payload

The Payload skill provides developers with specialized tools and guidance for working with Payload CMS projects, which are TypeScript-first and Next.js-native. This skill is designed to help manage and debug complex application behaviors, including validation errors, security issues, relationship queries, transactions, and hook logic. By centralizing knowledge around Payload's configuration files, collections, fields, hooks, access control, and API usage, it simplifies development workflows and accelerates problem-solving in CMS-driven applications.

Key features of the Payload skill include support for auto-generating slugs, managing draft/publish workflows, applying row-level access control, handling computed and conditional fields, implementing custom validations, filtering relationship lists, and automating author/date fields. Additionally, it offers guidance on preventing hook loops, performing cascading deletes, executing geospatial queries, managing reverse relationships, and integrating with Next.js revalidation workflows. The skill references Payload's configuration patterns and API interactions, providing practical examples and links to relevant documentation for each feature.

This skill is particularly useful for developers and teams building or maintaining applications with Payload CMS who need robust tools for managing content structures, enforcing security, and optimizing data workflows. It is suited for projects requiring precise control over data access, field behavior, and relational queries, as well as for debugging complex scenarios in production or development environments. Target users include frontend and backend developers, CMS administrators, and software engineers focused on TypeScript and Next.js-based content applications.