---
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`**        | Text for the name in the Admin panel or an object with keys for each language. 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)                                                                    |
| **`versions`**     | Set to true to enable default options, or configure with object properties. [More](/docs/versions/overview#globals-config)                                                                                           |
| **`endpoints`**    | Add custom routes to the REST API. [More](/docs/rest-api/overview#custom-endpoints)                                                                                                                                  |
| **`graphQL.name`** | Text used in schema generation. Auto-generated from slug if not defined.                                                                                                                                             |
| **`typescript`**   | An object with property `interface` as the text used in schema generation. Auto-generated from slug if not defined.                                                                                                  |
| **`custom`**       | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                                                                                                            |
| **`dbName`**       | Custom table or collection name for this global depending on the database adapter. Auto-generated from slug if not defined.

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

#### Simple Global example

```ts
import { GlobalConfig } from 'payload/types'

const Nav: GlobalConfig = {
  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,
        },
      ],
    },
  ],
}

export default Nav
```

#### Global config example

You can find a few [example Global configs](https://github.com/payloadcms/public-demo/tree/master/src/payload/globals) in the Public Demo 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                                                                                                                       |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `group`       | Text used as a label for grouping collection and global links together in the navigation.                                         |
| `hidden`      | Set to true or a function, called with the current user, returning true to exclude this global from navigation and admin routing. |
| `components`  | Swap in your own React components to be used within this Global. [More](/docs/admin/components#globals)                           |
| `preview`     | Function to generate a preview URL within the Admin panel for this global that can point to your app. [More](#preview).           |
| `livePreview` | Enable real-time editing for instant visual feedback of your front-end application. [More](/docs/live-preview/overview).          |
| `hideAPIURL`  | Hides the "API URL" meta field while editing documents within this collection.                                                    |

### Preview

Global `admin` options can accept a `preview` function that will be used to generate a link pointing to the frontend of your app to preview data.

If the function is specified, a Preview button will automatically appear in the corresponding global's Edit view. Clicking the Preview button will link to the URL that is generated by the function.

**The preview function accepts two arguments:**

1. The document being edited
1. An `options` object, containing `locale` and `token` properties. The `token` is the currently logged-in user's JWT.

**Example global with preview function:**

```ts
import { GlobalConfig } from 'payload/types'

export const MyGlobal: GlobalConfig = {
  slug: 'my-global',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'slug',
      type: 'text',
      required: true,
    },
  ],
  admin: {
    preview: (doc, { locale }) => {
      if (doc?.slug) {
        return `https://bigbird.com/preview/${doc.slug}?locale=${locale}`
      }

      return null
    },
  },
}
```

### 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.

### TypeScript

You can import global types as follows:

```ts
import { GlobalConfig } from 'payload/types'

// This is the type used for incoming global configs.
// Only the bare minimum properties are marked as required.
```

```ts
import { SanitizedGlobalConfig } from 'payload/types'

// This is the type used after an incoming global config is fully sanitized.
// Generally, this is only used internally by Payload.
```
