cms-collection-setup

$27

Instructions

Phase 1: Site Selection & Discovery

• Get site information: Use Webflow MCP's data_sites_tool with action list_sites to identify target site

• Confirm site: Ask user to select site if multiple available

• Check plan limits: Use Webflow MCP's data_sites_tool with action get_site to verify collection limits

• List existing collections: Use Webflow MCP's data_cms_tool with action get_collection_list to check for conflicts

• Validate naming: Ensure new collection name doesn't conflict with existing

Phase 2: Requirements Gathering

• Get collection details: Ask user for:

• Collection display name (e.g., "Blog Posts")

• Singular name (e.g., "Blog Post")

• Optional: Custom slug (default: auto-generated from display name)

• Get field definitions: For each field, gather:

• Field name (e.g., "Author Name", "Publish Date")

• Field type (Text, Rich Text, Image, Option, Reference, etc.)

• Required vs optional

• Any validation rules or help text

• Identify relationships: Determine if collection needs:

• Reference fields (one-to-many relationships)

• Multi-reference fields (many-to-many relationships)

• Option fields (controlled vocabulary)

Phase 3: Schema Validation & Planning

• Validate field types: Check all field types are supported

• Check field limits: Ensure within Webflow limits:

• Max fields per collection: varies by plan

• Max 5 multi-reference fields per collection

• Plan creation order: Organize fields by dependency:

• Create collections in order if references exist

• Create referenced collections first

• Create option fields before reference fields

• Generate preview: Show complete schema with all fields

Phase 4: User Approval

• Show complete preview: Display:

• Collection name and slug

• All fields with types and properties

• Any relationships to other collections

• Plan limit verification

• Validate schema: Check for common issues:

• Missing required fields (name, slug always required)

• Invalid field types

• Reference to non-existent collections

• Exceeding plan limits

• Request confirmation: Wait for explicit "create" approval

Phase 5: Collection Creation

• Create collection: Use Webflow MCP's data_cms_tool with action create_collection with:

• Display name

• Singular name

• Optional slug

• Capture collection ID: Save for field creation

• Show progress: Report collection created successfully

Phase 6: Field Creation

• Create fields in order: For each field:

• Use appropriate creation tool based on type

• Static fields: data_cms_tool with action create_collection_static_field

• Option fields: data_cms_tool with action create_collection_option_field

• Reference fields: data_cms_tool with action create_collection_reference_field

• Set field properties:

• Display name

• Required flag

• Help text (if provided)

• Validation rules (if applicable)

• Show progress: Report each field created

• Handle errors: If field creation fails, report and continue

Phase 7: Verification & Reporting

• Verify collection: Use Webflow MCP's data_cms_tool with action get_collection_details to retrieve full schema

• Confirm all fields: Check that all requested fields were created

• Generate report: Show:

• Collection ID

• Collection name and slug

• All fields created with IDs

• Any failures or warnings

• Provide next steps: Suggest:

• Use bulk-cms-update to add initial items

• Create collection pages in Designer

• Set up relationships if applicable

Field Type Reference

Static Field Types

PlainText - Short text (max 256 chars) or long text

• Use for: Titles, names, descriptions, excerpts

• Properties: maxLength validation (256 for short)

• Example: "Title", "Author Name", "Excerpt"

RichText - Formatted text with HTML

• Use for: Blog content, bios, articles, long descriptions

• Properties: No length limit

• Example: "Post Content", "Bio", "Description"

Email - Email address

• Use for: Contact emails, author emails

• Properties: Email format validation

• Example: "Contact Email", "Author Email"

Phone - Phone number

• Use for: Contact numbers

• Properties: E.164 format

• Example: "Phone Number", "Mobile"

Link - External URL or internal link

• Use for: Website links, social media, external resources

• Properties: URL validation

• Example: "Website", "LinkedIn Profile"

Number - Numeric values

• Use for: Prices, ratings, counts, order numbers

• Properties: Integer or decimal

• Example: "Price", "Rating", "Order"

