.. _custom_document_model: ===================== Custom document model ===================== An alternate ``Document`` model can be used to add custom behaviour and additional fields. You need to complete the following steps in your project to do this: - Create a new document model that inherits from ``wagtail.documents.models.AbstractDocument``. This is where you would add additional fields. - Point ``WAGTAILDOCS_DOCUMENT_MODEL`` to the new model. Here's an example: .. code-block:: python # models.py from wagtail.documents.models import Document, AbstractDocument class CustomDocument(AbstractDocument): # Custom field example: source = models.CharField( max_length=255, blank=True, null=True ) admin_form_fields = Document.admin_form_fields + ( # Add all custom fields names to make them appear in the form: 'source', ) Then in your settings module: .. code-block:: python # Ensure that you replace app_label with the app you placed your custom # model in. WAGTAILDOCS_DOCUMENT_MODEL = 'app_label.CustomDocument' .. topic:: Migrating from the builtin document model When changing an existing site to use a custom document model, no documents will be copied to the new model automatically. Copying old documents to the new model would need to be done manually with a :ref:`data migration `. Any templates that reference the builtin document model will still continue to work as before. Referring to the document model =============================== .. module:: wagtail.documents .. autofunction:: get_document_model .. autofunction:: get_document_model_string