• Reference
  • Version · 6.0
  • Change Automation Reference

checks customize

Last updated: September 29, 2026

Note: This is a Liquibase Secure feature, so you need a Liquibase Secure License Key to use it.

The checks customize command allows you to customize dynamic checks using your checks settings file.

Uses

Using the checks customize command, you can provide your values or change the default values of checks that have customization options.

Examples include lists of data types, Change Types, strings, or regular expressions that should be reported, and others.

Liquibase does not allow you to customize static checks.

Note: To view a list of available checks, run liquibase checks show.

Checks configured in Change Governance cannot be customized from the CLI

checks customize edits a local checks settings file. Checks that come from a Change Governance assignment are edited in the web application instead, so passing --assignment-id to this command fails immediately with error code LB-CHK-0013 and tells you to manage the check's settings in Change Governance. Liquibase does not contact the server first, so the refusal does not depend on the assignment UUID being a real one.

An assignment does not live on your machine. It is stored on Liquibase Secure server, where it is the shared definition of a set of checks for every run that references it. Customizing those checks in a local settings file would leave your machine and the server disagreeing about what the checks are. Edit the checks in the web application under Govern, which needs an account on the server with access to that workspace. To see what an assignment contains without leaving the CLI, run checks show with --assignment-id.

Customize a check without prompts

To customize a check from a script or a pipeline, pass the settings as a JSON object with --configs and set --headless=true. The keys are the parameter names that checks describe lists for the check, plus severity and, when you create a copy of a check, newcheckname. Keys are not case-sensitive.

To create a copy of a check, name the copy with newcheckname and give the settings it needs.

Note: A new copy has no saved values yet, so include every required parameter that has no default value. The same applies the first time you customize a check. If one is missing, the command stops with Required parameter '<name>' is missing from JSON configuration.

liquibase checks customize --check-name=SqlUserDefinedPatternCheck --headless=true --configs='{"newcheckname":"NoDropTable","severity":3,"search_string":"DROP TABLE","message":"DROP TABLE detected. Review this changeset before you deploy it."}'

To change a check you have already customized, pass only the keys you want to change. Every key you leave out keeps its current value. This command changes the severity of NoDropTable and leaves its search string and message as they are:

liquibase checks customize --check-name=NoDropTable --headless=true --configs='{"severity":"MAJOR"}'

Syntax

Without --configs, the command is interactive, and you need to follow the CLI output messages to run it:

  1. Run the command specifying your values:

  2. liquibase checks customize --check-name=TableColumnLimit

  3. Note: If you have a checks settings file customized for a specific environment or project, you need to pass that using the --checks-settings-file parameter. If you do not include this parameter, Liquibase uses the default settings file: liquibase.checks-settings.conf.

  4. Enter the value you want to change.

The command updates the value of a check in the checks settings file. To run the check, use the checks run command.

Parameters

Global parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

--license-key=<string>

Your Liquibase Pro license key

Required

Command parameters

Parameter

Description

Requirement

--check-name=<string>

The name of the check(s) you want to target. Comma-separated list of one or more enabled checks. Checks to exclude can be prefixed with the ! character. If no checks are specified, all enabled checks are targeted. For example: --check-name=shortname1,shortname2,!shortname3

Required

--auto-enable-new-checks=<true|false>

Automatically enable new policy checks in liquibase.checks.conf file when they are available. Default: false.

Optional

--auto-update=<string>

Allows automatic backup and updating of the liquibase.checks-settings.conf file when new policy checks are available. Valid values are ON and OFF. Default: OFF.

Optional

--checks-settings-file=<string>

Specifies the checks settings file to use with policy checks commands. Write the relative path of the settings file that you want to read from or modify.

Optional

--configs=<string>

A JSON object of settings to apply to the check, used instead of the interactive prompts. Requires --headless=true. Keys you leave out keep their current value.

Optional

Global parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

globalArgs: { license-key: "<string>" }

Your Liquibase Pro license key

Required

Command parameters

Parameter

Description

Requirement

cmdArgs: { check-name: "<string>" }

The name of the check(s) you want to target. Comma-separated list of one or more enabled checks. Checks to exclude can be prefixed with the ! character. If no checks are specified, all enabled checks are targeted. For example: --check-name=shortname1,shortname2,!shortname3

Required

cmdArgs: { auto-enable-new-checks: "<true|false>" }

Automatically enable new policy checks in liquibase.checks.conf file when they are available. Default: false.

