Umbraco Picker Data Source

What is it?

A Picker Data Source provides data for picker-based property editors. It allows you to create custom data sources that supply items for content pickers, defining how items are fetched, searched, and displayed in a tree or collection format. This is useful for creating pickers that select from custom entities, external APIs, or filtered subsets of existing content.

Documentation

Always fetch the latest docs before implementing:

• Foundation: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/foundation
• Extension Registry: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/extending-overview/extension-registry
• Property Editors: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/property-editors

Reference Example

The Umbraco source includes working examples:

Location: /Umbraco-CMS/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/examples/picker-data-source/

This example demonstrates multiple picker data source implementations:

• Custom collection picker
• Custom tree picker with search
• Document picker with start node configuration
• Media, Language, Webhook, and User pickers

Related Foundation Skills

• Repository Pattern: For data fetching patterns

  • Reference skill: umbraco-repository-pattern

• Tree: For tree-based picker data sources

  • Reference skill: umbraco-tree

Workflow

1. Fetch docs - Use WebFetch on the URLs above
2. Ask questions - What data to pick? Tree or collection? Search needed? Configuration options?
3. Generate files - Create manifest + data source class based on latest docs
4. Explain - Show what was created and how to use with a property editor

---

Manifest Example

import { UMB_PICKER_DATA_SOURCE_TYPE } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/picker-data-source';

export const manifests: Array<UmbExtensionManifest> = [
  {
    type: 'propertyEditorDataSource',
    dataSourceType: UMB_PICKER_DATA_SOURCE_TYPE,
    alias: 'My.PropertyEditorDataSource.CustomPicker',
    name: 'Custom Picker Data Source',
    api: () => import('./my-picker-data-source.js'),
    meta: {
      label: 'Custom Items',
      icon: 'icon-list',
      description: 'Pick from custom items',
    },
  },
];

---

Tree Picker Data Source

For hierarchical data with parent-child relationships:

import { UmbControllerBase } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/class-api';
import type {
  UmbPickerSearchableDataSource,
  UmbPickerTreeDataSource,
} from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/picker-data-source';
import type { UmbSearchRequestArgs, UmbSearchResultItemModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/search';
import type { UmbTreeChildrenOfRequestArgs, UmbTreeItemModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/tree';

export class MyPickerTreeDataSource
  extends UmbControllerBase
  implements UmbPickerTreeDataSource, UmbPickerSearchableDataSource
{
  // Filter function to determine which items can be picked
  treePickableFilter: (treeItem: UmbTreeItemModel) => boolean = (treeItem) =>
    !!treeItem.unique && treeItem.entityType === 'my-entity';

  searchPickableFilter: (searchItem: UmbSearchResultItemModel) => boolean = (searchItem) =>
    !!searchItem.unique && searchItem.entityType === 'my-entity';

  // Return the root node (container for all items)
  async requestTreeRoot() {
    return {
      data: {
        unique: null,
        name: 'My Items',
        icon: 'icon-folder',
        hasChildren: true,
        entityType: 'my-entity-root',
        isFolder: true,
      },
    };
  }

  // Return items at the root level
  async requestTreeRootItems() {
    const rootItems = myItems.filter((item) => item.parent.unique === null);
    return {
      data: {
        items: rootItems,
        total: rootItems.length,
      },
    };
  }

  // Return children of a specific item
  async requestTreeItemsOf(args: UmbTreeChildrenOfRequestArgs) {
    const items = myItems.filter(
      (item) =>
        item.parent.entityType === args.parent.entityType &&
        item.parent.unique === args.parent.unique
    );
    return {
      data: {
        items: items,
        total: items.length,
      },
    };
  }

  // Return ancestors for breadcrumb navigation
  async requestTreeItemAncestors() {
    return { data: [] };
  }

  // Return specific items by their unique IDs
  async requestItems(uniques: Array<string>) {
    const items = myItems.filter((x) => uniques.includes(x.unique));
    return { data: items };
  }

  // Search items by query string
  async search(args: UmbSearchRequestArgs) {
    const result = myItems.filter((item) =>
      item.name.toLowerCase().includes(args.query.toLowerCase())
    );
    return {
      data: {
        items: result,
        total: result.length,
      },
    };
  }
}

export { MyPickerTreeDataSource as api };

