Deprecate an XDM field in the API

In Experience Data Model (XDM), you can deprecate a field within a schema or custom resource by using the Schema Registry API. Deprecating a field causes it to be hidden from downstream UIs such as the Profiles workspace and Customer Journey Analytics, but it is otherwise a non-breaking change and does not negatively affect existing data flows.

This document covers how to deprecate fields for different XDM resources. For steps on deprecating an XDM field using the Schema Editor in the Experience Platform user interface, see the tutorial on deprecating an XDM field in the UI.

Getting started

This tutorial requires making calls to the Schema Registry API. Please review the developer guide for important information that you need to know in order to make these API calls. This includes your {TENANT_ID}, the concept of “containers”, and the required headers for making requests (with special attention to the Accept header and its possible values).

Deprecate a custom field custom

To deprecate a field in a custom class, field group, or data type, update the custom resource through a PUT or PATCH request and add the attribute meta:status: deprecated to the field in question.

NOTE
For general information on updating custom resources in XDM, refer to the following documentation:

The example API call below deprecates a field in a custom data type.

API format

PATCH /tenant/datatypes/{DATA_TYPE_ID}

Request

The following request deprecates the expansionArea field for a data type that describes a real-estate property.

curl -X PATCH \
  https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/schemaregistry/tenant/datatypes/_{TENANT_ID}.datatypes.8779fd45d6e4eb074300023a439862bbba359b60d451627a \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
  -H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
  -H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {IMS_ORG}' \
  -H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '[
        {
          "op": "add",
          "path": "/properties/expansionArea/meta:status",
          "value": "deprecated"
        }
      ]'

Response

A successful response returns the update details of the custom resource, with the deprecated field containing a meta:status value of deprecated. The example response below has been truncated for space.

{
  "$id": "https://ns.adobe.com/{TENANT_ID}/datatypes/8779fd45d6e4eb074300023a439862bbba359b60d451627a",
  "meta:altId": "_{TENANT_ID}.datatypes.8779fd45d6e4eb074300023a439862bbba359b60d451627a",
  "meta:resourceType": "datatypes",
  "version": "1.2",
  "title": "Property Details",
  "type": "object",
  "description": "Details relating to a real-estate property operated by the company.",
  "definitions": {
    "property": {
      "properties": {
        "_{TENANT_ID}": {
        "type":"object",
        "properties": {
            "expansionArea": {
              "title": "Expansion Area",
              "description": "Square footage for renovated additions to the property.",
              "type": "integer",
              "meta:status": "deprecated",
            },
            "propertyName": {
              "title": "Property Name",
              "description": "Name of the property",
              "type": "string"
            },
            "propertyCity": {
              "title": "Property City",
              "description": "City where the property is located.",
              "type": "string"
            },
            "propertyCountry": {
              "title": "Property Country",
              "description": "Country where the property is located.",
              "type": "string"
            },
            "phoneNumber": {
              "title": "Phone Number",
              "description": "Primary phone number for the property.",
              "type": "string"
            },
            "propertyType": {
              "type": "string",
              "title": "Property Type",
              "description": "Type and primary use of property.",
              "enum": [
                  "retail",
                  "yoga",
                  "fitness"
              ],
              "meta:enum": {
                  "retail": "Retail Store",
                  "yoga": "Yoga Studio",
                  "fitness": "Fitness Center"
              }
            },
            "propertyConstruction": {
              "$ref": "https://ns.adobe.com/{TENANT_ID}/datatypes/24c643f618647344606222c494bd0102"
            },
            "squareFeet": {
              "title": "Expansion Area",
              "description": "Square footage for renovated additions to the property.",
              "type": "integer",
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "allOf": [
    {
      "$ref": "#/definitions/customFields",
      "type": "object",
      "meta:xdmType": "object"
    }
  ],
  "imsOrg": "{IMS_ORG}",
  "meta:extensible": true,
  "meta:abstract": true,
  "meta:intendedToExtend": [
    "https://ns.adobe.com/xdm/context/profile"
  ],
  "meta:xdmType": "object",
  "meta:registryMetadata": {
    "repo:createdDate": 1594941263588,
    "repo:lastModifiedDate": 1594941538433,
    "xdm:createdClientId": "{CLIENT_ID}",
    "xdm:lastModifiedClientId": "{CLIENT_ID}",
    "xdm:createdUserId": "{USER_ID}",
    "xdm:lastModifiedUserId": "{USER_ID}",
    "eTag": "5e8a5e508eb2ed344c08cb23ed27cfb60c841bec59a2f7513deda0f7af903021",
    "meta:globalLibVersion": "1.15.4"
  },
  "meta:containerId": "tenant",
  "meta:tenantNamespace": "_{TENANT_ID}"
}

