How to update a record using sequelize for node?

Since version 2.0.0 you need to wrap your where clause in a where property:

Project.update(
  { title: 'a very different title now' },
  { where: { _id: 1 } }
)
  .success(result =>
    handleResult(result)
  )
  .error(err =>
    handleError(err)
  )

---

Update 2016-03-09

The latest version actually doesn't use success and error anymore but instead uses then-able promises.

So the upper code will look as follows:

Project.update(
  { title: 'a very different title now' },
  { where: { _id: 1 } }
)
  .then(result =>
    handleResult(result)
  )
  .catch(err =>
    handleError(err)
  )

Using async/await

try {
  const result = await Project.update(
    { title: 'a very different title now' },
    { where: { _id: 1 } }
  )
  handleResult(result)
} catch (err) {
  handleError(err)
}

http://docs.sequelizejs.com/en/latest/api/model/#updatevalues-options-promisearrayaffectedcount-affectedrows

Since sequelize v1.7.0 you can now call an update() method on the model. Much cleaner

For Example:

Project.update(

  // Set Attribute values 
        { title:'a very different title now' },

  // Where clause / criteria 
         { _id : 1 }     

 ).success(function() { 

     console.log("Project with id =1 updated successfully!");

 }).error(function(err) { 

     console.log("Project update failed !");
     //handle error here

 });

January 2020 Answer
The thing to understand is that there's an update method for the Model and a separate update method for an Instance (record). Model.update() updates ALL matching records and returns an array see Sequelize documentation. Instance.update() updates the record and returns an instance object.

So to update a single record per the question, the code would look something like this:

SequlizeModel.findOne({where: {id: 'some-id'}})
.then(record => {
  
  if (!record) {
    throw new Error('No record found')
  }

  console.log(`retrieved record ${JSON.stringify(record,null,2)}`) 

  let values = {
    registered : true,
    email: '[email protected]',
    name: 'Joe Blogs'
  }
  
  record.update(values).then( updatedRecord => {
    console.log(`updated record ${JSON.stringify(updatedRecord,null,2)}`)
    // login into your DB and confirm update
  })

})
.catch((error) => {
  // do seomthing with the error
  throw new Error(error)
})

So, use Model.findOne() or Model.findByPkId() to get a handle a single Instance (record) and then use the Instance.update()

I have not used Sequelize, but after reading its documentation, it's obvious that you are instantiating a new object, that's why Sequelize inserts a new record into the db.

First you need to search for that record, fetch it and only after that change its properties and update it, for example:

Project.find({ where: { title: 'aProject' } })
  .on('success', function (project) {
    // Check if record exists in db
    if (project) {
      project.update({
        title: 'a very different title now'
      })
      .success(function () {})
    }
  })