From version 6.1, machine names are used for component fields to link the field to elements in your component layout.
When you first add a field to your component form, you will see that the machine name is not yet set.
To set the machine name:
One you have set the machine name, you can use it to connect the field data to elements on the layout canvas. The syntax is [field. followed by the machine name you specify e.g. [field.my-machine-name].
When you first add a field, the machine name will be auto-generated using the title for your field. Once you've clicked Apply, the machine name will no longer be auto generated. To change a machine name, click on the Edit icon on the field's right.
Machine names make it is possible to delete a field from a component and then add it back without losing any connection with content, as long as you know the machine name.
A history of the machine names used is stored with a component. If a field is deleted and another field is added with the same machine name, the history is used to establish the previous connection. You will be alerted via a modal that the machine name was previously used and may be connected to content.
If a field is deleted from a component, instances of the component will retain the field content until the component instance is opened, applied and the node is saved. At this point, the content for the field will be permanently deleted.
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Fri Jul 04 2025 16:40:03 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)