Image - Single image

• Use for: Featured images, photos, thumbnails

• Properties: Max 4MB per image

• Example: "Featured Image", "Photo", "Thumbnail"

MultiImage - Multiple images (up to 25)

• Use for: Galleries, product photos

• Properties: Max 25 images, 4MB each

• Example: "Gallery", "Product Photos"

File - File upload

• Use for: PDFs, documents, downloads

• Properties: Max 4MB per file

• Example: "Resume PDF", "Brochure", "Manual"

Video - Video embed (YouTube/Vimeo)

• Use for: Video content

• Properties: Embed URL

• Example: "Tutorial Video", "Demo"

DateTime - Date and/or time

• Use for: Publish dates, event dates, deadlines

• Properties: ISO 8601 format

• Example: "Publish Date", "Event Date"

Switch - Boolean (true/false)

• Use for: Featured flags, visibility toggles

• Properties: Boolean value

• Example: "Featured", "Published", "Active"

Color - Color value

• Use for: Theme colors, accents, brand colors

• Properties: Hex format

• Example: "Brand Color", "Accent Color"

Option Field Type

Option - Single choice from predefined list

• Use for: Status, category, type, priority

• Properties: List of option names

• Example: "Status" (Draft, Review, Published)

• Creation: Use data_cms_tool with action create_collection_option_field with options array

Example:

{

  "type": "Option",

  "displayName": "Status",

  "metadata": {

    "options": [

      {"name": "Draft"},

      {"name": "In Review"},

      {"name": "Published"}

    ]

  }

}

Reference Field Types

Reference - Link to one item in another collection (one-to-many)

• Use for: Author → Post, Category → Post, Brand → Product

• Properties: Collection ID of referenced collection

• Example: "Author" (reference to Authors collection)

• Creation: Use data_cms_tool with action create_collection_reference_field with collectionId

MultiReference - Link to multiple items in another collection (many-to-many)

• Use for: Post → Tags, Product → Features, Project → Technologies

• Properties: Collection ID of referenced collection

• Limit: Max 5 multi-reference fields per collection

• Example: "Tags" (reference to Tags collection)

• Creation: Use data_cms_tool with action create_collection_reference_field with collectionId

Reference Field Example:

{

  "type": "Reference",

  "displayName": "Author",

  "metadata": {

    "collectionId": "abc123..."

  }

}

Multi-Reference Field Example:

{

  "type": "MultiReference",

  "displayName": "Tags",

  "metadata": {

    "collectionId": "xyz789..."

  }

}

Examples

Example 1: Simple Blog Collection

User prompt:

Create a Blog Posts collection with title, content, author, and publish date

Step 1: Discovery

🔍 CMS Collection Setup

Available sites:

1. Company Website

2. Blog Site

Which site? (1/2)

Step 2: After User Selects Site

📊 Existing Collections on Company Website:

Currently: 0 collections

Plan limit: 20 collections (CMS Plan)

✅ You have capacity to create new collections.

---

📋 Collection Requirements

Display Name: Blog Posts

Singular Name: Blog Post

Slug: blog-posts (auto-generated)

Fields to create:

1. Title - Text (required)

2. Content - Rich Text (required)

3. Author - Text

4. Publish Date - Date/Time (required)

Is this correct? (yes/no)

If you want to add/modify fields, describe the changes.

Step 3: Preview

📋 Preview: Create "Blog Posts" Collection

Collection:

├── Display Name: Blog Posts

├── Singular Name: Blog Post

├── Slug: blog-posts

└── Site: Company Website

Fields (6 total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto-created

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto-created

├── title (PlainText, required)

├── content (RichText, required)

├── author (PlainText)

└── publish-date (DateTime, required)

✅ Validation Passed:

- Collection name available

- Within plan limits (0/20 collections)

- All field types valid

- No dependency issues

⚠️ Type "create" to proceed.

Step 4: Creation

🔄 Creating Collection...

✅ Collection created: Blog Posts (ID: 64f1a2b3...)

