--- name: "ldapmodify" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "openldap" version: "2.7.2-2" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux", "macos"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/ldapmodify" --- # ldapmodify(1) LDAP modify entry and LDAP add entry tools ## NAME ldapmodify, ldapadd - LDAP modify entry and LDAP add entry tools ## SYNOPSIS **ldapmodify** \[**-V**\[**V**\]\] \[**-d** *debuglevel\]* \[**-n**\] \[**-v**\] \[**-a**\] \[**-c**\] \[**-f** *file\]* \[**-i** *time\]* \[**-j** *lineno\]* \[**-S** *file\]* \[**-M**\[**M**\]\] \[**-x**\] \[**-D** *binddn\]* \[**-W**\] \[**-w** *passwd\]* \[**-y** *passwdfile\]* \[**-H** *ldapuri\]* \[**-P** {**2**\|**3**}\] \[**-e** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\]\] \[**-E** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\]\] \[**-o** *opt***\[=***optparam***\]\]** \[**-O** *security-properties\]* \[**-I**\] \[**-Q**\] \[**-N**\] \[**-U** *authcid\]* \[**-R** *realm\]* \[**-X** *authzid\]* \[**-Y** *mech\]* \[**-Z**\[**Z**\]\] **ldapadd** \[**-V**\[**V**\]\] \[**-d** *debuglevel\]* \[**-n**\] \[**-v**\] \[**-c**\] \[**-f** *file\]* \[**-i** *time\]* \[**-j** *lineno\]* \[**-S** *file\]* \[**-M**\[**M**\]\] \[**-x**\] \[**-D** *binddn\]* \[**-W**\] \[**-w** *passwd\]* \[**-y** *passwdfile\]* \[**-H** *ldapuri\]* \[**-P** {**2**\|**3**}\] \[**-e** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\]\] \[**-E** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\]\] \[**-o** *opt***\[=***optparam***\]\]** \[**-O** *security-properties\]* \[**-I**\] \[**-Q**\] \[**-N**\] \[**-U** *authcid\]* \[**-R** *realm\]* \[**-X** *authzid\]* \[**-Y** *mech\]* \[**-Z**\[**Z**\]\] ## DESCRIPTION **ldapmodify** is a shell-accessible interface to the [**ldap\_add\_ext**(3)](/ldap_add_ext/3.md), [**ldap\_modify\_ext**(3)](/ldap_modify_ext/3.md), [**ldap\_delete\_ext**(3)](/ldap_delete_ext/3.md) and [**ldap\_rename**(3)](/ldap_rename/3.md). library calls. **ldapadd** is implemented as a hard link to the ldapmodify tool. When invoked as **ldapadd** the **-a** (add new entry) flag is turned on automatically. **ldapmodify** opens a connection to an LDAP server, binds, and modifies or adds entries. The entry information is read from standard input or from *file* through the use of the **-f** option. ## OPTIONS - **-V**\[**V**\] Print version info. If **-VV** is given, only the version information is printed. - **-d** *debuglevel* Set the LDAP debugging level to *debuglevel*. **ldapmodify** must be compiled with LDAP\_DEBUG defined for this option to have any effect. - **-n** Show what would be done, but don't actually modify entries. Useful for debugging in conjunction with **-v**. - **-v** Use verbose mode, with many diagnostics written to standard output. - **-a** Add new entries. The default for **ldapmodify** is to modify existing entries. If invoked as **ldapadd**, this flag is always set. - **-c** Continuous operation mode. Errors are reported, but **ldapmodify** will continue with modifications. The default is to exit after reporting an error. - **-f** *file* Read the entry modification information from *file* instead of from standard input. - **-i** *time* Wait *time* microseconds before issuing an operation. - **-j** *lineno* Jump to the specified line number in the LDIF file before processing any entries. This allows a load that was aborted due to errors in the input LDIF to be resumed after the errors are corrected. - **-S** *file* Add or change records which were skipped due to an error are written to *file* and the error message returned by the server is added as a comment. Most useful in conjunction with **-c**. - **-M**\[**M**\] Enable manage DSA IT control. **-MM** makes control critical. - **-x** Use simple authentication instead of SASL. - **-D** *binddn* Use the Distinguished Name *binddn* to bind to the LDAP directory. For SASL binds, the server is expected to ignore this value. - **-W** Prompt for simple authentication. This is used instead of specifying the password on the command line. - **-w** *passwd* Use *passwd* as the password for simple authentication. - **-y** *passwdfile* Use complete contents of *passwdfile* as the password for simple authentication. - **-H** *ldapuri* Specify URI(s) referring to the ldap server(s); only the protocol/host/port fields are allowed; a list of URI, separated by whitespace or commas is expected. - **-P** {**2**\|**3**} Specify the LDAP protocol version to use. - **-e** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\] - **-E** \[**!