Choosing an Approach

Decision guides for the forks you hit while modeling: which field, which structure, which setup to choose.

• ArticleReference vs multi-referenceUse a reference when an entry links to exactly one entry in another collection, and a multi-reference when it links to several at once. Rule of thumb: match the field to the real cardinality — one target, one reference; many targets, one multi-reference.
• ArticleRollup vs lookupUse a rollup to summarize many related entries into one number — how many orders a customer has, what they are worth in total. Use a lookup to pull one value across a single reference — showing the customer's city on the order. Rollup counts the many; lookup copies from the one. Both are computed and read-only.
• ArticleStages vs option field vs statusUse stages when something moves through a process and you care how it progresses — they give you a board, a history of every move, and funnel numbers. Use an option field to classify something that is not a journey, like priority or type. Status is neither: it controls public visibility, not workflow.
• ArticleNew collection vs new fieldAdd a field when the fact only describes the entry it sits on. Create a collection when the thing has facts of its own, when several entries point at the same one, or when it needs its own life: stages, publishing, bookings, or automations that fire when one is created.
• ArticleOne business per client vs sharedGive each client its own business when their data, team, and setup must never mix. Keep one shared business when the same team works across clients and needs one pipeline, one inbox, and reports across all of them; separate the clients inside it with locations, departments, and entry ownership.
• ArticleBlueprint vs manual setupInstall a blueprint when a ready-made setup already matches your process, such as a CRM or email campaigns, and you would rather adapt it than build it. Build by hand when what you track is particular to your business and no blueprint covers it. Many businesses do both: a blueprint for the standard parts, their own collections for the rest.