Content Module

Browse, create, edit, and manage items across all your data collections

The Content module is where you work with your data on a day-to-day basis. It provides tools to browse, create, edit, and delete items in your collections.

Accessing the Content Module

Click the Content icon in the sidebar navigation to access the Content module. The sidebar will expand to show all collections you have permission to view.

The Content module automatically opens to the last collection you accessed.

Collections Sidebar

The left sidebar displays your collections in a hierarchical structure:

• Root Collections - Top-level collections appear at the root
• Grouped Collections - Collections can be organized into folders for better organization
• System Collections - Special collections like Users, Files, and Activity logs

Navigating Collections

1. Click a collection name to view its items
2. Click the arrow icon to expand/collapse collection groups
3. Use the search at the top to filter collections by name

Viewing Items

When you select a collection, the main area displays items in your chosen layout:

Layout Options

Directus provides multiple layouts to view your data:

• Table Layout - Spreadsheet-style view with columns and rows
• Cards Layout - Grid of cards showing item previews
• Calendar Layout - Items displayed on a calendar (requires date field)
• Map Layout - Items plotted on a map (requires location field)
• Kanban Layout - Organize items in columns by status

Available layouts depend on your collection’s fields and configuration.

Filtering and Sorting

Use the filter tools to find specific items:

Filter by fields:

1. Click the filter icon in the header
2. Select a field to filter by
3. Choose an operator (equals, contains, greater than, etc.)
4. Enter the filter value
5. Add multiple filters with AND/OR logic

Sort items:

• Click any column header to sort ascending/descending
• Hold Shift and click multiple columns for multi-column sorting

Search:

• Use the search box to find items by text content
• Search looks across all text fields in the collection

Bookmarks

Save your favorite filter and sort combinations as bookmarks:

1. Apply your desired filters and sorting
2. Click the bookmark icon
3. Name your bookmark
4. Access saved bookmarks from the bookmark dropdown

Bookmarks are personal and only visible to you.

Creating Items

To create a new item in a collection:

1. Click the Create button

   Click the + button in the top right of the collection view.

2. Fill out the form

   Enter values for the required fields (marked with an asterisk).

3. Save the item

   Click Save in the top right to create the item.

Form Features

• Required fields are marked with a red asterisk
• Field validation shows errors if you enter invalid data
• Conditional fields appear/disappear based on other field values
• Translations tab appears for collections with translation support
• Revisions tab shows the item’s edit history

Editing Items

To edit an existing item:

1. Click the item in the collection view
2. The item detail form opens
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save to update the item

Changes are not saved until you click the Save button. Navigating away will discard unsaved changes.

Item Options

Click the menu icon (three dots) in the item header for additional actions:

• Duplicate - Create a copy of the item
• Archive - Move item to archived state
• Delete - Permanently remove the item
• Revisions - View and restore previous versions
• Comments - Add notes and collaborate with team members

Batch Operations

Work with multiple items at once:

1. Select items using the checkboxes in table view
2. Batch action buttons appear in the header
3. Choose an action:
   • Edit - Update a field across all selected items
   • Archive - Archive all selected items
   • Delete - Delete all selected items
   • Export - Export selected items to JSON or CSV

Batch operations require appropriate permissions for each action.

Archive and Restore

Archiving items removes them from the default view without deleting them:

Archive an item:

• Open the item and click Archive from the menu

View archived items:

• Click the filter icon and select “Show archived items”
• Or use the URL parameter ?archived

Restore archived items:

• View archived items
• Open the item and click Restore

Live Preview

For collections configured with live preview:

1. Open an item for editing
2. Click the Preview button in the header
3. See a real-time preview of how the item appears on your website
4. Changes update the preview instantly as you edit

Live preview requires configuration by your administrator in collection settings.

Import and Export

Manage data in bulk using import/export features:

Exporting Items

1. Select items or export all from a collection
2. Click Export
3. Choose format (JSON or CSV)
4. Download the file

Importing Items

1. Open the collection
2. Click the sidebar detail panel
3. Select Import
4. Upload a JSON or CSV file
5. Map fields if needed
6. Review and confirm the import

Imports can create or update large numbers of items. Review carefully before confirming.

Relational Fields

When working with related items:

Many-to-One (M2O)

• Select an existing related item from a dropdown
• Click + to create a new related item
• Click the item to edit it

One-to-Many (O2M)

• View related items in a list within the form
• Click + to add related items
• Drag to reorder related items
• Click × to remove relationships

Many-to-Many (M2M)

• Select multiple related items
• Create new related items on the fly
• Remove relationships without deleting items

Next Steps

Insights & Analytics

Visualize your content data with custom dashboards.

Dashboard Settings

Learn about configuring collections and permissions.