**\]***ext***\[**=*extparam***\] Specify general extensions with **-e** and modify extensions with **-E**. ´**!**´ indicates criticality. General extensions: ``` [!]assert= (an RFC 4515 Filter) !authzid= ("dn:" or "u:") [!]bauthzid (RFC 3829 authzid control) [!]chaining[=[/]] [!]manageDSAit [!]noop ppolicy [!]postread[=] (a comma-separated attribute list) [!]preread[=] (a comma-separated attribute list) [!]relax sessiontracking[=] abandon,cancel,ignore (SIGINT sends abandon/cancel, or ignores response; if critical, doesn't wait for SIGINT. not really controls) ``` Modify extensions: ``` [!]txn[=abort|commit] ``` - **-o** *opt***\[=***optparam***\]\]** Specify any [**ldap.conf**(5)](/ldap.conf/5.md) option or one of the following: ``` nettimeout= (in seconds, or "none" or "max") ldif_wrap= (in columns, or "no" for no wrapping) ``` - **-O** *security-properties* Specify SASL security properties. - **-I** Enable SASL Interactive mode. Always prompt. Default is to prompt only as needed. - **-Q** Enable SASL Quiet mode. Never prompt. - **-N** Do not use reverse DNS to canonicalize SASL host name. - **-U** *authcid* Specify the authentication ID for SASL bind. The form of the ID depends on the actual SASL mechanism used. - **-R** *realm* Specify the realm of authentication ID for SASL bind. The form of the realm depends on the actual SASL mechanism used. - **-X** *authzid* Specify the requested authorization ID for SASL bind. *authzid* must be one of the following formats: **dn:***\* or **u:***\* - **-Y** *mech* Specify the SASL mechanism to be used for authentication. If it's not specified, the program will choose the best mechanism the server knows. - **-Z**\[**Z**\] Issue StartTLS (Transport Layer Security) extended operation. If you use **-ZZ** , the command will require the operation to be successful. ## INPUT FORMAT The contents of *file* (or standard input if no **-f** flag is given on the command line) must conform to the format defined in [**ldif**(5)](/ldif/5.md) (LDIF as defined in RFC 2849). ## EXAMPLES Assuming that the file **/tmp/entrymods** exists and has the contents: ``` dn: cn=Modify Me,dc=example,dc=com changetype: modify replace: mail mail: modme@example.com - add: title title: Grand Poobah - add: jpegPhoto jpegPhoto:< file:///tmp/modme.jpeg - delete: description - ``` the command: ``` ldapmodify -f /tmp/entrymods ``` will replace the contents of the "Modify Me" entry's *mail* attribute with the value "modme@example.com", add a *title* of "Grand Poobah", and the contents of the file "/tmp/modme.jpeg" as a *jpegPhoto*, and completely remove the *description* attribute. Assuming that the file **/tmp/newentry** exists and has the contents: ``` dn: cn=Barbara Jensen,dc=example,dc=com objectClass: person cn: Barbara Jensen cn: Babs Jensen sn: Jensen title: the world's most famous mythical manager mail: bjensen@example.com uid: bjensen ``` the command: ``` ldapadd -f /tmp/newentry ``` will add a new entry for Babs Jensen, using the values from the file **/tmp/newentry.** Assuming that the file **/tmp/entrymods** exists and has the contents: ``` dn: cn=Barbara Jensen,dc=example,dc=com changetype: delete ``` the command: ``` ldapmodify -f /tmp/entrymods ``` will remove Babs Jensen's entry. ## DIAGNOSTICS Exit status is zero if no errors occur. Errors result in a non-zero exit status and a diagnostic message being written to standard error. ## SEE ALSO [**ldapadd**(1)](/ldapadd/1.md), [**ldapdelete**(1)](/ldapdelete/1.md), [**ldapmodrdn**(1)](/ldapmodrdn/1.md), [**ldapsearch**(1)](/ldapsearch/1.md), [**ldap.conf**(5)](/ldap.conf/5.md), [**ldap**(3)](/ldap/3.md), [**ldap\_add\_ext**(3)](/ldap_add_ext/3.md), [**ldap\_delete\_ext**(3)](/ldap_delete_ext/3.md), [**ldap\_modify\_ext**(3)](/ldap_modify_ext/3.md), **ldap\_modrdn\_ext**(3), [**ldif**(5)](/ldif/5.md). ## AUTHOR The OpenLDAP Project \ ## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS **OpenLDAP Software** is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project \. **OpenLDAP Software** is derived from the University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.