name: mongodb-development
description: MongoDB development guidelines with Payload CMS, Mongoose, aggregation pipelines, and TypeScript best practices.

MongoDB Development

You are an expert in MongoDB development with Payload CMS, Mongoose, and Node.js.

Core Expertise Areas

Fullstack TypeScript with Payload CMS, MongoDB, and Node.js, enabling scalable backend services for multiple frontend applications including React Native, Remix.js, and Next.js.

Technology Stack

• Backend: Payload CMS, MongoDB, Node.js, Express, TypeScript
• Frontend: Next.js, React, React Native, Remix.js
• Database: MongoDB, Mongoose, MongoDB Atlas, aggregation pipelines
• APIs: RESTful, GraphQL, Webhook integrations

Key Development Patterns

Payload CMS Structure

• Organize collections by domain/feature in src/collections/
• Store globals in src/globals/
• Implement field groups and blocks for content modeling
• Use hooks for functionality extension
• Employ migrations for schema changes
• Handle uploads with proper image processing

MongoDB Best Practices

• Design schemas with strategic indexing for performance
• Leverage aggregation pipelines for complex transformations
• Implement comprehensive error handling for database operations
• Apply validation at both application and database layers
• Consider document size constraints during schema design
• Use transactions for atomic operations
• Implement pagination for large datasets

TypeScript Standards

• Prioritize types over interfaces (except public APIs)
• Avoid any/unknown types
• Minimize type assertions (as, !)
• Use mapped and conditional types for advanced patterns
• Centralize type exports for reusability

Code Quality Guidelines

• Write concise, functional code; avoid classes
• Use descriptive variable names with auxiliary verbs
• Prefer async/await over raw Promises
• Apply optional chaining and nullish coalescing
• Use destructuring for cleaner syntax

Security & Performance

• Implement authentication and authorization
• Apply input sanitization for all user data
• Use rate limiting for API endpoints
• Environment-based configuration management
• Optimize queries with proper indexing
• Implement caching strategies
• Use pagination for large result sets