---
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
To create an Upload Field, set the `type` to `upload` in your [Field Config](./overview):
```ts
import type { Field } from 'payload'
export const MyUploadField: Field = {
// ...
// highlight-start
type: 'upload',
relationTo: 'media',
// highlight-end
}
```
**Important:** To use the Upload Field, you must have a
[Collection](../configuration/collections) configured to allow
[Uploads](../upload/overview).
## Config Options
| Option | Description |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **`name`** \* | To be used as the property name when stored and retrieved from the database. [More details](/docs/fields/overview#field-names). |
| **`relationTo`** \* | Provide a single collection `slug` to allow this field to accept a relation to. **Note: the related collection must be configured to support Uploads.** |
| **`filterOptions`** | A query to filter which options appear in the UI and validate against. [More details](#filtering-upload-options). |
| **`hasMany`** | Boolean which, if set to true, allows this field to have many relations instead of only one. |
| **`minRows`** | A number for the fewest allowed items during validation when a value is present. Used with hasMany. |
| **`maxRows`** | A number for the most allowed items during validation when a value is present. Used with hasMany. |
| **`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 details](/docs/fields/overview#validation). |
| **`index`** | Build an [index](../database/indexes) 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 details](/docs/fields/overview#default-values). |
| **`displayPreview`** | Enable displaying preview of the uploaded file. Overrides related Collection's `displayPreview` option. [More details](/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](./overview#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, or provide a string path to [link the field with a relationship](/docs/fields/relationship#linking-virtual-fields-with-relationships). See [Virtual Fields](https://payloadcms.com/blog/learn-how-virtual-fields-can-help-solve-common-cms-challenges) |
| **`graphQL`** | Custom graphQL configuration for the field. [More details](/docs/graphql/overview#field-complexity) |
_\* An asterisk denotes that a property is required._
## Example
`collections/ExampleCollection.ts`
```ts
import type { 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 |
| `req` | The Payload Request, which contains references to `payload`, `user`, `locale`, and more. |
### Example#filter-options-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).
**Note:**
When an upload field has both **filterOptions** and a custom
**validate** function, the api will not validate **filterOptions**
unless you call the default upload field validation function imported from
**payload/shared** in your validate function.
## 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)