Data Collections

You can store structured data on a Wix site in CMS collections. The CMS provides a UI for managing collection data on the site, and the Data API reads and writes to those collections from code.

For example, a quiz can store its submissions in a Submissions collection with fields like quiz ID, visitor ID, score, and answered-at.

Collection schema and permissions

A data collection schema declares the fields the collection holds, their data types, and any constraints. It also declares the collection's read and write permissions, which control which visitors and members can read from or write to the collection.

When a collection is created on a site by installing an app with a data collections extension, the extension can also include initial data that Wix imports into the collection on first creation.

Data collections across development paths

The development path determines how you add collections to a site:

• Sites: Add, manage, and read collections through the CMS UI or through the Data API. See CMS Collections in the Wix support site.
• Wix-managed headless projects:
  • Full Wix integration (Astro): Can declare a data collections extension that creates collections automatically when the project is installed on a site. The Wix CLI scaffolds the extension files and the JSON schema. See Add a Data Collections Extension with the Wix CLI.
  • Other frameworks: Don't support data collections extensions directly. Follow the same approach as self-managed headless projects.
• Self-managed headless projects: Add, manage, and read collections through the CMS UI in the project's dashboard or through the Data API.
• Wix-managed apps: Can declare a data collections extension that creates collections automatically when the project is installed on a site. The Wix CLI scaffolds the extension files and the JSON schema. See Add a Data Collections Extension with the Wix CLI.
• Self-managed apps: Can declare a data collections extension that creates collections automatically when the app is installed on a site. Configure the extension in the App Dashboard. See Add a Data Collections Extension in the App Dashboard in Build Apps. Collections can also be added, managed, and read through the CMS UI or through the Data API.
• Blocks apps: Add, manage, and read collections through the Blocks editor or through the Data API. See CMS Collections in Blocks in Build Apps.