> Fetch clean Markdown by appending `.md` to any page URL under https://signalwire.com/docs or requesting it with the HTTP header `Accept: text/markdown`. The root index at https://signalwire.com/docs/llms.txt lists the available documentation indexes. # update > Redact the body of a previously sent message. ### messages.update Redact the body of a previously sent message. The API accepts only an empty string for `body`; any other value is rejected. Messages still in progress (`queued` or `initiated`) can't be redacted, and a redacted body can't be recovered. ### Schema ```yaml openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: API version: 1.0.0 paths: /api/messaging/messages/{message_id}: patch: operationId: subpackageMessages_update_message summary: Redact a message description: >- Redact the body of a previously sent message. This endpoint clears the message body for compliance, privacy, or moderation purposes — it does not support arbitrary updates to message attributes. The only accepted value for `body` is an empty string (`""`); any other value is rejected. Messages that are still in progress (`queued` or `initiated`) cannot be redacted. Messages in terminal states such as `delivered`, `undelivered`, or `failed` are eligible. Once redacted, the original body is overwritten and cannot be recovered. The `:message_id` path parameter is the message segment ID — the same ID returned by the create endpoint and shown in `/api/messaging/logs`. Use this SignalWire REST operation for message redaction by message segment ID. Integrations built around Message SIDs can use the Compatibility API's [Update message](/docs/compatibility-api/rest/messages/update-message) operation instead. #### Permissions The API token used to authenticate must have the following scope(s) enabled to make a successful request: _Messaging_. [Learn more about API scopes](/docs/platform/your-signalwire-api-space). tags: - subpackage_messages parameters: - name: message_id in: path description: >- The message segment ID — the same ID returned by the create endpoint and shown in `/api/messaging/logs`. required: true schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/uuid' responses: '200': description: Response returned when a message has been successfully redacted. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.Message' '400': description: The request is invalid. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode400' '401': description: Access is unauthorized. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode401' '404': description: The server cannot find the requested resource. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode404' '422': description: The request contains invalid parameters. See errors for details. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.MessagesUpdateStatusCode422' '500': description: An internal server error occurred. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode500' requestBody: content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.UpdateMessageRequest' tags: - name: subpackage_messages servers: - url: https://%7BYour_Space_Name%7D.signalwire.com description: SignalWire API components: schemas: uuid: type: string format: uuid description: Universal Unique Identifier. title: uuid Message.UpdateMessageRequest: type: object properties: body: type: string description: >- Must be an empty string (`""`) to redact the message. Any non-empty value is rejected with `body_must_be_empty`. This is the only field that can be updated. required: - body description: >- Request body for redacting the body of a previously sent message. Only `body` may be updated, and it must be an empty string. title: Message.UpdateMessageRequest Message.MessageStatus: type: string enum: - queued - initiated - sent - delivered - undelivered - failed - read description: Delivery state of a message. title: Message.MessageStatus Message.MessageDirection: type: string enum: - inbound - outbound description: The direction of a message. title: Message.MessageDirection Message.MessageKind: type: string enum: - sms - mms - whatsapp description: The kind of message. title: Message.MessageKind Message.Message: type: object properties: id: $ref: '#/components/schemas/uuid' description: >- The unique ID of the message. This is the `MessageSegment` ID, consistent with the dashboard and the `/api/messaging/logs` endpoint. from: type: string description: The source phone number. to: type: string description: The destination phone number. body: type: string description: >- The message body text. Returns an empty string when the message has been redacted. status: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.MessageStatus' description: Delivery state of the message. direction: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.MessageDirection' description: The direction of the message. kind: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Message.MessageKind' description: The kind of message. media: type: array items: type: string format: uri description: >- Array of URLs for any media attachments on the message. Empty for SMS. number_of_segments: type: integer description: Number of segments the message body was split into for delivery. error_code: type: - string - 'null' description: >- Provider-specific error code if delivery failed. Null when no error occurred. error_message: type: - string - 'null' description: >- Human-readable error message if delivery failed. Null when no error occurred. created_at: type: string format: date-time description: Date and time when the message was created. project_id: $ref: '#/components/schemas/uuid' description: The ID of the project the message belongs to. status_callback_url: type: - string - 'null' format: uri description: >- Callback URL configured to receive message status events. Null if no callback was configured. message_uri: type: string description: >- Relative URL for retrieving the message via the `/api/messaging/logs` endpoint. required: - id - from - to - body - status - direction - kind - media - number_of_segments - error_code - error_message - created_at - project_id - status_callback_url - message_uri description: A message record. Returned by the create and update endpoints. title: Message.Message TypesStatusCodesStatusCode400Error: type: string enum: - Bad Request title: TypesStatusCodesStatusCode400Error Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode400: type: object properties: error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TypesStatusCodesStatusCode400Error' required: - error description: The request is invalid. title: Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode400 TypesStatusCodesStatusCode401Error: type: string enum: - Unauthorized title: TypesStatusCodesStatusCode401Error Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode401: type: object properties: error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TypesStatusCodesStatusCode401Error' required: - error description: Access is unauthorized. title: Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode401 TypesStatusCodesStatusCode404Error: type: string enum: - Not Found title: TypesStatusCodesStatusCode404Error Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode404: type: object properties: error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TypesStatusCodesStatusCode404Error' required: - error description: The server cannot find the requested resource. title: Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode404 Types.StatusCodes.RestApiErrorItem: type: object properties: type: type: string description: The category of error. code: type: string description: A specific error code. message: type: string description: A description of what caused the error. attribute: type: - string - 'null' description: The request parameter that caused the error, if applicable. url: type: string description: A link to documentation about this error. required: - type - code - message - url description: Details about a specific error. title: Types.StatusCodes.RestApiErrorItem Message.MessagesUpdateStatusCode422: type: object properties: errors: type: array items: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Types.StatusCodes.RestApiErrorItem' description: List of validation errors. required: - errors description: The request contains invalid parameters. See errors for details. title: Message.MessagesUpdateStatusCode422 TypesStatusCodesStatusCode500Error: type: string enum: - Internal Server Error title: TypesStatusCodesStatusCode500Error Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode500: type: object properties: error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TypesStatusCodesStatusCode500Error' required: - error description: An internal server error occurred. title: Types.StatusCodes.StatusCode500 ``` ## Parameters **`message_id`** `str` — required ID of the message to redact. --- **`body`** `str` — required New body. Pass `""` to redact. Keyword-only. --- **`extras`** `Mapping[str, Any] | None` — default: None Additional request body fields merged into the payload as sent. --- **`request_options`** `RequestOptions | None` — default: None Per-call timeout and retry overrides. See [`RequestOptions`](/docs/server-sdks/reference/python/rest/request-options). --- ## Returns `Message` — the updated message with its body cleared. ## Response Example ### Response (200) ```json { "id": "c2d3e4f5-a6b7-8901-cdef-234567890abc", "from": "+15559876543", "to": "+15551234567", "body": "Your order #12345 has shipped!", "status": "queued", "direction": "outbound", "kind": "sms", "media": [], "number_of_segments": 1, "error_code": null, "error_message": null, "created_at": "2024-05-06T12:20:00Z", "project_id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890", "status_callback_url": null, "message_uri": "/api/messaging/logs/c2d3e4f5-a6b7-8901-cdef-234567890abc" } ``` ## Example ```python {9} from signalwire.rest import RestClient client = RestClient( project="your-project-id", token="your-api-token", host="your-space.signalwire.com", ) redacted = client.messages.update("message-id", body="") print(redacted["body"]) # "" ``` > Redact the body of a previously sent message.