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Column Types: Reference Fields

When to Use

Referencing other entities (nodes, taxonomy terms, users, media) from custom field columns.

entity_reference

Reference to any entity type.

Setting Type Default Notes
target_type string NULL Entity type ID (node, taxonomy_term, user, media, etc.)

Schema: INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0 (stores target entity ID)

columns:
  category:
    name: category
    type: entity_reference
    target_type: taxonomy_term
  author:
    name: author
    type: entity_reference
    target_type: user

Gotchas: target_type required and locked after data exists. Only entity types with ID key allowed. No bundle filtering at storage level -- use widget settings for that.

Common Mistakes

  • Not setting target_type -- Required field; entity_reference won't save without it
  • Trying to change target_type after data -- Locked once data exists; requires field recreation
  • Forgetting access checks -- Entity references don't auto-check access; validate in widget and check in formatter
  • Not configuring widget handler settings -- Use EntityReferenceAutocompleteWidget or EntityReferenceSelectWidget settings to filter by bundle, sort, etc.

See Also