Pro 4.33: modifyChangeSets

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Version · 4.33
Reference guide

modifyChangeSets

Last updated: August 21, 2026

The modifyChangeSets tag lets you apply shared settings, such as runWith, failOnError, endDelimiter, and stripComments, to every changeset you reference with include or includeAll, instead of setting them on each changeset individually. One common use is specifying a native executor (PSQL, SQL Plus, or SQLCMD) with runWith instead of the JDBC default. This lets you include raw SQL scripts in your changelog without first converting them into formatted SQL changelogs. Available in Liquibase 4.18.0+

Uses

If you have many changesets that need to be run with a native executor, and you organize your changelogs in a "root" and "nested" format using the include and includeAll tags, you can use the runWith attribute (PSQL, SQLPlus, or SQLCMD) to specify an executor that applies to every changeset in every file wrapped in the modifyChangeSets tag. Since your nested changelogs inherit the executor specified in modifyChangeSets, you don't have to specify it on each individual changeset you include.

If you want to make an exception for a particular changeset you're including, you can specify the default Liquibase JDBC executor for that changeset. All other changesets still run with the executor inherited from modifyChangeSets.

You can still include additional files in your root changelog outside of the modifyChangeSets tag. These files run with the Liquibase JDBC executor.

Run modifyChangeSets

To run this Change Type, follow these steps:

Add the Change Type to your changeset, as shown in the examples on this page.
Specify any required attributes. Use the table on this page to see which ones your database requires.
Deploy your changeset by running the update command:liquibase update

Syntax

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description	Support
`runWith`	String	Specifies which executor to run the changeset with. Options: `jdbc, mongosh, psql, sqlPlus, sqlcmd, <custom>`	JdbcExecutor, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MSSQL, and custom executors. Default: `jdbc`
`failOnError`	Boolean	Determines whether to fail the entire operation when a changeset encounters an error. When set to `false`, errors are logged but execution continues. Default: `true` Note: You can set `failOnError` on a single changeset or via modifyChangeSets. The value set at the changeset level will be prioritized for that changeset if it is set in both places.	Only available to Liquibase Secure users.
`endDelimiter`	String	Specifies delimiter to apply to the end of the statement. Your delimiter string can be a combination of one or more letters, symbols, and/or numbers, or the empty string (`""`). Default: "`;`". See also: `--secure-global-end-delimiter` and `--secure-global-end-delimiter-prioritized`. It is a best practice not to use `endDelimiter` on changesets you are running with a native executor. Native executors handle delimiters natively. In Liquibase 4.25.1 and later, you can use `endDelimiter` with `modifyChangeSets` to apply a delimiter to all changesets you reference with `include` and `includeAll`. `endDelimiter` is similar to the `--secure-global-end-delimiter` parameter, but has a local scope. If both parameters are set, they follow the following precedence: 1. `endDelimiter` set on a specific changeset, including in `rollbackSqlFile` (highest precedence) 2. `endDelimiter` set in a changelog called by `include` or `includeAll` in `modifyChangeSets` `3. --secure-global-end-delimiter` set globally (lowest precedence)	all
`stripComments`	Boolean	When `true`, removes any comments in the statement before executing. If `false`, Liquibase does not remove any comments. Default: `true`. In Liquibase 4.31.0 and later, you can use `stripComments` with `modifyChangeSets` to strip comments within all changesets you reference with `include` and `includeAll`. `stripComments` is similar to the `--secure-global-strip-comments` parameter, but has a local scope. If both parameters are set, they follow the following precedence: `1. stripComments` set on a specific changeset, including in `rollbackSqlFile` (highest precedence) `2. stripComments` set in a changelog called by `include` or `includeAll` in `modifyChangeSets` `3. --secure-global-strip-comments` set globally (lowest precedence)	all

