> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://backstage.spotify.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Updating Components
> Edit component metadata individually or in bulk for Portal-managed components using the edit entity dialog and bulk edit interfaces.
After ingesting components into your catalog, you'll need to keep their metadata up to date. Portal provides two editing interfaces for updating component information.
## Editing Portal-Managed Components
For components managed by Portal, use these editing tools to update metadata:
### Edit Entity Dialog
Update individual components using the Edit Entity dialog, which provides a focused interface for modifying a single component's metadata.
**To access:**
* Navigate to the component's page in the catalog
* Click the 3 vertical dots in the top right
* Click the edit entity button
### Bulk Edit Dialog
Update multiple components at once using the Bulk Edit dialog. This is the most efficient way to apply consistent changes across many components.
**To access:**
* Select multiple components from the catalog page
* Click the pencil icon next to the filters in the top right.
**These are the primary ways to manage Portal-managed entities.** All metadata changes are immediately saved to Portal's database.
## Editing YAML-Managed Components
For components managed by YAML, you have three ways to update metadata:
### 1. Edit the catalog-info.yaml File
Update components by directly editing the `catalog-info.yaml` file in your repository. Portal automatically syncs changes when you commit to your repository. This is the source of truth for YAML-managed components.
### 2. Edit Entity Overlay
Update individual components using the Edit Entity Overlay dialog. This provides the same UI interface as Portal-managed components but applies changes as overlays on top of the YAML definition.
**To access:**
* Navigate to the component's page in the catalog
* Click the 3 vertical dots in the top right
* Click the edit entity button
### 3. Bulk Edit Dialog
Update multiple YAML-managed components at once using the Bulk Edit dialog. These changes are also applied as overlays on top of the YAML definitions.
**To access:**
* Select components from the catalog page
* Click the pencil icon next to the filters in the top right
You can also access it directly from an Entity's page via the "Edit Entity"
button.
***
Both editing interfaces support updating core component fields including owner, lifecycle, type, labels, and annotations.
## Changing Entity Kind
You can change an entity's kind — for example, converting a Component to an API, or a System to a Domain. This is only supported for entities managed by Portal.
### How It Works
When you change an entity's kind:
1. A **new entity** is created with the selected kind and the same name
2. The **original entity** is marked as deleted
3. You're redirected to the new entity's page in the catalog
Since the entity kind is part of its unique reference (e.g., `component:default/my-service` vs `api:default/my-service`), a kind change creates a new identity for the entity rather than modifying the existing one.
### Spec Field Handling
Each entity kind supports a different set of `spec` fields. When you change an entity's kind, Portal automatically:
* **Keeps** spec fields that are valid for both the old and new kind
* **Removes** spec fields that don't apply to the new kind
Before confirming the change, the dialog shows which fields will be removed so you can review the impact.
### Supported Kinds
Kind changes are supported between Component, API, System, and Domain. The new kind's entity ref must not already exist in the catalog.