How to update database things in Bubble

To update a database thing in Bubble, you use a workflow action called Make changes to a thing (or Make changes to a list of things) and then tell Bubble which fields you want to change. You must already know which thing you’re modifying, because Bubble never guesses; you either pass it from the page (like Current User or a thing in a repeating group) or you find it first using Search for ... :first item. After you pick the thing, you set the new field values, and Bubble saves it automatically when the workflow step runs.

What “updating a thing” means in Bubble

A “thing” is Bubble’s name for a row in your database. Updating a thing means changing one or more fields inside that row — for example, changing a User’s name or marking a Task as complete.

• You never write code; you configure a workflow step.
• The change happens instantly when the workflow step executes.
• Privacy rules apply — if a workflow can’t see or modify a thing, the update fails silently.

The core steps you always follow

Inside any workflow (button click, backend workflow, API workflow, etc.):

• Add the action Data → Make changes to a thing.
• Choose the thing: this could be Current User, Parent group's Thing, an item from a repeating group, or a selected Do a search for ... :first item.
• Set the fields you want to change (e.g., Status = "Done" or Count = Current cell's Task's Count + 1).

Example: Mark a Task as complete

If you have a Repeating Group of Tasks and a button inside each cell:

• Workflow → When Button Complete is clicked
• Action → Data → Make changes to a thing
• Thing to change → Current cell's Task
• Fields → Completed = yes

// Conceptual Bubble expression for the field
Completed = yes

Updating many things at once

You can update several rows at once using Make changes to a list of things. You provide a search — for example, all tasks where Due Date < Current date/time — and Bubble updates them all in one workflow step.

• Action → Data → Make changes to a list of things
• List → Search for Tasks with constraints
• Fields to change → whatever you need

This is the safest and most standard way to update data in Bubble, and you will use it constantly across pages, backend workflows, and API triggers.