Frappe DocType Development

Build and modify DocTypes—the core data model abstraction in Frappe Framework.

When to use

• Creating new DocTypes (standard, single, child table, submittable, tree)
• Adding or modifying fields on existing DocTypes
• Implementing controller logic (validate, before_save, on_submit, etc.)
• Setting up naming series and auto-naming
• Configuring permissions and workflows
• Building child tables and parent-child relationships

Inputs required

• Target app and module path
• DocType name and type (standard/single/child/submittable/tree)
• Field definitions (name, type, options)
• Permission requirements by role
• Whether workflow is needed

Procedure

0) Verify environment

# Ensure developer mode is enabled
bench --site <site> console
>>> frappe.conf.developer_mode  # Must be True

1) Choose DocType type

Type	Use Case	Key Setting
Standard	Multiple records	Default
Single	Config/settings (one record)	issingle: 1
Child Table	Rows in parent table	istable: 1
Submittable	Draft→Submit→Cancel workflow	is_submittable: 1
Tree	Hierarchical data	is_tree: 1
Virtual	External data source	is_virtual: 1

2) Create DocType

Option A: Via UI (recommended for new DocTypes)

1. Navigate to DocType List → New
2. Define fields, permissions, settings
3. Save (exports to app in developer mode)

Option B: Via code

# Create DocType JSON in: 
# <app>/<module>/doctype/<doctype_name>/<doctype_name>.json

3) Define fields

Common field patterns:

{
  "fieldname": "customer",
  "fieldtype": "Link",
  "label": "Customer",
  "options": "Customer",
  "reqd": 1
}

See references/field-types.md for all field types.

4) Implement controller

Create <doctype_name>.py alongside the JSON:

import frappe
from frappe.model.document import Document

class MyDocType(Document):
    def validate(self):
        # Lightweight validation
        if not self.customer:
            frappe.throw("Customer is required")
    
    def before_save(self):
        # Pre-save normalization
        self.full_name = f"{self.first_name} {self.last_name}"
    
    def after_insert(self):
        # Post-create side effects
        frappe.publish_realtime("new_doc", {"name": self.name})

5) Set up naming

{
  "autoname": "naming_series:",
  "fields": [
    {
      "fieldname": "naming_series",
      "fieldtype": "Select",
      "options": "PRJ-.YYYY.-\nPRJ-.YYYY.-.###"
    }
  ]
}

Options: field:fieldname, naming_series:, hash, format:PREFIX-{####}

6) Configure permissions

Set in DocType → Permissions tab:

• Role + Read/Write/Create/Delete/Submit/Cancel
• User permissions for row-level filtering

7) Add workflow (if needed)

Create Workflow DocType linking to your DocType with states and transitions.

Verification

• DocType appears in list and can create new records
• All fields save correctly
• Controller hooks fire (check logs)
• Permissions enforced for each role
• Naming series generates correctly
• Run: bench --site <site> migrate succeeds

Failure modes / debugging

• DocType not found: Check module path and app installation
• Controller not loading: Verify class name matches DocType name (PascalCase)
• Fields not saving: Check fieldtype and options compatibility
• Permission denied: Verify role permissions and User Permissions

Escalation

• For complex permission logic, see references/permissions.md
• For child table patterns, see references/child-tables.md
• For Virtual DocTypes, see references/virtual-doctypes.md

References

• references/field-types.md - All field types and options
• references/controllers.md - Controller lifecycle hooks
• references/child-tables.md - Parent-child patterns
• references/naming.md - Naming patterns

Guardrails

• Check developer_mode before schema changes: DocType modifications only export to files when developer_mode = 1 in site config
• Verify naming series uniqueness: Ensure naming series prefixes don't conflict with existing DocTypes
• Test child tables separately: Child tables have their own lifecycle; test them in isolation before parent integration
• Always run migrate after changes: Schema changes require bench --site <site> migrate to apply
• Validate fieldname conventions: Use snake_case, max 140 chars, no reserved SQL keywords

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why It Fails	Fix
Missing reqd on mandatory fields	Users can save incomplete data	Set reqd: 1 on fields that must have values
Wrong fieldtype for data	Data truncation or validation errors	Match fieldtype to data (e.g., Currency for money, not Float)
Not running bench migrate	Schema changes not applied to database	Always run bench --site <site> migrate after DocType changes
Circular Link dependencies	DocType creation fails	Use Dynamic Link or restructure relationships
Controller class name mismatch	Controller methods not called	Class name must be PascalCase of DocType name (e.g., SalesOrder for "Sales Order")
Missing in_list_view on key fields	Fields not visible in list	Set in_list_view: 1 on important fields