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Reference fields connect one CMS record to another, while multi-reference fields connect one record to many. They are useful for authors, categories, services, related projects and reusable taxonomies.

Framer CMS · 8 min read · Updated 2026-06-06

Reference or multi-reference?

Before making changes, work through the points below. Each one covers a different part of the picture, so treat them as a set rather than picking favourites.

  • Use a reference when one article has one author or one project has one industry.
  • Use a multi-reference when a post has several topics or a project has multiple services.
  • Use a separate collection when the related item needs its own page, metadata or lifecycle.

A reliable relationship workflow

Here is the process broken into clear steps. Take them one at a time and check each off before continuing.

  1. Create the related collection first, such as Authors or Categories.
  2. Add the reference field to the primary collection.
  3. Connect the displayed name, image and link to the referenced record.
  4. Create filtered lists or category pages using the relationship.
  5. Test what happens when a related record is archived or missing.
References make updates safer, but they do not replace navigation. Link the related record to a useful page when visitors need more context.

Avoid relationship traps

Do not create a multi-reference field just to avoid deciding on page structure. If the relationship cannot be explained to an editor, the model is probably too complex.

Checklist before connecting a reference

A few moving parts are involved here. The points below cover each of them, so you can see the full scope before deciding where to start.

  • The related collection already has enough real records to test with.
  • Every reference field has a clear fallback if the connection is left empty.
  • Editors know whether the field expects one record or several.
  • The referenced record's own page still works if it has no incoming relationships yet.

Diagnosing broken relationships

If a related item shows blank, check that the referenced record still exists and is published. If a multi-reference list shows in the wrong order, add a secondary sort field to the related collection, since reference order is not always guaranteed to match entry order.

Questions

The reference becomes empty, so any component displaying it will show a blank or fallback state. Design that fallback deliberately rather than leaving a broken layout when it happens.

The order in which references are added is not always a reliable sort order. Add a date or number field to the related collection and sort by that when order matters, such as displaying related projects newest first.

A reference is almost always better for any fact that could change, such as an author's name or a category label, because a single edit updates every record that points to it.

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