---
title: PATCH /api/articles/[id]/brief
description: Set or clear the premise — the prose half of the Brief. The typed notes are managed through the notes endpoints. Backs scripto brief --premise.
---

<Note>

The CLI equivalent is `scripto brief <id> --premise "…"` (or `--premise-file`, `--premise-stdin`, `--clear-premise`).

</Note>

Sets or clears the `premise` — the prose half of the [Brief](/concepts/brief). The typed notes are managed through the [notes endpoints](/api-reference/list-notes); this route owns only the premise.

## Endpoint

```text
PATCH https://scripto.codika.io/api/articles/{id}/brief
```

## Auth

`Authorization: Bearer scripto_…`

## Request

| Field | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `premise` | string \| null | The premise paragraph. `null` (or an empty string) clears it. |

```json
{ "premise": "A go-to-market piece: the install is the pitch." }
```

## Response (200)

```json
{ "success": true, "data": { "premise": "A go-to-market piece: the install is the pitch." } }
```

## Errors

| HTTP | `code` | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | `invalid-argument` | `premise` is not a string or null. |
| 401 | `unauthenticated` | Missing or invalid key. |
| 404 | `not-found` | No such article, or you don't own it. |

## curl

```bash
curl -sS -X PATCH "https://scripto.codika.io/api/articles/$ID/brief" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SCRIPTO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"premise":"A go-to-market piece: the install is the pitch."}'
```

## Next

- **[POST .../notes](/api-reference/add-note)** — add a typed note.
- **[The Brief](/concepts/brief)** — the concept.