Deprecate a standard field in a schema standard

Fields from standard classes, field groups, and data types cannot be deprecated directly. Instead, you can deprecate their use in the individual schemas that employ these standard resources by using a descriptor.

Create a field deprecation descriptor create-descriptor

To create a descriptor for the schema fields you want to deprecate, make a POST request to the /tenant/descriptors endpoint.

API format

POST /tenant/descriptors

Request

curl -X POST \
  https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/schemaregistry/tenant/descriptors \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
  -H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
  -H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {IMS_ORG}' \
  -H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
        "@type": "xdm:descriptorDeprecated",
        "xdm:sourceSchema": "https://ns.adobe.com/{TENANT_ID}/schemas/c65ddf08cf2d4a2fe94bd06113bf4bc4c855e12a936410d5",
        "xdm:sourceVersion": 1,
        "xdm:sourceProperty": "/faxPhone"
      }'
Property
Description
@type
The type of descriptor. For a field deprecation descriptor, this value must be set to xdm:descriptorDeprecated.
xdm:sourceSchema
The URI $id of the schema you are applying the descriptor to.
xdm:sourceVersion
The version of the schema you are applying the descriptor to. Should be set to 1.
xdm:sourceProperty
The path to the property within the schema that you are applying the descriptor to. If you want to apply the descriptor to multiple properties, you can provide a list of paths in the form of an array (for example, ["/firstName", "/lastName"]).

Response

{
    "@id": "d882b1202bac0ac71f1e31fbcd9afbcc37f364270186b4b3",
    "@type": "xdm:descriptorDeprecated",
    "xdm:sourceSchema": "https://ns.adobe.com/{TENANT_ID}/schemas/c65ddf08cf2d4a2fe94bd06113bf4bc4c855e12a936410d5",
    "xdm:sourceVersion": 1,
    "xdm:sourceProperty": "/faxPhone",
    "imsOrg": "{IMS_ORG}",
    "version": "1",
    "meta:containerId": "tenant",
    "meta:sandboxId": "28e74200-e3de-11e9-8f5d-7f27416c5f0d",
    "meta:sandboxType": "production"
}

Verify the deprecated field verify-deprecation

After the descriptor has been applied, you can verify whether the field has been deprecated by looking up the schema in question while using the appropriate Accept header.

NOTE
Showing deprecated fields when listing schemas is currently not supported.

API format

GET /tenant/schemas

Request

To include information on deprecated fields in the API response, you must set the Accept header to application/vnd.adobe.xed-deprecatefield+json; version=1.

curl -X GET \
  https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/schemaregistry/tenant/schemas/_{TENANT_ID}.schemas.c65ddf08cf2d4a2fe94bd06113bf4bc4c855e12a936410d5 \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
  -H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
  -H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {IMS_ORG}' \
  -H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}' \
  -H 'Accept: application/vnd.adobe.xed-deprecatefield+json; version=1'

Response

A successful response returns the details of the schema, with the deprecated field containing a meta:status value of deprecated. The example response below has been truncated for space.

"faxPhone": {
    "title": "Fax phone",
    "description": "Fax phone number.",
    "type": "object",
    "meta:xdmType": "object",
    "properties": {},
    "meta:referencedFrom": "https://ns.adobe.com/xdm/context/phonenumber",
    "meta:xdmField": "xdm:faxPhone",
    "meta:status": "deprecated"
}

Next steps

This document covered how to deprecate XDM fields using the Schema Registry API. For more information on configuring fields for custom resources, see the guide on defining XDM fields in the API. For more information on managing descriptors, see the descriptors endpoint guide.

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