// Sample data
const myItems: Array<UmbTreeItemModel> = [
  {
    unique: '1',
    entityType: 'my-entity',
    name: 'Item 1',
    icon: 'icon-document',
    parent: { unique: null, entityType: 'my-entity-root' },
    isFolder: false,
    hasChildren: false,
  },
  {
    unique: '2',
    entityType: 'my-entity',
    name: 'Item 2',
    icon: 'icon-document',
    parent: { unique: null, entityType: 'my-entity-root' },
    isFolder: false,
    hasChildren: false,
  },
];

---

Collection Picker Data Source

For flat lists without hierarchy:

import { UmbControllerBase } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/class-api';
import type { UmbPickerCollectionDataSource } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/picker-data-source';
import type { UmbCollectionItemModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/collection';

export class MyPickerCollectionDataSource
  extends UmbControllerBase
  implements UmbPickerCollectionDataSource
{
  async requestCollection() {
    const items: UmbCollectionItemModel[] = [
      { unique: '1', entityType: 'my-entity', name: 'Item 1', icon: 'icon-document' },
      { unique: '2', entityType: 'my-entity', name: 'Item 2', icon: 'icon-document' },
      { unique: '3', entityType: 'my-entity', name: 'Item 3', icon: 'icon-document' },
    ];

    return {
      data: {
        items,
        total: items.length,
      },
    };
  }

  async requestItems(uniques: Array<string>) {
    // Return specific items by unique IDs
    const allItems = await this.requestCollection();
    const items = allItems.data.items.filter((x) => uniques.includes(x.unique));
    return { data: items };
  }
}

export { MyPickerCollectionDataSource as api };

---

Data Source with Configuration

Add settings to your picker data source:

export const manifests: Array<UmbExtensionManifest> = [
  {
    type: 'propertyEditorDataSource',
    dataSourceType: UMB_PICKER_DATA_SOURCE_TYPE,
    alias: 'My.PropertyEditorDataSource.ConfigurablePicker',
    name: 'Configurable Picker Data Source',
    api: () => import('./my-configurable-picker-data-source.js'),
    meta: {
      label: 'Configurable Items',
      icon: 'icon-settings',
      description: 'Pick items with configuration options',
      settings: {
        properties: [
          {
            alias: 'startNode',
            label: 'Start Node',
            description: 'Select where to start picking from',
            propertyEditorUiAlias: 'Umb.PropertyEditorUi.ContentPicker.Source',
          },
          {
            alias: 'filter',
            label: 'Filter Types',
            description: 'Select which types can be picked',
            propertyEditorUiAlias: 'Umb.PropertyEditorUi.ContentPicker.SourceType',
          },
        ],
      },
    },
  },
];

---

Interfaces

interface UmbPickerTreeDataSource {
  treePickableFilter?: (treeItem: UmbTreeItemModel) => boolean;
  requestTreeRoot(): Promise<{ data: UmbTreeItemModel }>;
  requestTreeRootItems(): Promise<{ data: { items: UmbTreeItemModel[]; total: number } }>;
  requestTreeItemsOf(args: UmbTreeChildrenOfRequestArgs): Promise<{ data: { items: UmbTreeItemModel[]; total: number } }>;
  requestTreeItemAncestors(): Promise<{ data: UmbTreeItemModel[] }>;
  requestItems(uniques: string[]): Promise<{ data: UmbTreeItemModel[] }>;
}

interface UmbPickerSearchableDataSource {
  searchPickableFilter?: (searchItem: UmbSearchResultItemModel) => boolean;
  search(args: UmbSearchRequestArgs): Promise<{ data: { items: UmbSearchResultItemModel[]; total: number } }>;
}

interface UmbPickerCollectionDataSource {
  requestCollection(): Promise<{ data: { items: UmbCollectionItemModel[]; total: number } }>;
  requestItems(uniques: string[]): Promise<{ data: UmbCollectionItemModel[] }>;
}

---

Key Concepts

Concept	Description
dataSourceType	Must be UMB_PICKER_DATA_SOURCE_TYPE for picker data sources
treePickableFilter	Function to determine which tree items can be selected
searchPickableFilter	Function to determine which search results can be selected
requestItems	Returns items by their unique IDs (for displaying selected values)
entityType	Identifies the type of entity (used for filtering and routing)

---

Best Practices

1. Implement search - Users expect to search in pickers with many items
2. Use appropriate icons - Help users identify item types visually
3. Filter pickable items - Not all tree items should be selectable (e.g., folders)
4. Handle configuration - Support start nodes and type filters when applicable
5. Return consistent data - Ensure requestItems returns the same format as tree/collection

That's it! Always fetch fresh docs, keep examples minimal, generate complete working code.