> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://archie.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Text field

> Text fields store strings of any length. The most versatile field type, suitable for names, titles, descriptions, and free-form content.

A Text field stores alphanumeric string data. It's the most versatile field type and handles everything from short identifiers (a username) to long-form content (a blog post body).

## Text vs. Varchar

By default, a Text field is stored as PostgreSQL's `TEXT` type — a variable-length string with no specific limit (up to 1 GB per value). Toggling **Is Varchar** stores it as `VARCHAR` instead, which lets you specify a maximum character length.

| Mode                         | Underlying type | When to use it                                                                                                                     |
| ---------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Default (Is Varchar off)** | `TEXT`          | Most fields. No length limit, no measurable performance difference for typical content.                                            |
| **Is Varchar on**            | `VARCHAR(n)`    | When you want to enforce a maximum length at the database level — for example, a 2-letter country code or a 280-character message. |

## Configuration options

| Option            | Description                                                                                           |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**          | The system identifier used in the GraphQL and REST APIs (for example `first_name`, `email`, `title`). |
| **Description**   | An optional internal note explaining the field's purpose.                                             |
| **Is Varchar**    | Off (default) stores the value as `TEXT`. On stores it as `VARCHAR` with an optional length limit.    |
| **Default Value** | A value automatically assigned if no string is provided.                                              |
| **Mandatory**     | If on, enforces `NOT NULL` — the record cannot be saved with this field empty.                        |
| **Unique**        | If on, no two rows can share the same string. Useful for emails, usernames, slugs.                    |

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/archie-e998dbf6/GdaYz5W-YpQoJXsQ/features/backend/data-model/field-type-text.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=GdaYz5W-YpQoJXsQ&q=85&s=c59c57c09787ccd4c4cf9f0fee7d9c6c" alt="Text field type configuration" width="1866" height="1022" data-path="features/backend/data-model/field-type-text.png" />

## How it appears in the API

The field is generated as a `String` in GraphQL and as a JSON string in the REST API. See the [GraphQL API Explorer](/features/backend/graphql-api-explorer/overview) for the generated queries and mutations.

## Permissions

Text fields are subject to the per-role read and write rules configured in [Role-Based Access](/features/backend/app-services/role-based-access). Use that page to hide sensitive fields (for example, internal notes) from specific user types.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="When should I turn on Is Varchar?">
    Only when you want the database to enforce a maximum character length — for example, a fixed-width code or a tweet-style message cap. For everything else, leave it off.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I use Text or JSONB for a list of values?">
    Use [JSONB](/features/backend/data-model/fields/jsonb). Text stores the list as one opaque string; JSONB lets you query specific elements and is faster to filter on.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I make a Text field case-insensitive unique (for emails)?">
    Enable **Unique**. The auto-generated mutations validate uniqueness; for case-insensitive matching at the application layer, normalize values to lowercase before saving.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a performance penalty for storing long Text values?">
    Not for typical content. PostgreSQL stores large text values out-of-line automatically. Indexing very long strings is what costs — keep `UNIQUE` and indexed Text fields short.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>