# 11.2.18. Configuration

The CouchDB Server Configuration API provide an interface to query and update the various configuration values within a running CouchDB instance.

## Accessing the local node’s configuration

The literal string `_local` serves as an alias for the local node name, so for all configuration URLs, `{node-name}` may be replaced `_local`, to interact with the local node’s configuration.

## `/_node/{node-name}/_config`

`GET` `/_node/{node-name}/_config`

  Returns the entire CouchDB server configuration as a JSON structure. The structure is organized by different configuration sections, with individual values.

  Request Headers:
  | Accept – application/json text/plain
  Response Headers:
  | Content-Type – application/json text/plain; charset=utf-8
  Status Codes: | 200 OK – Request completed successfully 401 Unauthorized – CouchDB Server Administrator privileges required

  Request

      GET /_node/nonode@nohost/_config HTTP/1.1
      Accept: application/json
      Host: localhost:5984

  Response:

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Cache-Control: must-revalidate
      Content-Length: 4148
      Content-Type: application/json
      Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:01:42 GMT
      Server: CouchDB (Erlang/OTP)

      {
          "attachments": {
              "compressible_types": "text/*, application/javascript, application/json,  application/xml",
              "compression_level": "8"
          },
          "couchdb": {
              "users_db_suffix": "_users",
              "database_dir": "/var/lib/couchdb",
              "delayed_commits": "true",
              "max_attachment_chunk_size": "4294967296",
              "max_dbs_open": "100",
              "os_process_timeout": "5000",
              "uri_file": "/var/lib/couchdb/couch.uri",
              "util_driver_dir": "/usr/lib64/couchdb/erlang/lib/couch-1.5.0/priv/lib",
              "view_index_dir": "/var/lib/couchdb"
          },
          "chttpd": {
              "backlog": "512",
              "bind_address": "0.0.0.0",
              "docroot": "./share/www",
              "port": "5984",
              "require_valid_user": "false",
              "socket_options": "[{recbuf, 262144}, {sndbuf, 262144}, {nodelay, true}]"
          },
          "daemons": {
              "auth_cache": "{couch_auth_cache, start_link, []}",
              "db_update_notifier": "{couch_db_update_notifier_sup, start_link, []}",
              "external_manager": "{couch_external_manager, start_link, []}",
              "httpd": "{couch_httpd, start_link, []}",
              "query_servers": "{couch_query_servers, start_link, []}",
              "stats_aggregator": "{couch_stats_aggregator, start, []}",
              "stats_collector": "{couch_stats_collector, start, []}",
              "uuids": "{couch_uuids, start, []}",
              "view_manager": "{couch_view, start_link, []}"
          },
          "httpd": {
              "allow_jsonp": "false",
              "authentication_handlers": "{couch_httpd_auth, cookie_authentication_handler}, {couch_httpd_auth, default_authentication_handler}",
              "bind_address": "192.168.0.2",
              "default_handler": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_request}",
              "max_connections": "2048",
              "port": "5984",
              "secure_rewrites": "true",
              "vhost_global_handlers": "_utils, _uuids, _session, _users"
          },
          "httpd_db_handlers": {
              "_changes": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_changes_req}",
              "_compact": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_compact_req}",
              "_design": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_design_req}",
              "_temp_view": "{couch_httpd_view, handle_temp_view_req}",
              "_view_cleanup": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_view_cleanup_req}"
          },
          "httpd_design_handlers": {
              "_info": "{couch_httpd_db,   handle_design_info_req}",
              "_list": "{couch_httpd_show, handle_view_list_req}",
              "_rewrite": "{couch_httpd_rewrite, handle_rewrite_req}",
              "_show": "{couch_httpd_show, handle_doc_show_req}",
              "_update": "{couch_httpd_show, handle_doc_update_req}",
              "_view": "{couch_httpd_view, handle_view_req}"
          },
          "httpd_global_handlers": {
              "/": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_welcome_req, <<\"Welcome\">>}",
              "_active_tasks": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_task_status_req}",
              "_all_dbs": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_all_dbs_req}",
              "_config": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_config_req}",
              "_replicate": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_replicate_req}",
              "_restart": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_restart_req}",
              "_session": "{couch_httpd_auth, handle_session_req}",
              "_stats": "{couch_httpd_stats_handlers, handle_stats_req}",
              "_utils": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_utils_dir_req, \"/usr/share/couchdb/www\"}",
              "_uuids": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_uuids_req}",
              "favicon.ico": "{couch_httpd_misc_handlers, handle_favicon_req, \"/usr/share/couchdb/www\"}"
          },
          "log": {
              "writer": "file",
              "file": "/var/log/couchdb/couch.log",
              "include_sasl": "true",
              "level": "info"
          },
          "query_server_config": {
              "reduce_limit": "true"
          },
          "query_servers": {
              "javascript": "/usr/bin/couchjs /usr/share/couchdb/server/main.js"
          },
          "replicator": {
              "max_http_pipeline_size": "10",
              "max_http_sessions": "10"
          },
          "stats": {
              "rate": "1000",
              "samples": "[0, 60, 300, 900]"
          },
          "uuids": {
              "algorithm": "utc_random"
          }
      }

## `_node/{node-name}/_config/section`

`GET` `/_node/{node-name}/_config/{section}`

  Gets the configuration structure for a single section.

