How to update person or group column in SharePoint rest api

This SharePoint rest api tutorial explains, how to update people picker group field using Rest API and jQuery in SharePoint 2013/2016. We will fix issue incorrect format field name not supported which comes while updating or setting the value for a people group field in SharePoint list.

When I was using the below Rest API code to set the loan applicant name (person and group field) I was getting the error as “incorrect format field name not supported” in SharePoint.

I was writing the below Rest API code.

function updateLoanApplicantDetails(itemTitle, listName, siteUrl, title,lnFstName ,applicantID, success, failure) {
var itemType = GetItemTypeForListName(listName);
var item = {
"__metadata": { "type": itemType },
"Title": title,
"FirstName":lnFstName,
"applicantNameId": applicantID
};
getListItemWithTitle(itemTitle, listName, siteUrl, function (data) {
$.ajax({
url: data.__metadata.uri,
type: "POST",
contentType: "application/json;odata=verbose",
data: JSON.stringify(item),
headers: {
"Accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
"X-RequestDigest": $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val(),
"X-HTTP-Method": "MERGE",
"If-Match": "*"
//data.__metadata.etag
},
success: function (data) {
success(data);
},
error: function (data) {
failure(data);
}
});
}, function (data) {
failure(data);
});
}

Issue:

I tried setting the people group value by sending email-id or user-id with domain but there was no luck with neither of them.

Update People Picker Group field using Rest API and jQuery in SharePoint

If we want to update the people group field in SharePoint we have to set the user profile ID of the required/selected user as part of the REST call.

Provide email-ID or domain of the required user as part of the form

Search whether that user is existed as part of User Profile or not with the below call

var requestUri = _spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/web/siteusers?$filter=substringof('"+$('#txtApplnEmlID').val()+"',Email) eq true";

In the above example I am searching the user with email-ID

If the user is as part of the User-Profile get the ID of the user

Set that user profile ID to people picker control

Follow the below important note

Note: To set more than one value in people group follow the below syntax:

applicantNameId: {'results': [11,12]}
in this example 11, 12 are user profile-ID's

The complete solution is as follows:

// Applicant Details —————– Start ——————
$("#btnApplName").click(function(){
var requestUri = _spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/web/siteusers?$filter=substringof('"+$('#txtApplnEmlID').val()+"',Email) eq true";
$.ajax({
url: requestUri,
type: "GET",
headers: {
"accept": "application/json; odata=verbose"
},
success: onSuccess,
error: onError
});
 
function onSuccess(data) {
var objItems = data.d.results;
var applnEmail = "";
for (var i = 0; i < objItems.length; i++) {
applnEmail = objItems[i].Id; // Getting the User Profile-ID
}
if(objItems.length>0)
{
updateLoanApplicantDetails($('#chEditLnNumers').find(":selected").val(),"loanInformation",_spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl, $('#txtEdLnID').val(),$('#txtEdFstNm').val(),$('#txtEdLstNm').val(),$('#txtEdLnAmnt').val(), applnEmail,function(){
alert("User got Email-ID updated Successfully");
},function(){
alert("Error in adding user Details");
});
}
else
{
alert("Applicant Email-ID is not valid");
}
}
function onError(error) {
alert('Error');
}
});

function updateLoanApplicantDetails(itemTitle, listName, siteUrl, title,lnFstName, lnLstName, lnAmnt, applicantID, success, failure) {
var itemType = GetItemTypeForListName(listName);
var item = {
"__metadata": { "type": itemType },
"Title": title,
"FirstName":lnFstName,
"applicantNameId": applicantID
};

getListItemWithTitle(itemTitle, listName, siteUrl, function (data) {
$.ajax({
url: data.__metadata.uri,
type: "POST",
contentType: "application/json;odata=verbose",
data: JSON.stringify(item),
headers: {
"Accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
"X-RequestDigest": $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val(),
"X-HTTP-Method": "MERGE",
"If-Match": "*"
//data.__metadata.etag
},
success: function (data) {
success(data);
},
error: function (data) {
failure(data);
}
});
}, function (data) {
failure(data);
});
}
// Applicant Details —————– End ——————

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Hope this helps you to update the People Picker Group field using Rest API and jQuery in SharePoint 2013.