diff --git a/adminSiteServer/apiRouter.ts b/adminSiteServer/apiRouter.ts
index 76fc2ec69ef..7d11c1b11e4 100644
--- a/adminSiteServer/apiRouter.ts
+++ b/adminSiteServer/apiRouter.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ import {
     DbInsertUser,
     FlatTagGraph,
     DbRawChartConfig,
+    parseChartConfig,
 } from "@ourworldindata/types"
 import {
     defaultGrapherConfig,
@@ -1288,6 +1289,121 @@ getRouteWithROTransaction(
     }
 )
 
+postRouteWithRWTransaction(
+    apiRouter,
+    "/variables/:variableId/grapherConfigETL/new",
+    async (req, res, trx) => {
+        const variableId = expectInt(req.params.variableId)
+        // const user = res.locals.user
+        const config = req.body
+
+        // if no schema is given, assume it's the latest
+        if (!config.$schema) {
+            config.$schema = defaultGrapherConfig.$schema
+        }
+
+        // check if the given dimensions are correct
+        if (config.dimensions && config.dimensions.length >= 1) {
+            // make sure there is only a single entry
+            config.dimensions = config.dimensions.slice(0, 1)
+            // make sure the variable id matches
+            config.dimensions[0].variableId = variableId
+        }
+
+        // fill dimensions if not given to make the config plottable
+        if (!config.dimensions || config.dimensions.length === 0) {
+            config.dimensions = [{ property: DimensionProperty.y, variableId }]
+        }
+
+        // ETL configs inherit from the default
+        const patchConfigETL = diffGrapherConfigs(config, defaultGrapherConfig)
+        const fullConfigETL = mergeGrapherConfigs(
+            defaultGrapherConfig,
+            patchConfigETL
+        )
+
+        // insert chart config into the database
+        const configId = await getBinaryUUID(trx)
+        await db.knexRaw(
+            trx,
+            `-- sql
+                INSERT INTO chart_configs (id, patch, full)
+                VALUES (?, ?, ?)
+            `,
+            [
+                configId,
+                JSON.stringify(patchConfigETL),
+                JSON.stringify(fullConfigETL),
+            ]
+        )
+
+        // make a reference to the config from the variables table
+        await db.knexRaw(
+            trx,
+            `-- sql
+                UPDATE variables
+                SET grapherConfigIdETL = ?
+                WHERE id = ?
+            `,
+            [configId, variableId]
+        )
+
+        // grab the admin-authored indicator chart if there is one
+        let patchConfigAdmin: GrapherInterface = {}
+        const row = await db.knexRawFirst<{
+            adminConfig: DbRawChartConfig["full"] // TODO: type
+        }>(
+            trx,
+            `-- sql
+                SELECT cc.patch as adminConfig
+                FROM chart_configs cc
+                JOIN variables v ON cc.id = v.grapherConfigIdAdmin
+                WHERE v.id = ?
+            `,
+            [variableId]
+        )
+        if (row) {
+            patchConfigAdmin = parseChartConfig(row.adminConfig)
+        }
+
+        // find all charts that inherit from the indicator
+        const children = await db.knexRaw<{
+            chartId: number
+            patchConfig: string
+        }>(
+            trx,
+            `-- sql
+                SELECT c.id as chartId, cc.patch as patchConfig
+                FROM inheriting_charts ic
+                    JOIN charts c ON c.id = ic.chartId
+                    JOIN chart_configs cc ON cc.id = c.configId
+                WHERE ic.variableId = ?
+            `,
+            [variableId]
+        )
+
+        for (const child of children) {
+            const patchConfigChild = JSON.parse(child.patchConfig)
+            const fullConfigChild = mergeGrapherConfigs(
+                defaultGrapherConfig,
+                patchConfigETL,
+                patchConfigAdmin,
+                patchConfigChild
+            )
+            await db.knexRaw(
+                trx,
+                `-- sql
+                    UPDATE chart_configs cc
+                    JOIN charts c ON c.configId = cc.id
+                    SET cc.full = ?
+                    WHERE c.id = ?
+                `,
+                [JSON.stringify(fullConfigChild), child.chartId]
+            )
+        }
+    }
+)
+
 getRouteWithROTransaction(
     apiRouter,
     "/datasets.json",
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.004.yaml b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.004.yaml
index 1d51b63eff6..cc716cc2435 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.004.yaml
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/grapher/src/schema/grapher-schema.004.yaml
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ $defs:
                 description: The minimum bracket of the first bin
         additionalProperties: false
 required:
-    - title
+    - $schema
     - version
     - dimensions
 type: object
diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/types/src/dbTypes/InheritingCharts.ts b/packages/@ourworldindata/types/src/dbTypes/InheritingCharts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3a956f68cc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/types/src/dbTypes/InheritingCharts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+export const InheritingChartsTableName = "inheriting_charts"
+
+export interface DbInsertInheritingChart {
+    variableId: number
+    chartId: number
+}
+
+export type DbPlainInheritingChart = Required<DbInsertInheritingChart>