  Parameters: | section – Configuration section name
  Request Headers:
  | Accept – application/json text/plain
  Response Headers:
  | Content-Type – application/json text/plain; charset=utf-8
  Status Codes: | 200 OK – Request completed successfully 401 Unauthorized – CouchDB Server Administrator privileges required

  Request:

      GET /_node/nonode@nohost/_config/httpd HTTP/1.1
      Accept: application/json
      Host: localhost:5984

  Response:

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Cache-Control: must-revalidate
      Content-Length: 444
      Content-Type: application/json
      Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:10:40 GMT
      Server: CouchDB (Erlang/OTP)

      {
          "allow_jsonp": "false",
          "authentication_handlers": "{couch_httpd_auth, cookie_authentication_handler}, {couch_httpd_auth, default_authentication_handler}",
          "bind_address": "127.0.0.1",
          "default_handler": "{couch_httpd_db, handle_request}",
          "enable_cors": "false",
          "port": "5984",
          "secure_rewrites": "true",
          "vhost_global_handlers": "_utils, _uuids, _session, _users"
      }

## `/_node/node/_config/section/key`

`GET` `/_node/{node-name}/_config/{section}/{key}`

  Gets a single configuration value from within a specific configuration section.

  Parameters: | section – Configuration section name key – Configuration option name
  Request Headers:
  | Accept – application/json text/plain
  Response Headers:
  | Content-Type – application/json text/plain; charset=utf-8
  Status Codes: | 200 OK – Request completed successfully 401 Unauthorized – CouchDB Server Administrator privileges required

  Request:

      GET /_node/nonode@nohost/_config/log/level HTTP/1.1
      Accept: application/json
      Host: localhost:5984

  Response:

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Cache-Control: must-revalidate
      Content-Length: 8
      Content-Type: application/json
      Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:12:59 GMT
      Server: CouchDB (Erlang/OTP)

      "debug"

  Note

  The returned value will be the JSON of the value, which may be a string or numeric value, or an array or object. Some client environments may not parse simple strings or numeric values as valid JSON.

`PUT` `/_node/{node-name}/_config/{section}/{key}`

  Updates a configuration value. The new value should be supplied in the request body in the corresponding JSON format. If you are setting a string value, you must supply a valid JSON string. In response CouchDB sends old value for target section key.

  Parameters: | section – Configuration section name key – Configuration option name
  Request Headers:
  | Accept – application/json text/plain Content-Type – application/json
  Response Headers:
  | Content-Type – application/json text/plain; charset=utf-8
  Status Codes: | 200 OK – Request completed successfully 400 Bad Request – Invalid JSON request body 401 Unauthorized – CouchDB Server Administrator privileges required 500 Internal Server Error – Error setting configuration

  Request:

      PUT /_node/nonode@nohost/_config/log/level HTTP/1.1
      Accept: application/json
      Content-Length: 7
      Content-Type: application/json
      Host: localhost:5984

      "info"

  Response:

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Cache-Control: must-revalidate
      Content-Length: 8
      Content-Type: application/json
      Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:12:59 GMT
      Server: CouchDB (Erlang/OTP)

      "debug"

`DELETE` `/_node/{node-name}/_config/{section}/{key}`

  Deletes a configuration value. The returned JSON will be the value of the configuration parameter before it was deleted.

  Parameters: | section – Configuration section name key – Configuration option name
  Request Headers:
  | Accept – application/json text/plain
  Response Headers:
  | Content-Type – application/json text/plain; charset=utf-8
  Status Codes: | 200 OK – Request completed successfully 401 Unauthorized – CouchDB Server Administrator privileges required 404 Not Found – Specified configuration option not found

  Request:

      DELETE /_node/nonode@nohost/_config/log/level HTTP/1.1
      Accept: application/json
      Host: localhost:5984

  Response:

      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Cache-Control: must-revalidate
      Content-Length: 7
      Content-Type: application/json
      Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 12:29:03 GMT
      Server: CouchDB (Erlang/OTP)

      "info"