diff --git a/internal/api/client/instance/instancepatch.go b/internal/api/client/instance/instancepatch.go
index 250e836be..1080574c4 100644
--- a/internal/api/client/instance/instancepatch.go
+++ b/internal/api/client/instance/instancepatch.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (m *Module) InstanceUpdatePATCHHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	l.Debugf("parsing request form %s", c.Request.Form)
+	l.Debug("parsing request form")
 	form := &model.InstanceSettingsUpdateRequest{}
 	if err := c.ShouldBind(&form); err != nil || form == nil {
 		l.Debugf("could not parse form from request: %s", err)
@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@ func (m *Module) InstanceUpdatePATCHHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	l.Debugf("parsed form: %+v", form)
+
 	// if everything on the form is nil, then nothing has been set and we shouldn't continue
-	if form.SiteTitle == nil && form.SiteContactUsername == nil && form.SiteContactEmail == nil && form.SiteShortDescription == nil && form.SiteDescription == nil && form.SiteTerms == nil && form.Avatar == nil && form.Header == nil {
+	if form.Title == nil && form.ContactUsername == nil && form.ContactEmail == nil && form.ShortDescription == nil && form.Description == nil && form.Terms == nil && form.Avatar == nil && form.Header == nil {
 		l.Debugf("could not parse form from request")
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"error": "empty form submitted"})
 		return
diff --git a/internal/api/model/instance.go b/internal/api/model/instance.go
index 834c6fb55..c534de2d0 100644
--- a/internal/api/model/instance.go
+++ b/internal/api/model/instance.go
@@ -75,12 +75,20 @@ type InstanceStats struct {
 
 // InstanceSettingsUpdateRequest is the form to be parsed on a PATCH to /api/v1/instance
 type InstanceSettingsUpdateRequest struct {
-	SiteTitle            *string               `form:"site_title" json:"site_title" xml:"site_title"`
-	SiteContactUsername  *string               `form:"site_contact_username" json:"site_contact_username" xml:"site_contact_username"`
-	SiteContactEmail     *string               `form:"site_contact_email" json:"site_contact_email" xml:"site_contact_email"`
-	SiteShortDescription *string               `form:"site_short_description" json:"site_short_description" xml:"site_short_description"`
-	SiteDescription      *string               `form:"site_description" json:"site_description" xml:"site_description"`
-	SiteTerms            *string               `form:"site_terms" json:"site_terms" xml:"site_terms"`
-	Avatar               *multipart.FileHeader `form:"avatar" json:"avatar" xml:"avatar"`
-	Header               *multipart.FileHeader `form:"header" json:"header" xml:"header"`
+	// Title to use for the instance. Max 40 characters.
+	Title *string `form:"title" json:"title" xml:"title"`
+	// Username for the instance contact account. Must be the username of an existing admin.
+	ContactUsername *string `form:"contact_username" json:"contact_username" xml:"contact_username"`
+	// Email for reaching the instance administrator(s).
+	ContactEmail *string `form:"contact_email" json:"contact_email" xml:"contact_email"`
+	// Short description of the instance, max 500 chars. HTML formatting accepted.
+	ShortDescription *string `form:"short_description" json:"short_description" xml:"short_description"`
+	// Longer description of the instance, max 5,000 chars. HTML formatting accepted.
+	Description *string `form:"description" json:"description" xml:"description"`
+	// Terms and conditions of the instance, max 5,000 chars. HTML formatting accepted.
+	Terms *string `form:"terms" json:"terms" xml:"terms"`
+	// Image to use as the instance thumbnail.
+	Avatar *multipart.FileHeader `form:"avatar" json:"avatar" xml:"avatar"`
+	// Image to use as the instance header.
+	Header *multipart.FileHeader `form:"header" json:"header" xml:"header"`
 }
diff --git a/internal/processing/instance.go b/internal/processing/instance.go
index d0b66cc2f..0c1a54dc2 100644
--- a/internal/processing/instance.go
+++ b/internal/processing/instance.go
@@ -56,24 +56,24 @@ func (p *processor) InstancePatch(form *apimodel.InstanceSettingsUpdateRequest)
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site title if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteTitle != nil {
-		if err := util.ValidateSiteTitle(*form.SiteTitle); err != nil {
+	if form.Title != nil {
+		if err := util.ValidateSiteTitle(*form.Title); err != nil {
 			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, fmt.Sprintf("site title invalid: %s", err))
 		}
-		i.Title = *form.SiteTitle
+		i.Title = *form.Title
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site contact account if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteContactUsername != nil {
+	if form.ContactUsername != nil {
 		// make sure the account with the given username exists in the db
 		contactAccount := &gtsmodel.Account{}
-		if err := p.db.GetLocalAccountByUsername(*form.SiteContactUsername, contactAccount); err != nil {
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, fmt.Sprintf("account with username %s not retrievable", *form.SiteContactUsername))
+		if err := p.db.GetLocalAccountByUsername(*form.ContactUsername, contactAccount); err != nil {
+			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, fmt.Sprintf("account with username %s not retrievable", *form.ContactUsername))
 		}
 		// make sure it has a user associated with it
 		contactUser := &gtsmodel.User{}
 		if err := p.db.GetWhere([]db.Where{{Key: "account_id", Value: contactAccount.ID}}, contactUser); err != nil {
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, fmt.Sprintf("user for account with username %s not retrievable", *form.SiteContactUsername))
+			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, fmt.Sprintf("user for account with username %s not retrievable", *form.ContactUsername))
 		}
 		// suspended accounts cannot be contact accounts
 		if !contactAccount.SuspendedAt.IsZero() {
@@ -98,35 +98,35 @@ func (p *processor) InstancePatch(form *apimodel.InstanceSettingsUpdateRequest)
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site contact email if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteContactEmail != nil {
-		if err := util.ValidateEmail(*form.SiteContactEmail); err != nil {
+	if form.ContactEmail != nil {
+		if err := util.ValidateEmail(*form.ContactEmail); err != nil {
 			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, err.Error())
 		}
-		i.ContactEmail = *form.SiteContactEmail
+		i.ContactEmail = *form.ContactEmail
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site short description if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteShortDescription != nil {
-		if err := util.ValidateSiteShortDescription(*form.SiteShortDescription); err != nil {
+	if form.ShortDescription != nil {
+		if err := util.ValidateSiteShortDescription(*form.ShortDescription); err != nil {
 			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, err.Error())
 		}
-		i.ShortDescription = *form.SiteShortDescription
+		i.ShortDescription = *form.ShortDescription
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site description if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteDescription != nil {
-		if err := util.ValidateSiteDescription(*form.SiteDescription); err != nil {
+	if form.Description != nil {
+		if err := util.ValidateSiteDescription(*form.Description); err != nil {
 			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, err.Error())
 		}
-		i.Description = *form.SiteDescription
+		i.Description = *form.Description
 	}
 
 	// validate & update site terms if it's set on the form
-	if form.SiteTerms != nil {
-		if err := util.ValidateSiteTerms(*form.SiteTerms); err != nil {
+	if form.Terms != nil {
+		if err := util.ValidateSiteTerms(*form.Terms); err != nil {
 			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, err.Error())
 		}
-		i.Terms = *form.SiteTerms
+		i.Terms = *form.Terms
 	}
 
 	// process avatar if provided