Adding fields...

├── ✅ title (PlainText)

├── ✅ content (RichText)

├── ✅ author (PlainText)

└── ✅ publish-date (DateTime)

Progress: ████████████████████ 100% (4/4 fields)

🎉 Collection Setup Complete!

Collection: Blog Posts

ID: 64f1a2b3...

Fields: 6 (2 auto-created + 4 custom)

---

💡 Next Steps:

1. Use bulk-cms-update to add initial blog posts

2. Create collection template page in Designer

3. Set up collection list page for blog index

4. Configure SEO settings for dynamic pages

Example 2: Collection with Relationships

User prompt:

Create a Products collection with name, price, description, images, brand, and tags

Step 1: After Initial Gathering

📋 Collection Analysis

I see you want:

- Brand: This should be a reference field

- Tags: This should be a multi-reference field

This requires creating additional collections first:

1. Brands collection

2. Tags collection

Then we can create Products with references to them.

Would you like me to:

A) Create all three collections (Brands, Tags, Products)

B) Just create Products (you'll add relationships later)

C) Modify the requirements

Your choice? (A/B/C)

Step 2: After User Selects "A"

📋 Preview: Create 3 Collections

---

### 1. Brands Collection

Fields (4 total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── logo (Image)

└── description (PlainText)

---

### 2. Tags Collection

Fields (3 total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto

└── color (Color)

---

### 3. Products Collection

Fields (9 total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── price (Number, required)

├── description (RichText)

├── images (MultiImage)

├── brand (Reference → Brands)

└── tags (MultiReference → Tags)

---

Creation Order:

1. Brands (no dependencies)

2. Tags (no dependencies)

3. Products (references 1 & 2)

✅ Validation:

- All collections available

- Within plan limits (0/20 collections)

- Multi-reference limit: 1/5 ✅

- All dependencies resolvable

⚠️ Type "create" to proceed with all 3 collections.

Step 3: Creation

🔄 Creating Collections...

[1/3] Creating Brands...

✅ Brands collection created (ID: abc123...)

├── ✅ logo (Image)

└── ✅ description (PlainText)

[2/3] Creating Tags...

✅ Tags collection created (ID: def456...)

└── ✅ color (Color)

[3/3] Creating Products...

✅ Products collection created (ID: ghi789...)

├── ✅ price (Number)

├── ✅ description (RichText)

├── ✅ images (MultiImage)

├── ✅ brand (Reference → Brands)

└── ✅ tags (MultiReference → Tags)

Progress: ████████████████████ 100% (3/3 collections)

🎉 All Collections Created!

Summary:

├── Brands (ID: abc123...)

├── Tags (ID: def456...)

└── Products (ID: ghi789...)

---

💡 Next Steps:

1. Add brand items first (use bulk-cms-update)

2. Add tag items (use bulk-cms-update)

3. Then add products with brand/tag references

4. Create collection pages in Designer

Example 3: Team Members with Option Field

User prompt:

Create a Team Members collection with name, role (dropdown: Designer, Developer, Manager), bio, photo, email

Step 1: Preview

📋 Preview: Create "Team Members" Collection

Collection:

├── Display Name: Team Members

├── Singular Name: Team Member

└── Slug: team-members

Fields (7 total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── role (Option, required)

│   Options:

│   ├── Designer

│   ├── Developer

│   └── Manager

├── bio (RichText)

├── photo (Image)

└── email (Email)

✅ Validation Passed

⚠️ Type "create" to proceed.

Step 2: Creation

🔄 Creating Collection...

✅ Collection created: Team Members (ID: jkl012...)

Adding fields...

├── ✅ role (Option: 3 options)

├── ✅ bio (RichText)

├── ✅ photo (Image)

└── ✅ email (Email)

Progress: ████████████████████ 100% (4/4 fields)

🎉 Collection Setup Complete!

