Payload CMS Operations

Authoritative reference for Payload 3.x — the Next.js-native, TypeScript-first headless CMS. Payload 3 installs into a Next.js (App Router) app and gives you an auto-generated admin panel, REST + GraphQL APIs, a typed Local API, authentication, access control, file storage, and live preview — one open-source TypeScript codebase.

Version note (verified against payloadcms.com/docs, 2026-06): Payload 3 is the Next.js fullstack framework — there is no standalone Express server anymore. The config lives at src/payload.config.ts; Payload mounts into the Next App Router via the installed (payload) route group. Don't ship Payload 2.x "standalone Express app" guidance.

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Architecture at a glance

Piece	What it is
payload.config.ts	Single source of truth: collections, globals, db adapter, plugins, admin, auth
Collections	Repeatable document groups (Posts, Users, Media) — the core building block
Globals	Singletons (one document) — site settings, header/footer nav
Fields	Compose document shape; also drive admin UI, validation, access
Local API	Typed, in-process data access (payload.find(...)) — no HTTP, runs server-side
REST / GraphQL	Auto-generated HTTP APIs over the same collections
Database adapter	@payloadcms/db-postgres, db-mongodb, or db-sqlite
Storage adapter	Local disk (dev) or S3/R2/etc. for uploads

Where it lives in a Next.js app

src/
├── payload.config.ts          # the config — collections, globals, db, plugins
├── collections/               # one file per CollectionConfig
│   ├── Users.ts
│   ├── Posts.ts
│   └── Media.ts
├── globals/                   # GlobalConfig files
└── app/
    ├── (payload)/             # Payload's admin + API route group (generated)
    └── (frontend)/            # your Next.js front end — uses the Local API

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Collections — the core shape

import type { CollectionConfig } from 'payload'

export const Posts: CollectionConfig = {
  slug: 'posts',                          // required, URL-safe identifier
  admin: { useAsTitle: 'title', defaultColumns: ['title', 'status'] },
  access: {                               // see access-control reference
    read: () => true,
    create: ({ req }) => Boolean(req.user),
    update: ({ req }) => Boolean(req.user),
    delete: ({ req }) => req.user?.role === 'admin',
  },
  versions: { drafts: true },             // draft/publish + revision history
  hooks: { /* lifecycle — see hooks reference */ },
  fields: [
    { name: 'title', type: 'text', required: true },
    { name: 'slug', type: 'text', unique: true, index: true },
    { name: 'content', type: 'richText' },
    { name: 'author', type: 'relationship', relationTo: 'users' },
  ],
}

Collection property	Purpose
slug	Required identifier (and REST/GraphQL route base)
fields	Required — document shape + UI + validation
access	Per-operation authorization (read/create/update/delete)
hooks	Lifecycle entry points (before/after change/read/delete)
admin	Admin-panel UI (title field, columns, components, groups)
auth	Turns the collection into an auth collection (e.g. Users)
upload	Makes it an upload collection (file storage, image sizes)
versions	Drafts + revision history

Globals vs Collections

"If your Collection is only ever meant to contain a single Document, consider using a Global instead."

Globals (GlobalConfig) are singletons — site settings, main nav. Same fields/access/hooks/admin surface, one document.

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Fields (the 80/20)

Type	Use for
text, textarea, number, email, date, checkbox	Scalars
richText	Lexical-based rich content
select, radio	Enumerations
relationship	Link to other collections (relationTo, hasMany)
upload	Reference an upload collection (media)
array	Repeatable sub-field groups
blocks	Flexible content — choose from defined block types per row
group	Nested namespaced fields
row, collapsible, tabs	Admin layout only (no data nesting except tabs with name)
json, code	Raw structured/code data

Every field can carry access, hooks, validate, admin.condition (conditional display), and localized: true for i18n. See references/hooks-and-fields.md.

