update hooks

switch_roles.install
<?php

use Drupal\user\RoleInterface;

/**
 * Remove the old roles and replace them with the new ones.
 */
function MY_MODULE_update_9041(): void {
  $em = \Drupal::entityTypeManager();
  $user_storage = $em->getStorage('user');

  // Ensure the new role exists. If not, create it first.
  $role_storage = $em->getStorage('user_role');
  if ($role_storage->load('new_role') === NULL) {
    /** @var \Drupal\user\RoleInterface $role */
    $role = $role_storage->create([
      'id' => 'new_role',
      'label' => 'New role',
    ]);
    $role->save();
  }

  $uids = \Drupal::entityQuery('user')
    ->accessCheck(FALSE)
    ->execute();

  if (empty($uids)) {
    return;
  }

  /** @var \Drupal\user\UserInterface[] $users */
  $users = $user_storage->loadMultiple($uids);

  foreach ($users as $user) {
    if ($user->hasRole('old_role')) {
      $user->addRole('new_role');
      $user->removeRole('old_role');
    }

    $user->save();
  }
}
02.04.2026 | Lothar Ferreira Neumann

Updating user roles using a module update hook

my_module.install
<?php

/**
 * Change my_basefield max_length to 255.
 */
function my_module_update_10001() {
  $entity_type_id = 'my_entity';
  $field_name = 'my_basefield';
  $field_length = 255;

  /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityLastInstalledSchemaRepositoryInterface $schema_repository */
  $schema_repository = \Drupal::service('entity.last_installed_schema.repository');
  /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityFieldManager $entity_field_manager */
  $entity_field_manager = \Drupal::service('entity_field.manager');
  /** @var Drupal\Core\Field\BaseFieldDefinition[] $base_field_definitions */
  $base_field_definitions = $entity_field_manager->getBaseFieldDefinitions($entity_type_id);
  $schema_repository->setLastInstalledFieldStorageDefinition($base_field_definitions[$field_name]);
  $field_storage_definitions = $schema_repository->getLastInstalledFieldStorageDefinitions($entity_type_id);

  // Update the serialized schema property.
  $rc = new \ReflectionClass($field_storage_definitions[$field_name]);
  $schema_property = $rc->getProperty('schema');
  $schema_property->setAccessible(TRUE);
  $schema = $field_storage_definitions[$field_name]->getSchema();
  $schema['columns']['value']['length'] = $field_length;
  $schema_property->setValue($field_storage_definitions[$field_name], $schema);

  // Update the field definition in the last installed schema repository.
  $schema_repository->setLastInstalledFieldStorageDefinitions($entity_type_id, $field_storage_definitions);

  // Update the storage schema.
  $key_value = \Drupal::keyValue('entity.storage_schema.sql');
  $key_name = $entity_type_id . '.field_schema_data.' . $field_name;
  $storage_schema = $key_value->get($key_name);
  // Update all tables where the field is present.
  foreach ($storage_schema as &$table_schema) {
    $table_schema['fields'][$field_name]['length'] = $field_length;
  }
  $key_value->set($key_name, $storage_schema);

  // Update the database tables where the field is part of.
  $db = Drupal::database();
  foreach ($storage_schema as $table_name => $table_schema) {
    $db->schema()->changeField($table_name, $field_name, $field_name, $table_schema['fields'][$field_name]);
  }

}

⚠️ WARNING: Potential data loss. Use with caution.

scp_base.module
/**
 * Run missing database schema updates.
 */
function mymodule_update_10001(&$sandbox) {
  $entity_type_manager = \Drupal::entityTypeManager();
  $entity_type_manager->clearCachedDefinitions();
  $change_summary = \Drupal::service('entity.definition_update_manager')->getChangeSummary();
  foreach ($change_summary as $entity_type_id => $change_list) {
    $entity_type = $entity_type_manager->getDefinition($entity_type_id);
    \Drupal::entityDefinitionUpdateManager()->installEntityType($entity_type);
  }
}
07.05.2026 | Peter Gerken

Run missing entity Schema updates

custom_module.install
<?php

/**
 * Update node title of all nodes.
 */
function custom_module_update_10001(&$sandbox) {
  // Define you entity type.
  $entity_type = 'node';

  // Load the entity type manager service.
  $entity_type_manager = \Drupal::service('entity_type.manager');

  // Get the storage for the entity type.
  $entity_storage = $entity_type_manager->getStorage($entity_type);

  if (!isset($sandbox['total'])) {
    $all_entity_ids = $entity_storage->getQuery()
      ->accessCheck()
      ->execute();
    $sandbox['total'] = count($all_entity_ids);
    $sandbox['current'] = 0;

    if (empty($sandbox['total'])) {
      $sandbox['#finished'] = 1;
      return;
    }
  }

  $entities_per_batch = 25;
  $entity_ids = $entity_storage->getQuery()
    ->accessCheck()
    ->range($sandbox['current'], $entities_per_batch)
    ->execute();
  if (empty($entity_ids)) {
    $sandbox['#finished'] = 1;
    return;
  }

  // Optionally, perform operations with the loaded entities.
  // For example, load and modify each node and set a new title.
  foreach ($entity_ids as $entity_id) {
    $entity = $entity_storage->load($entity_id);

    if ($entity->hasField('title')) {
      $entity->setTitle('New Title');
    }

    $entity->save();
    $sandbox['current']++;
  }

  \Drupal::messenger()
    ->addMessage($sandbox['current'] . ' users processed.');

  if ($sandbox['current'] >= $sandbox['total']) {
    $sandbox['#finished'] = 1;
  }
  else {
    $sandbox['#finished'] = ($sandbox['current'] / $sandbox['total']);
  }

}
21.05.2026 | Michael Ebert

Do bulk updates as a batch job