---
title: Token Data
label: Token Data
order: 70
desc: Storing data for read on the request object.
keywords: authentication, config, configuration, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, nextjs
---

During the lifecycle of a request you will be able to access the data you have configured to be stored in the JWT by accessing `req.user`. The user object is automatically appended to the request for you.

### Definining Token Data

You can specify what data gets encoded to the Cookie/JWT-Token by setting `saveToJWT` property on fields within your auth collection.

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

export const Users: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'users',
  auth: true,
  fields: [
    {
      // will be stored in the JWT
      saveToJWT: true,
      type: 'select',
      name: 'role',
      options: [
        'super-admin',
        'user',
      ]
    },
    {
      // the entire object will be stored in the JWT
      // tab fields can do the same thing!
      saveToJWT: true,
      type: 'group',
      name: 'group1',
      fields: [
        {
          type: 'text',
          name: 'includeField',
        },
        {
          // will be omitted from the JWT
          saveToJWT: false,
          type: 'text',
          name: 'omitField',
        },
      ]
    },
    {
      type: 'group',
      name: 'group2',
      fields: [
        {
          // will be stored in the JWT
          // but stored at the top level
          saveToJWT: true,
          type: 'text',
          name: 'includeField',
        },
        {
          type: 'text',
          name: 'omitField',
        },
      ]
    },
  ]
}
```

<Banner type="success">
  **Tip:**
  <br/>
  If you wish to use a different key other than the field `name`, you can define `saveToJWT` as a string.
</Banner>


### Using Token Data

This is especially helpful when writing [Hooks](../hooks/overview) and [Access Control](../access-control/overview) that depend on user defined fields.

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

export const Invoices: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'invoices',
  access: {
    read: ({ req, data }) => {
      if (!req?.user) return false
      // highlight-start
      if ({ req.user?.role === 'super-admin'}) {
        return true
      }
      // highlight-end
      return data.owner === req.user.id
    }
  }
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'owner',
      relationTo: 'users'
    },
    // ... other fields
  ],
}
```