In Django, updating data in the database is easy and intuitive, thanks to its powerful Object-Relational Mapper (ORM). Once you’ve defined your models and inserted data, you can update it:

• From the Python shell

• Through views (e.g., in response to form submissions)

• Using Django Admin

• Using QuerySet update operations

This article explains all the ways to update data in Django models, complete with examples and best practices.

Common Update Methods

✅ Example Model

We’ll use this Post model for all examples:

# blog/models.py

from django.db import models

class Category(models.Model):
    name = models.CharField(max_length=100)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.name

class Post(models.Model):
    title = models.CharField(max_length=200)
    content = models.TextField()
    published = models.BooleanField(default=False)
    category = models.ForeignKey(Category, on_delete=models.CASCADE)
    created_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
    updated_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)

    def __str__(self):
        return self.title

Method 1: Update a Single Object Using .save()

from blog.models import Post

# Get the object
post = Post.objects.get(id=1)

# Update the fields
post.title = "Updated Title"
post.published = True

# Save the changes
post.save()

✅ Best for updating one record with custom logic.

Method 2: Bulk Update Using .update()

from blog.models import Post

# Update all unpublished posts to published
Post.objects.filter(published=False).update(published=True)

✅ Efficient for updating multiple records at once.
⚠️ Skips save() and model signals.

Method 3: Update in Django Admin

1. Ensure your model is registered in admin.py:

from django.contrib import admin
from .models import Post

admin.site.register(Post)

2. Go to /admin/, log in, and edit posts using the web interface.

✅ Great for manual updates during development or small-scale admin tasks.

Method 4: Update via View Logic (e.g., Form Submission)

Here’s an example of updating a post using data from a form.

# blog/views.py

from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect, render
from .models import Post

def update_post(request, post_id):
    post = get_object_or_404(Post, id=post_id)

    if request.method == "POST":
        post.title = request.POST.get('title')
        post.content = request.POST.get('content')
        post.published = 'published' in request.POST
        post.save()
        return redirect('post_detail', post_id=post.id)

    return render(request, 'update_post.html', {'post': post})

✅ Allows you to update data based on user input.

Method 5: Using get_or_create() + Update

Useful when you want to create or update based on existence:

category, created = Category.objects.get_or_create(name="Django")

if not created:
    category.name = "Updated Django"
    category.save()

Full Example Script

# Run in Django shell
from blog.models import Post, Category

# Update an existing post
post = Post.objects.get(title="Old Title")
post.title = "New Title"
post.published = True
post.save()

# Bulk update all draft posts
Post.objects.filter(published=False).update(published=True)

✅ Tips for Updating Data in Django

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

Conclusion

Django’s ORM makes updating database records clean, safe, and powerful. Whether you're editing a single post or updating hundreds of records at once, Django provides the tools to do it efficiently and with minimal code.

Mastering model updates will help you build dynamic, responsive web applications that manage data with confidence.