Optional

cmdArgs: { auto-update: "<string>" }

Allows automatic backup and updating of the liquibase.checks-settings.conf file when new policy checks are available. Valid values are ON and OFF. Default: OFF.

Optional

cmdArgs: { checks-settings-file: "<string>" }

Specifies the checks settings file to use with policy checks commands. Write the relative path of the settings file that you want to read from or modify.

Optional

cmdArgs: { configs: "<string>" }

A JSON object of settings to apply to the check, used instead of the interactive prompts. Requires --headless=true. Keys you leave out keep their current value.

Optional

Global parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

liquibase.licenseKey: <string>

Your Liquibase Pro license key

Required

Command parameters

Parameter

Description

Requirement

liquibase.command.checkName: <string>

liquibase.command.checks.customize.checkName: <string>

The name of the check(s) you want to target. Comma-separated list of one or more enabled checks. Checks to exclude can be prefixed with the ! character. If no checks are specified, all enabled checks are targeted. For example: --check-name=shortname1,shortname2,!shortname3

Required

liquibase.command.autoEnableNewChecks: <true|false>

liquibase.command.checks.customize.autoEnableNewChecks: <true|false>

Automatically enable new policy checks in liquibase.checks.conf file when they are available. Default: false.

Optional

liquibase.command.autoUpdate: <string>

liquibase.command.checks.customize.autoUpdate: <string>

Allows automatic backup and updating of the liquibase.checks-settings.conf file when new policy checks are available. Valid values are ON and OFF. Default: OFF.

Optional

liquibase.command.checksSettingsFile: <string>

liquibase.command.checks.customize.checksSettingsFile: <string>

Specifies the checks settings file to use with policy checks commands. Write the relative path of the settings file that you want to read from or modify.

Optional

liquibase.command.checks.customize.configs: <string>

A JSON object of settings to apply to the check, used instead of the interactive prompts. Requires --headless=true. Keys you leave out keep their current value.

Optional

Global parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.licenseKey=<string>

Your Liquibase Pro license key

Required

Command parameters

Parameter

Description

Requirement

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checkName=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checks.customize.checkName=<string>

The name of the check(s) you want to target. Comma-separated list of one or more enabled checks. Checks to exclude can be prefixed with the ! character. If no checks are specified, all enabled checks are targeted. For example: --check-name=shortname1,shortname2,!shortname3

Required

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.autoEnableNewChecks=<true|false>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checks.customize.autoEnableNewChecks=<true|false>

Automatically enable new policy checks in liquibase.checks.conf file when they are available. Default: false.

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.autoUpdate=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checks.customize.autoUpdate=<string>

Allows automatic backup and updating of the liquibase.checks-settings.conf file when new policy checks are available. Valid values are ON and OFF. Default: OFF.

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checksSettingsFile=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checks.customize.checksSettingsFile=<string>

Specifies the checks settings file to use with policy checks commands. Write the relative path of the settings file that you want to read from or modify.

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.checks.customize.configs=<string>

A JSON object of settings to apply to the check, used instead of the interactive prompts. Requires --headless=true. Keys you leave out keep their current value.

Optional

Global parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

LIQUIBASE_LICENSE_KEY=<string>

Your Liquibase Pro license key

Required

Command parameters

Parameter

Description

Requirement

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECK_NAME=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_CUSTOMIZE_CHECK_NAME=<string>

The name of the check(s) you want to target. Comma-separated list of one or more enabled checks. Checks to exclude can be prefixed with the ! character. If no checks are specified, all enabled checks are targeted. For example: --check-name=shortname1,shortname2,!shortname3

Required

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_AUTO_ENABLE_NEW_CHECKS=<true|false>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_CUSTOMIZE_AUTO_ENABLE_NEW_CHECKS=<true|false>

Automatically enable new policy checks in liquibase.checks.conf file when they are available. Default: false.

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_AUTO_UPDATE=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_CUSTOMIZE_AUTO_UPDATE=<string>

Allows automatic backup and updating of the liquibase.checks-settings.conf file when new policy checks are available. Valid values are ON and OFF. Default: OFF.

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_SETTINGS_FILE=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_CUSTOMIZE_CHECKS_SETTINGS_FILE=<string>

Specifies the checks settings file to use with policy checks commands. Write the relative path of the settings file that you want to read from or modify.

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHECKS_CUSTOMIZE_CONFIGS=<string>

A JSON object of settings to apply to the check, used instead of the interactive prompts. Requires --headless=true. Keys you leave out keep their current value.

Optional

Output

The command prompts for each value it can customize, shows the current default in brackets, and confirms the result in a table:

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