Create and edit an Object Type

Create a custom Object Type when a kind of thing you track, such as books, restaurants, or clients, needs the same fields every time. This page walks through building a Book Type and then shows where each setting lives.

Create a Type

1. In the sidebar, select + next to Object types (Add object type). The Add new object type gallery opens.
2. Choose Blank object type, then Start from scratch →. To start from a ready-made preset instead, pick one under Templates and choose Create object type →.
3. On the Identity step, enter a Name, choose an icon and a Color, and pick a Parent type. Every Type descends from Note; the parent can’t be changed later.
4. Select Next. On the Mixins step, choose + Add mixin to attach reusable property bundles.
5. Select Next. On the Properties step, choose Add property for each field that belongs to this Type.
6. Check the Effective schema preview, which lists own, inherited, and mixed-in properties together. Resolve any conflicts it reports.
7. Select Create object type.

The wizard keeps everything as a draft and writes the Type only when you select Create object type.

Try it: a Book Type

Create a Type named Book with parent Note. Add a Number property pages and a Date property finished. After creating it, open Object type settings → Properties and add an Object Select property named author linked to your Person Type (add the Person preset from the gallery first if you don’t have one). You now have Books that link to real people; each author’s page lists their Books automatically. See Relations and backlinks.

Open Object type settings

In the sidebar, open the menu beside a Type and choose Object type settings. You can also choose Object type settings from any Object’s ⋯ menu. The left rail lists these sections:

Section	What it controls
General	Name, plural name, icon, color, and description
Inheritance	The parent chain and the properties inherited from it
Properties	Add, edit, reorder, and remove properties, including the Blocks body and relations
Relations	A compact list for adding and removing relations
Mixins	Attach or remove reusable property bundles
Calendar	How Objects appear in the calendar; shown only when the Type has a date property
Link view	How Objects of this Type appear when linked or embedded elsewhere
Templates	Create, edit, import, export, and set a default template
Layout, Page layout, Card view	Wide layout, cover image, related content, backlinks view, page layout, and which properties show on cards
Automations	Workflows that run on Objects of this Type
Delete	Delete the Type

Built-in Types show a reduced set of sections (General, Properties, Link view, Card view, Automations, and Delete), and their properties can’t be edited.

Add or remove the body

A Type’s body is the Blocks property. To give a Type a body, choose Add Property in Properties and pick Blocks. Removing the only Blocks property deletes the body content of every Object of that Type, so Lar asks you to confirm.

Design a useful Type

Start with the minimum structure every Object of the Type shares. Then reach for the right tool:

• Inheritance for a true is-a relationship: an Employee is a Person.
• A Mixin for fields shared by unrelated Types: Books and Restaurants can both be Rateable.
• A relation for a connection to another Object: a Book has an author.
• A template for suggested starting content rather than required structure.

Avoid adding a property because one Object needs it. Use a loose property and promote it once the pattern repeats.

Delete a Type

Open Object type settings → Delete and choose Delete object type. For a built-in Type, the button is Remove from workspace, which deletes its Objects but keeps the Type available to add again.

Caution

Deleting a Type permanently deletes every Object of that Type, including any already in Trash. The confirmation shows how many Objects are affected. Export or change the Type of Objects you want to keep first.

Next: Properties.