---
title: Upload Field
label: Upload
order: 180
desc: Upload fields will allow a file to be uploaded, only from a collection supporting Uploads. Learn how to use Upload fields, see examples and options.
keywords: upload, images media, fields, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, express
---

<Banner >
  The Upload field allows for the selection of a Document from a collection supporting Uploads, and formats the selection as a thumbnail in the Admin panel.
</Banner>

<Banner type="warning">
  <strong>Important:</strong><br/>
  To use this field, you need to have a Collection configured to allow Uploads. For more information, <a href="/docs/upload/overview">click here</a> to read about how to enable Uploads on a collection by collection basis.
</Banner>

**Example uses:**

- To provide a `Page` with a featured image
- To allow for a `Product` to deliver a downloadable asset like PDF or MP3
- To give a layout building block the ability to feature a background image

### Config

| Option           | Description |
| ---------------- | ----------- |
| **`name`** *         | To be used as the property name when stored and retrieved from the database.  |
| **`*relationTo`** *  | Provide a single collection `slug` to allow this field to accept a relation to. <strong>Note: the related collection must be configured to support Uploads.</strong> |
| **`filterOptions`**  | A query to filter which options appear in the UI and validate against. [More](#filtering-relationship-options). |
| **`maxDepth`**       | Sets a number limit on iterations of related documents to populate when queried. [Depth](/docs/getting-started/concepts#depth) |
| **`label`**          | Used as a field label in the Admin panel and to name the generated GraphQL type. |
| **`unique`**         | Enforce that each entry in the Collection has a unique value for this field. |
| **`validate`**       | Provide a custom validation function that will be executed on both the Admin panel and the backend. [More](/docs/fields/overview#validation) |
| **`index`**          | Build a [MongoDB index](https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/indexes/) for this field to produce faster queries. Set this field to `true` if your users will perform queries on this field's data often. |
| **`saveToJWT`**      | If this field is top-level and nested in a config supporting [Authentication](/docs/authentication/config), include its data in the user JWT. |
| **`hooks`**          | Provide field-based hooks to control logic for this field. [More](/docs/fields/overview#field-level-hooks) |
| **`access`**         | Provide field-based access control to denote what users can see and do with this field's data. [More](/docs/fields/overview#field-level-access-control) |
| **`hidden`**         | Restrict this field's visibility from all APIs entirely. Will still be saved to the database, but will not appear in any API or the Admin panel. |
| **`defaultValue`**   | Provide data to be used for this field's default value. |
| **`localized`**      | Enable localization for this field. Requires [localization to be enabled](/docs/configuration/localization) in the Base config. |
| **`required`**       | Require this field to have a value. |
| **`admin`**          | Admin-specific configuration. See the [default field admin config](/docs/fields/overview#admin-config) for more details. |

*\* An asterisk denotes that a property is required.*

### Example

`collections/ExampleCollection.js`
```js
{
  slug: 'example-collection',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'backgroundImage', // required
      type: 'upload', // required
      relationTo: 'media', // required
      required: true,
    }
  ]
}

```
