Werk #17867: REST API: Manage custom host attributes
| Component | REST API | ||
| Title | REST API: Manage custom host attributes | ||
| Date | May 11, 2026 | ||
| Level | Trivial Change | ||
| Class | New Feature | ||
| Compatibility | Compatible - no manual interaction needed | ||
| Checkmk versions & editions |
|
You can now manage custom host attributes via the REST API. This includes listing all attributes, retrieving a single attribute, creating new attributes, updating existing ones, and deleting them — under the new Custom host attributes endpoint family.
Until now, custom host attributes could only be created and managed through the Setup UI under Hosts → Related → Custom host attributes.
The managed fields mirror the Add host attribute form in Setup: an
internal name (set at creation and immutable thereafter), a human-readable
title, a topic which the attribute is grouped under when editing a host,
an optional help text shown next to the field, and two boolean flags:
show_in_table (whether the attribute appears in host overview tables) and
add_custom_macro (whether the attribute is exposed as a macro in check
commands and notifications).
The full request and response schemas are available in the embedded API documentation at Help → REST API → Documentation.
Access and permissions
The read endpoints (list, show) require the Manage custom attributes
permission (wato.custom_attributes). Write operations (create, update,
delete) additionally require Make changes, perform actions (wato.edit),
consistent with all other Setup endpoints.
Immutable name
The name field serves as the internal identifier for a custom host
attribute and cannot be changed after creation. To rename an attribute,
delete the old one and create a new one with the desired name. This
matches the behavior of the Setup UI, which also prevents renaming.