---
title: Global Configs
label: Globals
order: 30
desc: Set up your Global config for your needs by defining fields, adding slugs and labels, establishing access control, tying in hooks and more.
keywords: globals, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, express
---

Global configs are in many ways similar to [Collections](/docs/configuration/collections). The big difference is that Collections will potentially contain *many* documents, while a Global is a "one-off". Globals are perfect for things like header nav, site-wide banner alerts, app-wide localized strings, and other "global" data that your site or app might rely on.

As with Collection configs, it's often best practice to write your Globals in separate files and then import them into the main Payload config.

## Options

| Option           | Description  |
| ---------------- | -------------|
| **`slug`** *     | Unique, URL-friendly string that will act as an identifier for this Global. |
| **`fields`** *   | Array of field types that will determine the structure and functionality of the data stored within this Global. [Click here](/docs/fields/overview) for a full list of field types as well as how to configure them. |
| **`label`**      | Singular label for use in identifying this Global throughout Payload. Auto-generated from slug if not defined. |
| **`description`**| Text or React component to display below the Global header to give editors more information.  |
| **`admin`**      | Admin-specific configuration. See below for [more detail](/docs/configuration/globals#admin-options). |
| **`hooks`**      | Entry points to "tie in" to collection actions at specific points. [More](/docs/hooks/overview#global-hooks) |
| **`access`**     | Provide access control functions to define exactly who should be able to do what with this Global. [More](/docs/access-control/overview/#globals) |

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

#### Simple Global example

```js
const Nav = {
	slug: 'nav',
	fields: [
		{
			name: 'items',
			type: 'array',
			required: true,
			maxRows: 8,
			fields: [
				{
					name: 'page',
					type: 'relationship',
					relationTo: 'pages', // "pages" is the slug of an existing collection
					required: true,
				}
			]
		},
	]
}
```

#### More Global config examples

You can find an assortment of [example Global configs](https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/blob/master/demo/globals) in the Payload source code on GitHub.

### Admin options

You can customize the way that the Admin panel behaves on a Global-by-Global basis by defining the `admin` property on a Global's config.

| Option                       | Description  |
| ---------------------------- | -------------|
| `components`                 | Swap in your own React components to be used within this Global. [More](/docs/admin/components#globals) |

### Access control

As with Collections, you can specify extremely granular access control (what users can do with this Global) on a Global-by-Global basis. However, Globals only have `update` and `read` access control due to their nature of only having one document. To learn more, go to the [Access Control](/docs/access-control/overview) docs.

### Hooks

Globals also fully support a smaller subset of Hooks. To learn more, go to the [Hooks](/docs/hooks/overview) documentation.

### Field types

Globals support all field types that Payload has to offer—including simple fields like text and checkboxes all the way to more complicated layout-building field groups like Blocks. [Click here](/docs/fields/overview) to learn more about field types.
