---
title: Upload Field
label: Upload
order: 210
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, [click here](/docs/upload/overview) to read about how to enable Uploads on a
  collection by collection basis.
</Banner>

<LightDarkImage
  srcLight="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/upload.png"
  srcDark="https://payloadcms.com/images/docs/fields/upload-dark.png"
  alt="Shows an upload field in the Payload admin panel"
  caption="Admin panel screenshot of an Upload field"
/>

**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. [More](/docs/fields/overview#field-names)                                                      |
| **`*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-upload-options).                                                                   |
| **`maxDepth`**       | Sets a number limit on iterations of related documents to populate when queried. [Depth](/docs/getting-started/concepts#depth)                                              |
| **`label`**          | Text used as a field label in the Admin panel or an object with keys for each language.                                                                                     |
| **`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 an [index](/docs/database/overview) 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. [More](/docs/fields/overview#default-values)                                                                        |
| **`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.                                                    |
| **`custom`**         | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                                                                   |

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

## Example

`collections/ExampleCollection.ts`

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

export const ExampleCollection: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'example-collection',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'backgroundImage', // required
      type: 'upload', // required
      relationTo: 'media', // required
      required: true,
    },
  ],
}
```

## Filtering upload options

Options can be dynamically limited by supplying a [query constraint](/docs/queries/overview), which will be used both
for validating input and filtering available uploads in the UI.

The `filterOptions` property can either be a `Where` query, or a function returning `true` to not filter, `false` to
prevent all, or a `Where` query. When using a function, it will be
called with an argument object with the following properties:

| Property      | Description                                                                                           |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `relationTo`  | The collection `slug` to filter against, limited to this field's `relationTo` property                |
| `data`        | An object containing the full collection or global document currently being edited                    |
| `siblingData` | An object containing document data that is scoped to only fields within the same parent of this field |
| `id`          | The `id` of the current document being edited. `id` is `undefined` during the `create` operation      |
| `user`        | An object containing the currently authenticated user                                                 |

## Example

```ts
const uploadField = {
  name: 'image',
  type: 'upload',
  relationTo: 'media',
  filterOptions: {
    mimeType: { contains: 'image' },
  },
}
```

You can learn more about writing queries [here](/docs/queries/overview).

<Banner type="warning">
  <strong>Note:</strong>
  <br />
  When an upload field has both <strong>filterOptions</strong> and a custom{' '}
  <strong>validate</strong> function, the api will not validate <strong>filterOptions</strong>{' '}
  unless you call the default upload field validation function imported from{' '}
  <strong>payload/fields/validations</strong> in your validate function.
</Banner>