Replace entire array contents in a single update, clearing or overwriting all existing elements.

Instead of modifying individual elements with push or unset, you can replace the entire contents of an array field by passing a plain array value.

Full Replacement

Pass an array directly (no operator wrapper) to replace the entire array:

await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { nicknames: ['New', 'Array', 'Values'] },
});

The previous contents of nicknames are completely discarded and replaced with the new array.

Clear an Array

Replace with an empty array to remove all elements:

await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { nicknames: [] },
});

Replace Number Arrays

await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { scores: [100, 95, 88] },
});

Replace Date Arrays

await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: {
    loginDates: [new Date('2025-01-01'), new Date('2025-06-15')],
  },
});

Replace with updateUnique

Full replacement works the same way with updateUnique:

await client.db.User.updateUnique({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { scores: [100, 98, 97] },
});

Replacement vs Operators

Understanding when to use full replacement versus push/unset:

Syntax	Behavior
`{ push: 'value' }`	Appends `'value'` to the existing array
`{ unset: 'value' }`	Removes `'value'` from the existing array
`['a', 'b']`	Replaces the entire array with `['a', 'b']`

Example Comparison

Given a user with nicknames: ['Alice', 'Bob']:

// Push: nicknames becomes ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie']
await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { nicknames: { push: 'Charlie' } },
});

// Unset: nicknames becomes ['Alice']
await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { nicknames: { unset: 'Bob' } },
});

// Replace: nicknames becomes ['Dave', 'Eve']
await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: { nicknames: ['Dave', 'Eve'] },
});

Combining with Other Fields

You can mix full replacement on one field with operators on another:

await client.db.User.updateMany({
  where: { id: userId },
  data: {
    nicknames: ['CompletelyNew'],     // Full replacement
    scores: { push: 100 },           // Push to existing
    ratings: { unset: 1.0 },         // Remove from existing
  },
});

Notes

Full replacement is useful when you know the complete desired state of the array.
Use push/unset when you want to modify the array relative to its current contents.
Passing [] is the idiomatic way to clear an array field.
Type safety is enforced: the array elements must match the declared field type.

Replace Array