Nested tags

Name	Description	Required for	Supports
`include`	Includes the specified changelog	none	all
`includeAll`	Includes the specified directory of changelogs	none	all

modifyChangeSets examples

databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
    endDelimiter: @
    include:
      - file: my/nested/changelog.xml
    includeAll:
      - path: release200/changelogs/sql
- include:
    file: sql/another.sql

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
  - include:
	   file: my-psql-script.sql
       relativeToChangelogFile: true

  *Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*  

 databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
  - includeAll:
       path: /raw-psql-scripts-directory

{
    "databaseChangeLog": [
        {
            "modifyChangeSets": {
                "endDelimiter": "@",
                "include": {
                    "file": "my/nested/changelog.xml"
                },
                "includeAll": {
                    "path": "release200/changelogs/sql"
                }
            },
            "include": {
                "file": "sql/another.sql"
            }
        }
    ]
}

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

{  
  "databaseChangeLog": [
  "modifyChangeSets":
    {
      "include": {"file": "my-psql-script.psql"},
      "relativeToChangeLogFile": {"true"}

    }
 ]
}

*Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*

{  
  "databaseChangeLog": [
  "modifyChangeSets":
    {
      "includeAll": {"path": "raw-psql-scripts-directory"}

    }
 ]
}

<databaseChangeLog
    xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xmlns:ext="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog-ext"
    xmlns:secure="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog-ext
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-ext.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure/liquibase-secure-latest.xsd">

    <modifyChangeSets endDelimiter="@">
        <include file="my/nested/changelog.xml" />
        <includeAll path="release200/changelogs/sql" />
    </modifyChangeSets>

    <include file="sql/another.sql"/>
</databaseChangeLog>

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

<modifyChangeSets>
	<include file="my-psql-script.sql" relativeToChangelogFile="true"/>
</modifyChangeSets>

*Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*

<modifyChangeSets>
	<includeAll path="raw-psql-scripts-directory"/>
</modifyChangeSets>

databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
    endDelimiter: @
    include:
      - file: my/nested/changelog.xml
    includeAll:
      - path: release200/changelogs/sql
- include:
    file: sql/another.sql

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
  - include:
	   file: my-psql-script.sql
       relativeToChangelogFile: true

  *Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*  

 databaseChangeLog:
- modifyChangeSets:
  - includeAll:
       path: /raw-psql-scripts-directory

{
    "databaseChangeLog": [
        {
            "modifyChangeSets": {
                "endDelimiter": "@",
                "include": {
                    "file": "my/nested/changelog.xml"
                },
                "includeAll": {
                    "path": "release200/changelogs/sql"
                }
            },
            "include": {
                "file": "sql/another.sql"
            }
        }
    ]
}

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

{  
  "databaseChangeLog": [
  "modifyChangeSets":
    {
      "include": {"file": "my-psql-script.psql"},
      "relativeToChangeLogFile": {"true"}

    }
 ]
}

*Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*

{  
  "databaseChangeLog": [
  "modifyChangeSets":
    {
      "includeAll": {"path": "raw-psql-scripts-directory"}

    }
 ]
}

<databaseChangeLog
    xmlns="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xmlns:ext="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog-ext"
    xmlns:secure="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-latest.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog-ext
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/dbchangelog/dbchangelog-ext.xsd
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure
        http://www.liquibase.org/xml/ns/secure/liquibase-secure-latest.xsd">

    <modifyChangeSets endDelimiter="@">
        <include file="my/nested/changelog.xml" />
        <includeAll path="release200/changelogs/sql" />
    </modifyChangeSets>

    <include file="sql/another.sql"/>
</databaseChangeLog>

*Example: deploy a single raw SQL file*

<modifyChangeSets>
	<include file="my-psql-script.sql" relativeToChangelogFile="true"/>
</modifyChangeSets>

*Example: deploy a directory of raw SQL files*

<modifyChangeSets>
	<includeAll path="raw-psql-scripts-directory"/>
</modifyChangeSets>

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