Custom Schemas
Every collection has a schema that defines what fields each object contains. The schema editor lets you design your data structure visually — no code required.
What is a Schema?
A schema is the blueprint for your content. It lists every field an object can have, along with each field's type, label, and validation rules. When someone creates a new object in the collection, the form they see is generated directly from the schema.
For example, a "Blog Posts" schema might include:
- Title — Short Text (required)
- Body — Structured / Long Text
- Author — Short Text
- Publish Date — Date
- Featured Image — Image
- Category — Custom Choices
Opening the Schema Editor
- Navigate to Collections from the bottom navigation bar.
- Tap the collection you want to configure — this opens the collection dialog.
- The schema editor is displayed in the dialog, showing your current fields. You can add, remove, or reorder them directly.
Field Types
The schema editor supports the following field types:
| Type | Description | Example Use |
|---|---|---|
| Short Text | Single-line string | Product name, author name |
| Structured / Long Text | Multi-line formatted content (rich text editor) | Blog body, product description |
| Whole Number | Integer value | Quantity, stock count |
| Decimal Number | Numeric value with decimals | Price, rating |
| True / False | Boolean toggle | Is featured, is published |
| Date | Date picker | Publish date, event date |
| Date & Time | Date and time picker | Appointment time, event start |
| Time | Time-only picker | Opening hours, schedule |
| Custom Choices | Dropdown with predefined options | Category, status, priority |
| Color | Color picker value | Brand color, accent color |
| Slug (URL Name) | URL-safe string | Page slug, SEO URL |
| Image | Image file upload | Featured image, headshot |
| Video | Video file upload | Product demo, hero video |
| File Upload | Any file type | PDF attachment, document |
| List of Items | Freeform list of values | Ingredients, features |
| Linked Collection | Reference to another collection | Link authors to posts |
| List of Objects | Multiple references to another collection | Related products, tagged items |
| Variant Field | Controls other fields based on selected values | Size/color product variants |
Adding a Field
Click Add Field
In the schema editor, click the Add Field button to create a new entry.
Name the field
Enter a name for the field. This is how it appears in the object editor and in API responses (e.g., "Title", "Price", "Featured Image").
Choose the field type
Select the appropriate type from the dropdown. The type determines what kind of input the object form renders.
Configure options
Depending on the type, you may see additional options:
- Required — toggle the required checkbox to make the field mandatory.
- Options — for Custom Choices and Variant fields, click the Options button to define the list of allowed values.
- Affects — for Variant fields, click the Affects button to select which other fields this variant controls.
Save the schema
Click Save to persist your changes. Existing objects are not retroactively modified — new fields will appear empty on older objects until they're edited.
Changing a field's type after objects already exist can cause display issues. If you need a different type, it's safer to add a new field and migrate data manually.
Variant Keys
Variant keys are a special schema feature for products or any content that has multiple options. They define the axes of variation — for example, "Size" and "Color" for a clothing product.
When you add a Variant Field to your schema, you define the possible values (e.g., "Small", "Medium", "Large") and select which other fields it affects (e.g., "Price", "SKU"). When editing an object, each variant value gets its own entry for the affected fields.
Variant keys are most useful for ecommerce collections. If you're building a blog or portfolio, you can skip this feature.
Schema Best Practices
- Keep field names descriptive — use clear names like "Featured Image" or "Publish Date" so your team knows what each field is for.
- Mark essential fields as required — this prevents incomplete content from being saved.
- Use Structured / Long Text sparingly — it's powerful but adds weight. Use Short Text for simple values like names and titles.
- Plan before building — changing schemas after creating hundreds of objects is tedious. Take a few minutes to plan your fields upfront.
Next Steps
With your schema defined, you're ready to manage objects — create, edit, and organize the actual content entries.