Collection: Team Members

Fields: 6 (2 auto + 4 custom)

Field Details:

- role: Option field with 3 choices

  • Designer

  • Developer

  • Manager

---

💡 Next Steps:

1. Add team member items

2. Create team page in Designer

3. Consider adding:

   - LinkedIn profile (Link field)

   - Years of experience (Number field)

   - Specializations (MultiReference to Skills collection)

Example 4: Complex E-commerce Setup

User prompt:

Create an e-commerce setup with Products, Categories, Brands, and Features

Step 1: Requirements Clarification

📋 E-commerce Collection Planning

I'll create 4 collections:

1. **Categories** - Product categories

2. **Brands** - Product brands

3. **Features** - Product features (e.g., "Waterproof", "Wireless")

4. **Products** - Main product catalog

Relationships:

- Product → Category (Reference)

- Product → Brand (Reference)

- Product → Features (MultiReference)

Fields per collection:

**Categories:**

- Name, Slug (auto)

- Description

- Parent Category (self-reference for hierarchy)

- Icon

**Brands:**

- Name, Slug (auto)

- Logo

- Description

**Features:**

- Name, Slug (auto)

- Icon

- Description

**Products:**

- Name, Slug (auto)

- Price

- Sale Price

- Description

- Images (MultiImage)

- Category (Reference → Categories)

- Brand (Reference → Brands)

- Features (MultiReference → Features)

- In Stock (Switch)

- SKU (PlainText)

Is this structure good? (yes/modify/cancel)

Step 2: Preview (User says "yes")

📋 Preview: Create E-commerce Collections

---

### Collection 1: Categories

Fields (5 total):

├── name (PlainText, required)

├── slug (PlainText, required)

├── description (PlainText)

├── parent-category (Reference → Categories) ← Self-reference

└── icon (Image)

---

### Collection 2: Brands

Fields (4 total):

├── name (PlainText, required)

├── slug (PlainText, required)

├── logo (Image)

└── description (PlainText)

---

### Collection 3: Features

Fields (4 total):

├── name (PlainText, required)

├── slug (PlainText, required)

├── icon (Image)

└── description (PlainText)

---

### Collection 4: Products

Fields (12 total):

├── name (PlainText, required)

├── slug (PlainText, required)

├── price (Number, required)

├── sale-price (Number)

├── description (RichText)

├── images (MultiImage)

├── category (Reference → Categories)

├── brand (Reference → Brands)

├── features (MultiReference → Features)

├── in-stock (Switch)

└── sku (PlainText)

---

Creation Order:

1. Categories (self-reference OK)

2. Brands (no dependencies)

3. Features (no dependencies)

4. Products (references 1, 2, 3)

✅ Validation:

- Within plan limits (0/20 collections)

- Multi-reference count: 1/5 ✅

- All field types valid

- Self-reference supported

⚠️ Type "create" to proceed with all 4 collections.

Step 3: Creation with Progress

🔄 Creating E-commerce Collections...

[1/4] Creating Categories...

✅ Categories created (ID: aaa111...)

Progress: ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 25%

[2/4] Creating Brands...

✅ Brands created (ID: bbb222...)

Progress: ████████████░░░░░░░░ 50%

[3/4] Creating Features...

✅ Features created (ID: ccc333...)

Progress: ████████████████░░░░ 75%

[4/4] Creating Products...

✅ Products created (ID: ddd444...)

Progress: ████████████████████ 100%

---

🎉 E-commerce Setup Complete!

Collections Created (4):

├── Categories (ID: aaa111..., 5 fields)

├── Brands (ID: bbb222..., 4 fields)

├── Features (ID: ccc333..., 4 fields)

└── Products (ID: ddd444..., 12 fields)

Relationships Configured:

- Products → Categories (one-to-many)

- Products → Brands (one-to-many)

- Products → Features (many-to-many)

- Categories → Parent Category (self-reference)

---

💡 Recommended Content Order:

1. Add categories first (including parent relationships)

2. Add brands

3. Add features

4. Finally add products (with all references)

💡 Next Steps:

1. Use bulk-cms-update for initial data

2. Create product template page

3. Create product listing page with filters

4. Set up category landing pages

5. Configure e-commerce integration

Guidelines

Phase 1: Discovery Best Practices

Site Selection:

• Always use data_sites_tool with action list_sites to get available sites

• Never assume site ID

• Verify user has correct site selected

Plan Limit Checking:

Check limits before creation:

- Starter: 1 collection, 50 items

- Basic: 2 collections, 200 items

- CMS: 20 collections, 2,000 items

- Business: 40 collections, 10,000 items

- Enterprise: Custom

Warn user if approaching limits.

