---
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, nextjs
---

The Upload Field allows for the selection of a Document from a Collection supporting [Uploads](../upload/overview), and
formats the selection as a thumbnail in the Admin Panel.

Upload fields are useful for a variety of use cases, such as:

- 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

<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"
/>

To create an Upload Field, set the `type` to `upload` in your [Field Config](./overview):

```ts
import type { Field } from 'payload/types'

export const MyUploadField: Field = {
  // ...
  // highlight-start
  type: 'upload',
  relationTo: 'media',
  // highlight-end
}
```

<Banner type="warning">
  <strong>Important:</strong>
  To use the Upload Field, you must have a [Collection](../configuration/collections) configured to allow [Uploads](../upload/overview).
</Banner>

## Config Options

| 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](../queries/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/overview), include its data in the user JWT.                             |
| **`hooks`**            | Provide Field Hooks to control logic for this field. [More details](../hooks/fields).                                                                                       |
| **`access`**           | Provide Field Access Control to denote what users can see and do with this field's data. [More details](../access-control/fields).                                          |
| **`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)                                                                        |
| **`displayPreview`**   | Enable displaying preview of the uploaded file. Overrides related Collection's `displayPreview` option. [More](/docs/upload/overview#collection-upload-options).            |
| **`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. [Admin Options](../admin/fields#admin-options).                                                                                               |
| **`custom`**           | Extension point for adding custom data (e.g. for plugins)                                                                                                                   |
| **`typescriptSchema`** | Override field type generation with providing a JSON schema                                                                                                                 |
| **`virtual`**          | Provide `true` to disable field in the database. See [Virtual Fields](https://payloadcms.com/blog/learn-how-virtual-fields-can-help-solve-common-cms-challenges)            |

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

## Example

`collections/ExampleCollection.ts`

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

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/shared</strong> in your validate function.
</Banner>

## Bi-directional relationships

The `upload` field on its own is used to reference documents in an upload collection. This can be considered a "one-way"
relationship. If you wish to allow an editor to visit the upload document and see where it is being used, you may use
the `join` field in the upload enabled collection. Read more about bi-directional relationships using
the [Join field](./join)
