---
group: Widgets
title: Overview
weight: 0
---

Widgets define the data type and interface for entry fields. Static CMS comes with several built-in widgets. Click the widget names in the sidebar to jump to specific widget details. You can also [create your own](/docs/custom-widgets)!

Widgets are specified as collection fields in the Static CMS `config.yml` file. Note that [YAML syntax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML#Basic_components) allows lists and objects to be written in block or inline style, and the code samples below include a mix of both.

To see working examples of all of the built-in widgets, try making a 'Kitchen Sink' collection item on the [CMS demo site](https://static-cms-demo.netlify.com). (No login required: click the login button and the CMS will open.) You can refer to the demo [configuration code](https://github.com/StaticJsCMS/static-cms/blob/main/dev-test/config.yml) to see how each field was configured.

## Common widget options

The following options are available on all fields:

| Name          | Type                                                        | Default    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| name          | string                                                      |            | The name of the field                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| widget        | string                                                      | `'string'` | _Optional_. The type of widget to render for the field                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| label         | string                                                      | `name`     | _Optional_. The display name of the field                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| required      | boolean                                                     | `true`     | _Optional_. Specify as `false` to make a field optional                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| hint          | string                                                      |            | _Optional_. Adds helper text directly below a widget. Useful for including instructions. Accepts markdown for bold, italic, strikethrough, and links.                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| pattern       | string                                                      |            | _Optional_. Adds field validation by specifying a list with a [regex pattern](https://regexr.com/) and an error message; more extensive validation can be achieved with [custom widgets](/docs/custom-widgets/#advanced-field-validation)                                                                                                     |
| i18n          | boolean<br />\|'translate'<br />\|'duplicate'<br />\|'none' |            | _Optional_. <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/-Beta%20Feature-blue" alt="Beta Feature" /><ul><li>`translate` - Allows translation of the field</li><li>`duplicate` - Duplicates the value from the default locale</li><li>`true` - Accept parent values as default</li><li>`none` or `false` - Exclude field from translations</li></ul> |
| comment       | string                                                      |            | _Optional_. Adds comment before the field (only supported for yaml)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

### Example

```yaml
name: title
label: Title
widget: string
pattern: ['.{12,}', 'Must have at least 12 characters']
```