Clio API - What is the correct format to Update (PATCH) a custom field value for a matter - clio-api

Question

Anyone been able to successfully update the custom_field_values for a matter via Clio's API?
I'm trying to update the value for custom_field_values under a single matter. I'm able to send a JSON string using PATCH and update the default values for a matter like location or description using the following format
{"data":{"location":"Orange"}}
But when it comes to updating a "custom field value" I'm getting a 422 Unprocessable Entity error. I'm following Clio's v4 API Documentation and my understanding is that to update a custom_field_value you need the following JSON:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"id":658213,"custom_field":{"id":139385},"value":"New Value Goes Here!"}]}}
However here is the message coming with the 422 error:
{"error":{"type":"ArgumentError","message":"An invalid argument was supplied: invalid custom field value id provided, acceptable format is <type>-<unique id>"}}
I can't interpret the part suggesting the acceptable format!
I've also tried sending the JSON in the following format which is closest to Clio's V2 API Docs for updating a custom field:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"custom_field":{"id":139385},"value":"New value goes here"}]}}
But then this is what I get back:
{"error":{"type":"ArgumentError","message":"An invalid argument was supplied: custom field value for custom field 139385 already exists"}}
Please note that this is being tested in POSTMAN regardless of my development environment. I appreciate your response!

Answer 1

I've successfully created queries to update custom field values in matters many times, and these run all the time for me. I've compared your json to some examples of the json I'm successfully sending. Your syntax appears correct, but there's enough missing for me to only guess at where your mistake might be.
First, you're sending a PATCH to https://app.clio.com/api/v4/matters/{matter id}.json right? It took me a while to learn that you can't update the value of a matter's custom field with a query to https://app.clio.com/api/v4/custom_fields/{id}.json.
Second, just to clarify, the 658213 id you used above (the first id field) should be the unique id of this instance of your custom field. You won't get this until you've created an instance of the custom field particular to this matter. The second id field, where you've put 139385 is the id for the custom field itself, which you could get with a query to https://app.clio.com/api/v4/custom_fields.json.
If you're looking in the V.4 docs under Custom Fields, you won't find this, or at least I didn't. BUT you can find it in the intro section to the Matters portion fo the documentation: https://app.clio.com/api/v4/documentation#tag/Matters
Hope this helps. I'd imagine someone at Clio could help by verifying your error string is delivered when you have an incorrect custom field value unique id.

Answer 2

To further clarify Jacob's answer for everyone else:
custom_field{id} is the id given to a custom_field when it's created and will be the same for all matters or contacts it's used in.
custom_field_value{id} is the id given to an instance of the custom_field added to a particular matter and unique only to that matter
To add a custom_field to a matter for the first time the following format is used:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"custom_field":{"id":123456},"value":"string or integer depending on the type of CF"}]}}
To update a custom field already added to a matter the following format should be used:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"id":"text_line-1234567", "custom_field":{"id":123456},"value":"string or integer depending on the type of CF"}]}}
To delete a custom field already added to a matter the following JSON format is sufficient:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"id":"text_line-1234567", "custom_field":{"id":123456},"_destroy":true}]}}

Answer 3

Format for updating a custom field already added to a matter:
{"data":{"custom_field_values":[{"id":"unique_instance_of_your_custom_field", "custom_field":{"id":'custom_field_id'},"value":"value which should be updated"}]}}
Here, the first id field should be the unique id of this instance of your custom field. To get this value follow this documentation section, app.clio.com/api/v4/documentation#tag/Matters and the second id field is the id for the custom field itself.