Naming Conflict Prevention:

• Check existing collection names

• Suggest alternative names if conflict

• Validate slug availability

Phase 2: Requirements Gathering Best Practices

Display Name vs Singular Name:

Display Name: Plural form shown in CMS

Singular Name: Singular form for individual items

Examples:

- Display: "Blog Posts" → Singular: "Blog Post"

- Display: "Team Members" → Singular: "Team Member"

- Display: "Products" → Singular: "Product"

- Display: "Categories" → Singular: "Category"

Field Naming Conventions:

✅ Good names:

- author-name (descriptive, hyphenated)

- publish-date (clear purpose)

- featured-image (specifies which)

- main-content (explains use)

❌ Bad names:

- text1 (meaningless)

- field (too generic)

- data (unclear)

- img (which image?)

Detecting Relationships:

If user says:

"... with author" → Likely reference field

"... with tags" → Likely multi-reference field

"... with category" → Likely reference field

"... with related products" → Likely multi-reference field

Ask clarifying questions:

- Is [author] the same across items? → Reference

- Can items have multiple [tags]? → Multi-reference

- Do you have a [Categories] collection? → Check existence

Phase 3: Schema Validation Best Practices

Field Type Validation:

Common field type mappings:

User says... → Field type:

"title", "name" → PlainText

"description", "summary" → PlainText (long)

"content", "bio", "article" → RichText

"photo", "image", "thumbnail" → Image

"gallery", "photos" → MultiImage

"document", "PDF", "file" → File

"video" → Video

"link", "URL", "website" → Link

"email" → Email

"phone", "mobile" → Phone

"price", "cost", "amount" → Number

"date", "published", "deadline" → DateTime

"featured", "active", "published" → Switch

"status", "type", "category" → Option (if fixed choices)

"color", "theme" → Color

Multi-Reference Limit Check:

Count multi-reference fields requested:

If > 5:

⚠️ Warning: Collection Limit Exceeded

Webflow allows max 5 multi-reference fields per collection.

You requested: 7 multi-reference fields

Options:

1. Choose 5 most important relationships

2. Convert some to reference fields (one-to-many)

3. Create bridging collections

4. Use option fields for simple categorization

Which would you prefer?

Dependency Resolution:

For reference fields:

1. Check if referenced collection exists

2. If not, add to creation queue

3. Create in correct order

Example:

Products needs:

- Categories collection (create first)

- Brands collection (create first)

Then create Products

Phase 4: Preview Best Practices

Complete Preview Format:

📋 Preview: Create "[Collection Name]"

Collection Details:

├── Display Name: [Name]

├── Singular Name: [Singular]

├── Slug: [slug]

└── Site: [Site Name]

Fields ([X] total):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto-created

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto-created

├── [field-1] ([Type], [required/optional])

├── [field-2] ([Type], [required/optional])

│   [Additional info if Option or Reference]

└── [field-n] ([Type], [required/optional])

Relationships:

├── [field] → [Collection] (Reference)

└── [field] → [Collection] (MultiReference)

✅ Validation Results:

- Collection name available: Yes

- Within plan limits: X/Y collections

- Multi-reference count: X/5

- All field types valid: Yes

- Dependencies resolved: Yes

⚠️ Type "create" to proceed.

