Collections

Collections are the content types in Portfolio CMS. Each collection stores a specific type of data that appears on your portfolio.

Overview

Collection	Purpose	Key Fields
Users	Admin accounts	Email, password, roles
Media	File uploads	File, alt text, dimensions
Categories	Project grouping	Name, slug, color
Projects	Portfolio items	Title, description, images, tech stack
Skills	Technical abilities	Name, category, proficiency
Experience	Work history	Company, role, dates
Education	Academic history	Institution, degree, dates
Achievements	Awards/certs	Title, issuer, date
Testimonials	Client feedback	Quote, author, rating
Companies	Client logos	Name, logo, website
Messages	Contact submissions	Name, email, message

Projects

The main collection for showcasing your work.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
title	Text	Project name (required)
slug	Text	URL-friendly identifier
description	Textarea	Brief overview
content	Rich Text	Detailed write-up
featuredImage	Upload	Main project image
gallery	Array	Additional screenshots
category	Relationship	Link to Categories
technologies	Array	Tech stack used
liveUrl	Text	Demo/live site link
repoUrl	Text	Source code link
featured	Checkbox	Show on homepage
order	Number	Display order

Usage Example

// Fetch featured projects
const projects = await payload.find({
  collection: 'projects',
  where: {
    featured: { equals: true },
  },
  sort: 'order',
  limit: 6,
})

Skills

Technical skills and expertise.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
name	Text	Skill name (required)
category	Select	Frontend, Backend, DevOps, etc.
proficiency	Number	1-100 scale
yearsOfExperience	Number	Years using this skill
icon	Select	Icon to display
featured	Checkbox	Highlight this skill
order	Number	Display order

Categories

• Frontend
• Backend
• Database
• DevOps
• Mobile
• Tools
• Other

Experience

Work history and professional experience.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
company	Text	Company name (required)
position	Text	Job title (required)
companyLogo	Upload	Company logo
companyUrl	Text	Company website
location	Text	Job location
startDate	Date	Employment start
endDate	Date	Employment end (if applicable)
current	Checkbox	Currently employed here
description	Rich Text	Role overview
responsibilities	Array	List of duties
achievements	Array	Notable accomplishments
technologies	Array	Tech used in role

Education

Academic background and certifications.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
institution	Text	School/university name
degree	Text	Degree/certificate earned
fieldOfStudy	Text	Major/concentration
institutionLogo	Upload	Institution logo
location	Text	Institution location
startDate	Date	Start date
endDate	Date	Graduation date
current	Checkbox	Currently enrolled
gpa	Text	GPA (optional)
description	Rich Text	Additional details
achievements	Array	Honors, awards

Achievements

Awards, certifications, and accomplishments.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
title	Text	Achievement name (required)
type	Select	Award, Certification, Publication, etc.
issuer	Text	Issuing organization
date	Date	Date received
description	Textarea	Details about the achievement
credentialUrl	Text	Verification link
credentialId	Text	Certificate/credential ID
image	Upload	Badge or certificate image
featured	Checkbox	Highlight this achievement

Testimonials

Client feedback and recommendations.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
quote	Textarea	The testimonial text (required)
authorName	Text	Client/author name (required)
authorTitle	Text	Their job title
authorCompany	Text	Their company
authorImage	Upload	Profile photo
rating	Number	1-5 star rating
projectRef	Relationship	Related project
featured	Checkbox	Show on homepage
order	Number	Display order

Companies

Clients, employers, or partners to display as logos.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
name	Text	Company name (required)
logo	Upload	Company logo (required)
website	Text	Company website
featured	Checkbox	Show on homepage
order	Number	Display order

Messages

Contact form submissions.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
name	Text	Sender name
email	Email	Sender email
subject	Text	Message subject
message	Textarea	Message content
status	Select	Unread, Read, Replied, Archived
createdAt	Date	Submission timestamp

Workflow

1. User submits contact form
2. Message appears in admin with "Unread" status
3. Admin views message (status changes to "Read")
4. Admin can mark as "Replied" or "Archived"

Categories

For organizing projects.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
name	Text	Category name (required)
slug	Text	URL-friendly identifier
description	Textarea	Category description
color	Text	Display color (hex)
order	Number	Display order

Media

File and image uploads.

Features

• Automatic image optimization
• Alt text for accessibility
• Dimensions stored automatically
• S3 storage integration
• 10MB file size limit

Supported Types

• Images: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG
• Documents: PDF

Data Fetching

From Server Components

import { getPayload } from 'payload'
import config from '@payload-config'

export default async function Page() {
  const payload = await getPayload({ config })

  const { docs: projects } = await payload.find({
    collection: 'projects',
    where: { featured: { equals: true } },
    limit: 6,
  })

  return <ProjectsGrid projects={projects} />
}

Using Helper Functions

import { getProjects, getSkills, getExperience } from '@/lib/payload'

// In a Server Component
const [projects, skills, experience] = await Promise.all([
  getProjects({ featured: true, limit: 6 }),
  getSkills(),
  getExperience(),
])