| Understand what Custom Field is and when to use it vs Paragraphs/entity references |
Overview |
You need to store multiple related values together in a single field without creating entity references or separate content types -- for example, an address with street/city/state/zip, a product with SKU/price/weight/dimensions, or a… |
| Understand the plugin architecture and extensibility |
Architecture |
You need to understand how Custom Field's plugin system works to extend it with custom field types, widgets, or formatters, or to debug plugin discovery issues. |
| Create a custom field using YAML config |
Config-First Creation |
You want to create a compound field through the Drupal UI using configuration, not code -- the recommended approach for site builders and most use cases. |
| Add/remove columns from existing fields with data |
Schema Updates |
You need to add, remove, or modify columns in a Custom Field that already has data, without losing existing content. |
| Choose the right column type for my data |
Column Types |
All 27 custom field column types organized by category -- text, numeric, date/time, reference, file, and data fields with schema details and gotchas. |
| Find the right widget for a sub-field |
Widget Plugins |
You need to choose the right widget for collecting data for each sub-field in your custom field. |
| Use stacked vs flexbox layouts for the entire field |
Field-Level Widgets |
You need to control how the entire custom field (all sub-fields together) is laid out on the edit form. |
| Render custom field data with templates or tables |
Field-Level Formatters |
You need to control how the entire custom field (all sub-fields together) is displayed on the view. |
| Work with entity reference sub-fields |
Entity References |
You need to reference entities (taxonomy terms, nodes, users, media) from within a custom field column. |
| Handle file and image uploads |
Files and Images |
You need file uploads or images within a custom field column. |
| Work with dates, times, and ranges |
Date/Time Fields |
Working with date, time, date range, time range, or duration columns in custom fields. |
| Add link fields with Linkit integration |
Link Fields |
You need full link functionality (URL + title + attributes) within a custom field column. |
| Query custom fields in Views |
Views Integration |
You need to query, filter, sort, or display custom field data in Views. |
| Use tokens in custom fields |
Token Support |
You need to use custom field values in token replacement contexts (Pathauto, Rules, email templates). |
| Integrate with GraphQL, JSON:API, Search API |
Sub-Modules |
You need extended functionality like GraphQL, JSON:API normalization, Entity Browser, Linkit, Media Library, Search API, or AI integration. |
| Create custom field type plugins |
Custom Plugins |
You need to create custom field type, widget, or formatter plugins specific to your application. |
| Import data via Feeds |
Feeds Integration |
You need to import CSV or other data sources into custom field columns via the Feeds module. |
| Understand performance and security best practices |
Best Practices |
Performance optimization, security hardening, dependency injection, and coding standards for custom field development. |
| Find source code for specific functionality |
Code Reference Map |
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