Validation Checks:

Before showing preview:

1. ✅ Collection name available

2. ✅ Within plan collection limit

3. ✅ All field types supported

4. ✅ Multi-reference limit ≤ 5

5. ✅ Referenced collections exist or queued

6. ✅ No circular dependencies

7. ✅ Field names follow conventions

Phase 5: Creation Best Practices

Collection Creation:

Required fields:

- displayName (required)

- singularName (required)

- slug (optional, auto-generated if omitted)

Always include both names for clarity:

✅ {"displayName": "Blog Posts", "singularName": "Blog Post"}

❌ {"displayName": "Blog Posts"} (missing singular)

Error Handling:

If collection creation fails:

❌ Collection Creation Failed

Error: [Error message from API]

Common causes:

- Collection name already exists

- Invalid characters in name/slug

- Plan limit reached

- API authentication issue

Would you like to:

1. Try a different collection name

2. Check existing collections

3. Upgrade plan

4. Cancel operation

Phase 6: Field Creation Best Practices

Field Creation Order:

Create fields in this order:

1. Static fields (Text, Rich Text, Number, etc.)

2. Option fields (with options defined)

3. Reference fields (after referenced collections exist)

For each field:

- Set displayName

- Set isRequired flag

- Add helpText if provided by user

- Set validation rules if applicable

Field Creation Tools:

Field Type → Tool to use:

PlainText, RichText, Email, Phone, Link, Number,

Image, MultiImage, File, Video, DateTime, Switch, Color

→ data_cms_tool with action create_collection_static_field

Option

→ data_cms_tool with action create_collection_option_field

   (requires metadata.options array)

Reference, MultiReference

→ data_cms_tool with action create_collection_reference_field

   (requires metadata.collectionId)

Progress Reporting:

For each field created:

✅ [field-name] ([FieldType])

If field fails:

❌ [field-name] - [Error message]

Continue with remaining fields even if one fails.

Report all failures at end.

Option Field Creation:

{

  "type": "Option",

  "displayName": "Status",

  "isRequired": false,

  "metadata": {

    "options": [

      {"name": "Draft"},

      {"name": "Published"},

      {"name": "Archived"}

    ]

  }

}

Notes:

- Options have name property

- Options cannot have ID (auto-generated)

- Minimum 2 options required

- Maximum: unlimited

Reference Field Creation:

{

  "type": "Reference",

  "displayName": "Author",

  "isRequired": true,

  "metadata": {

    "collectionId": "abc123..."

  }

}

For MultiReference:

{

  "type": "MultiReference",

  "displayName": "Tags",

  "metadata": {

    "collectionId": "def456..."

  }

}

Notes:

- Must provide collectionId of referenced collection

- Referenced collection must already exist

- Max 5 MultiReference fields per collection

Phase 7: Verification Best Practices

Post-Creation Verification:

After creating collection and fields:

1. Call data_cms_tool with action get_collection_details with collection ID

2. Verify all fields present

3. Check field properties match request

4. Confirm relationships configured correctly

Final Report Format:

🎉 Collection Setup Complete!

Collection: [Name]

ID: [collection-id]

Slug: [slug]

Fields Created ([X]):

├── name (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── slug (PlainText, required) ← Auto

├── [field-1] ([Type])

├── [field-2] ([Type])

└── [field-n] ([Type])

[If relationships exist]

Relationships:

├── [field] → [Collection]

└── [field] → [Collection]

[If any failures]

⚠️ Failed Fields ([Y]):

├── [field]: [error]

└── [field]: [error]

---

💡 Next Steps:

[Relevant suggestions based on collection type]

Next Steps Suggestions:

For any collection:

1. Use bulk-cms-update to add initial items

2. Create collection template page in Designer

3. Create collection list page

4. Configure SEO settings

For collections with relationships:

5. Create referenced collections first

6. Add items in dependency order

7. Test relationship displays

For e-commerce:

5. Set up payment integration

6. Configure inventory management

7. Create checkout flow

Phase 8: Error Handling

Common Errors:

1. Collection Name Conflict:

❌ Collection Already Exists

A collection named "Blog Posts" already exists on this site.

Existing collection:

- Name: Blog Posts

- ID: xyz789...

