'source': 'user',
  'source_detail': {'user_id': 123},
  'channel_detail': {'topic': 'Plants and Animals', 'rating': 'pg'},
});
await channel.create();

// let's change the source of this channel
await channel.updatePartial(set: {'source': 'system'});

// since it's system generated we no longer need source_detail
await channel.updatePartial(unset: ['source_detail']);

// and finally update one of the nested fields in the channel_detail
await channel.updatePartial(set: {'channel_detail.topic': 'Nature'});

// and maybe we decide we no longer need a rating
await channel.updatePartial(unset: ['channel_detail.rating']);
```

## Full Update

The `update` function updates all of the channel data. **Any data that is present on the channel and not included in a full update will be deleted.**

```dart label="Dart"
await channel.update(
  {
    'name': 'myspecialchannel',
    'color': 'green',
  },
  updateMessage: Message(text: 'Thierry changed the channel color to green'),
);
```

### Request Params

| Name         | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                                                          | Optional |
| ------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------- |
| channel data | object | Object with the new channel information. One special field is "frozen". Setting this field to true will freeze the channel. Read more about freezing channels in "Freezing Channels" |          |
| text         | object | Message object allowing you to show a system message in the Channel that something changed.                                                                                          | Yes      |

<Admonition type="info">

Updating a channel using these methods cannot be used to add or remove members. For this, you must use specific methods for adding/removing members, more information can be found [here](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/flutter-dart/channel-members/).

</Admonition>


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This page was last updated at 2026-09-08T17:14:06.521Z.

For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/flutter-dart/channel-update/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/flutter-dart/channel-update/).