---
title: Field-level Access Control
label: Fields
order: 30
desc: Field-level Access Control is specified within a field's config, and allows you to define which users can create, read or update Fields.
keywords: fields, access control, permissions, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, express
---

Field Access Control is specified with functions inside a field's config. All field-level Controls return a boolean value to allow or deny access for the specified operation. No field-level Access Controls support returning query constraints. All Access Control functions accept one `args` argument.

## Available Controls

| Function                | Purpose                                                                          |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **[`create`](#create)** | Allows or denies the ability to set a field's value when creating a new document |
| **[`read`](#read)**     | Allows or denies the ability to read a field's value                             |
| **[`update`](#update)** | Allows or denies the ability to update a field's value                           |

**Example Collection config:**

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

export const Posts: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'posts',
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'title',
      type: 'text',
      // highlight-start
      access: {
        create: ({ req: { user } }) => { ... },
        read: ({ req: { user } }) => { ... },
        update: ({ req: { user } }) => { ... },
      },
      // highlight-end
    };
  ],
};
```

### Create

Returns a boolean which allows or denies the ability to set a field's value when creating a new document. If `false` is returned, any passed values will be discarded.

**Available argument properties:**

| Option            | Description                                                                |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`req`**         | The Express `request` object containing the currently authenticated `user` |
| **`data`**        | The full data passed to create the document.                               |
| **`siblingData`** | Immediately adjacent field data passed to create the document.             |

### Read

Returns a boolean which allows or denies the ability to read a field's value. If `false`, the entire property is omitted from the resulting document.

**Available argument properties:**

| Option            | Description                                                                |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`req`**         | The Express `request` object containing the currently authenticated `user` |
| **`id`**          | `id` of the document being read                                            |
| **`doc`**         | The full document data.                                                    |
| **`siblingData`** | Immediately adjacent field data of the document being read.                |

### Update

Returns a boolean which allows or denies the ability to update a field's value. If `false` is returned, any passed values will be discarded.

If `false` is returned and you attempt to update the field's value, the operation will **not** throw an error however the field will be omitted from the update operation and the value will remain unchanged.

**Available argument properties:**

| Option            | Description                                                                |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`req`**         | The Express `request` object containing the currently authenticated `user` |
| **`id`**          | `id` of the document being updated                                         |
| **`data`**        | The full data passed to update the document.                               |
| **`siblingData`** | Immediately adjacent field data passed to update the document with.        |
| **`doc`**         | The full document data, before the update is applied.                      |