- Created: 2025-12-15

Would you like to:

1. Choose a different name

2. View existing collection

3. Add fields to existing collection

4. Cancel

2. Plan Limit Reached:

❌ Plan Limit Reached

Cannot create collection. You've reached your plan limit.

Current: 20/20 collections (CMS Plan)

Options:

1. Upgrade to Business Plan (40 collections)

2. Delete unused collections

3. Contact Webflow support

Would you like me to show your existing collections?

3. Invalid Field Type:

❌ Invalid Field Type

Field type "dropdown" is not supported by Webflow.

Did you mean:

- "Option" - Single choice from list

- "Reference" - Link to another collection

- "MultiReference" - Link to multiple items

Which would you like to use?

4. Referenced Collection Not Found:

❌ Referenced Collection Not Found

Cannot create reference field to "Authors" collection.

Issue: "Authors" collection doesn't exist yet.

Solutions:

1. Create "Authors" collection first

2. Remove reference field for now

3. Let me create both collections in order

Your choice? (1/2/3)

5. Multi-Reference Limit Exceeded:

❌ Too Many Multi-Reference Fields

You requested 6 multi-reference fields.

Webflow limit: 5 per collection

Requested:

1. Tags

2. Categories

3. Related Products

4. Features

5. Certifications

6. Compatible Products ← Exceeds limit

Choose 5 to keep, or convert one to Reference field.

Phase 9: Advanced Scenarios

Self-Referencing Collections:

Example: Categories with parent categories

Collection: Categories

Fields:

├── name (PlainText, required)

├── slug (PlainText, required)

├── parent-category (Reference → Categories)

└── level (Number) - 1, 2, 3 for hierarchy

Implementation:

{

  "type": "Reference",

  "displayName": "Parent Category",

  "isRequired": false,

  "metadata": {

    "collectionId": "[same-collection-id]"

  }

}

Note: Must create collection first, then add self-reference field

Multi-Collection Setup:

When creating multiple related collections:

1. Identify dependencies:

   - Which collections reference others?

   - What's the creation order?

2. Create in order:

   - Independent collections first

   - Dependent collections after

3. Show overall progress:

   [1/4] Creating Categories...

   [2/4] Creating Brands...

   [3/4] Creating Tags...

   [4/4] Creating Products...

4. Report collectively:

   All 4 collections created successfully!

Complex Option Fields:

For complex dropdowns:

User: "Create status field with Draft, In Review, Approved, Published, Archived"

Option field with 5 choices:

{

  "type": "Option",

  "displayName": "Status",

  "isRequired": true,

  "metadata": {

    "options": [

      {"name": "Draft"},

      {"name": "In Review"},

      {"name": "Approved"},

      {"name": "Published"},

      {"name": "Archived"}

    ]

  }

}

Tip: Use workflow order for options

Production Checklist

Before considering collection setup complete:

✅ Discovery

• Site selected and confirmed

• Plan limits checked

• Existing collections listed

• No naming conflicts

• User has appropriate permissions

✅ Requirements

• Display name gathered

• Singular name gathered

• All fields defined with types

• Required vs optional specified

• Relationships identified

✅ Validation

• All field types valid

• Multi-reference count ≤ 5

• Referenced collections exist or queued

• No circular dependencies

• Field names follow conventions

• Within plan limits

✅ Preview

• Complete schema shown

• All fields listed with properties

• Relationships displayed

• Validation results shown

• User confirmation obtained

✅ Creation

• Collection created successfully

• Collection ID captured

• All fields created

• Field creation errors handled

• Progress shown to user

✅ Verification

• Collection retrieved and verified

• All fields present

• Field properties correct

• Relationships configured

• Any errors reported

✅ Reporting

• Final summary provided

• Collection ID shared

• Fields listed

• Failures reported (if any)

• Next steps suggested

✅ Error Handling

• Collection conflicts handled

• Plan limits checked

• Invalid field types caught

• Missing references detected

• Partial failures reported