static-cms/docs/widgets.md

# Configuring your site

## Widgets

Widgets define the data type and interface for entry fields. Netlify CMS comes with several built-in widgets, including:

| Name       | UI                                 | Data Type                                          |
| --------   | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------|
| `string`   | text input                         | string                                             |
| `boolean`  | toggle switch                      | boolean                                            |
| `text`     | textarea input                     | string (multiline)                                 |
| `number`   | number input                       | number                                             |
| `markdown` | rich text editor                   | string (markdown)                                  |
| `datetime` | date picker                        | string (ISO date)                                  |
| `select`   | select input (dropdown)            | string                                             |
| `image`    | file picker w/ drag-and-drop       | image file                                         |
| `file`     | file picker w/ drag-and-drop       | file                                               |
| `hidden`   | none                               | string                                             |
| `object`   | group of other widgets             | Immutable Map containing field values              |
| `list`     | repeatable group of other widgets  | Immutable List of objects containing field values  |
| `relation` | text input w/ suggestions dropdown | value of `valueField` in related entry (see below) |

We’re always adding new widgets, and you can also [create your own](/docs/extending)!

### Relation Widget

The relation widget allows you to reference an existing entry from within the entry you're editing. It provides a search input with a list of entries from the collection you're referencing, and the list automatically updates with matched entries based on what you've typed.

The following field configuration properties are specific to fields using the relation widget:

Property | Accepted Values | Description
--- | --- | ---
`collection` | string | name of the collection being referenced
`searchFields` | list | one or more names of fields in the referenced colleciton to search for the typed value
`valueField` | string | name a field from the referenced collection whose value will be stored for the relation
`name` | text input | string

Let's say we have a "posts" collection and an "authors" collection, and we want to select an author for each post - our config might look something like this:

```yaml
collections:
  - name: authors
    label: Authors
    folder: "authors"
    create: true
    fields:
      - {name: name, label: Name}
      - {name: twitterHandle, label: "Twitter Handle"}
      - {name: bio, label: Bio, widget: text}
  - name: posts
    label: Posts
    folder: "posts"
    create: true
    fields:
      - {name: title, label: Title}
      - {name: body, label: Body, widget: markdown}
      - name: author
        label: Author
        widget: relation
        collection: authors
        searchFields: [name, twitterHandle]
        valueField: name
```