diff --git a/documentation/SpectralTypes.md b/documentation/SpectralTypes.md
index cedd6edec..34b2c6e4b 100644
--- a/documentation/SpectralTypes.md
+++ b/documentation/SpectralTypes.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Columns marked with an asterisk (*) may not be empty.
 | spectral_type_string | Spectral type string |  | String(20)  |   |
 | *spectral_type_code | Numeric code corresponding to spectral type |  | Float  | primary  |
 | spectral_type_error | Uncertainty of spectral type |  | Float  |   |
-| regime | Regime for spectral type value |  |  | primary and foreign:Regimes.regime |
+| *regime | Regime for spectral type value |  |  | primary and foreign:Regimes.regime |
 | adopted    | Flag indicating if this is the adopted measurement |  | Boolean  |   |
 | photometric    | Flag indicating if this is a photometric spectral type |  | Boolean  |   |
 | comments  | Free form comments |   | String(1000) |   |
@@ -21,4 +21,6 @@ Spectral Type Codes:
  - 69 = M9
  - 70 = L0 
  - 80 = T0
- - 90 = Y0
\ No newline at end of file
+ - 90 = Y0
+
+ Regime is required however, regime = "unkwown" can be used when the regime is unknown. 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/simple/utils/spectral_types.py b/simple/utils/spectral_types.py
index db962f793..5ba443c18 100644
--- a/simple/utils/spectral_types.py
+++ b/simple/utils/spectral_types.py
@@ -134,7 +134,11 @@ def ingest_spectral_type(
     )
     if check == 1:
         msg = f"Spectral type for {db_name} already in the database"
-        raise AstroDBError(msg)
+        if raise_error:
+            logger.error(msg)
+            raise AstroDBError(msg)
+        else:
+            logger.warning(msg)
 
     logger.debug(f"Trying to insert {spt_data} into Spectral Types table ")
 
@@ -181,17 +185,20 @@ def ingest_spectral_type(
             == 0
         ):
             msg = f"The publication does not exist in the database: {reference}"
-            msg1 = "Add it with ingest_publication function."
+            msg1 = "Add it with astrodb_utils.ingest_publication function."
             logger.debug(msg + msg1)
-            raise AstroDBError(msg)
-        elif "NOT NULL constraint failed: SpectralTypes.regime" in str(e):
-            msg = f"The regime was not provided for {source}"
-            logger.error(msg)
-            raise AstroDBError(msg)
+            if raise_error:
+                logger.error(msg)
+                raise AstroDBError(msg + msg1)
+            else:
+                logger.warning(msg)
         else:
             msg = f"Spectral type ingest failed with error {e}\n"
-            logger.error(msg)
-            raise AstroDBError(msg)
+            if raise_error:
+                logger.error(msg)
+                raise AstroDBError(msg)
+            else:
+                logger.warning(msg)
 
 
 def convert_spt_string_to_code(spectral_type_string):