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Access control — least privilege by default

Access functions return boolean or a query constraint (row-level filtering). They run for Local API, REST, and GraphQL uniformly.

access: {
  // boolean: can this user perform the op at all?
  delete: ({ req }) => req.user?.role === 'admin',

  // query constraint: WHICH documents can they read? (row-level)
  read: ({ req }) => {
    if (req.user?.role === 'admin') return true
    return { author: { equals: req.user?.id } }  // only their own
  },
}

• Collection-level (read/create/update/delete) and field-level (field.access.read/create/update) both exist — use field-level to hide/lock individual fields.
• Never bypass access control in custom endpoints. Use req context; don't hand-roll DB calls that skip it.
• The Local API can run with overrideAccess: true for trusted server code — use deliberately, not by default.

Full patterns (RBAC, multi-tenant isolation, field-level): references/access-control.md.

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Hooks — lifecycle entry points

hooks: {
  beforeChange: [({ data, req, operation }) => { /* mutate before save */ return data }],
  afterChange:  [({ doc, req, operation }) => { /* side effects: revalidate, notify */ return doc }],
  beforeRead:   [/* ... */],
  afterRead:    [/* shape outgoing doc */],
  beforeDelete: [/* ... */],
  afterDelete:  [/* cleanup */],
}

Common use: in afterChange, call Next.js revalidatePath() / revalidateTag() to bust the front-end cache on publish. Full hook catalog (collection, field, global, auth hooks): references/hooks-and-fields.md.

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Local API (the Next.js superpower)

In server components / route handlers, fetch data in-process — no HTTP round trip, fully typed:

import { getPayload } from 'payload'
import config from '@payload-config'

const payload = await getPayload({ config })

const { docs } = await payload.find({
  collection: 'posts',
  where: { status: { equals: 'published' } },
  depth: 1,             // auto-populate relationships one level deep
  limit: 10,
})

payload.find / findByID / create / update / delete / findGlobal mirror the REST surface. Access control still applies unless overrideAccess: true.

Caching in Next.js

• Wrap Local API reads in unstable_cache (or cache) with tags, then invalidate from an afterChange hook via revalidateTag.
• depth controls relationship population — keep it low to avoid over-fetching.

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Decision tables

Database adapter

Choice	Pick when
Postgres (db-postgres)	Relational data, SQL reporting, Vercel Postgres/Neon/Supabase; migrations matter
MongoDB (db-mongodb)	Document-shaped data, flexible schema, existing Mongo infra
SQLite (db-sqlite)	Local/edge, small footprint, simple deploys

Storage adapter

Choice	Pick when
Local disk	Dev only — not for serverless (ephemeral FS)
S3 / R2 (@payloadcms/storage-s3)	Production; put a CDN (CloudFront/Cloudflare) in front; signed URLs for private media; handle 403 on the frontend

Multi-tenancy

Approach	Pick when
@payloadcms/plugin-multi-tenant	Standard tenant isolation by a tenant field
Custom access constraints	Bespoke isolation rules; enforce via row-level read/update constraints

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Common gotchas

Gotcha	Why	Fix
Users see data they shouldn't	read access returns true (no row filter)	Return a query constraint from read, not just true
Local disk uploads vanish on Vercel	Serverless FS is ephemeral	Use S3/R2 storage adapter
Stale front-end after publish	Next.js caches the read	revalidateTag/Path in an afterChange hook
S3 signed URL 403s on frontend	URLs expire	Handle 403 gracefully; refresh URL
Over-deep relationship fetch	High depth populates everything	Keep depth minimal; populate explicitly
Custom endpoint leaks data	Bypassed access control	Go through Local API with access on; reserve overrideAccess for trusted paths
Env not validated	Misconfig fails at runtime	Validate env (zod) at boot
No real-time collab	Payload has no built-in CRDT	Pair with Liveblocks/Yjs; Payload stays source of truth for final state

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Assets

File	Use
assets/collection.config.template.ts	Heavily commented Payload 3 CollectionConfig starter (access + hooks + fields), with adapt-points marked

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See also

• typescript-ops — typing config, generated types (payload generate:types)
• react-ops — custom admin components, server components consuming the Local API
• api-design-ops — REST/GraphQL surface design, pagination, versioning
• auth-ops — auth collections, sessions/JWT, RBAC/ABAC patterns behind access control

Key external resources

• What is Payload
• Collections · Fields
• Access control
• Hooks
• Local API
• Database · Storage adapters
• Multi-tenant plugin