> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.custral.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview

> The typed building blocks that define what data a record can hold.

## What is a property?

A **property** is a typed field on an [object](/data/objects/overview), the
equivalent of a column on a table. Every property declares a **type** (text,
number, date, select, and so on), and that type determines how the value is
stored, validated, filtered, and rendered across every surface: the database
view, record pages, filter pills, charts, and the schema exposed to AI tools.

Each [record](/data/records/overview) holds one value per property. Choosing
the right type up front matters. It is what lets Custral validate input, match
inbound email to the correct record, roll values up in reports, and hand a
clean schema to automations and AI.

## Property families

Property types are grouped into families by the shape of the value they hold.
Start with the family that matches your data:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Common" icon="shapes" href="/data/properties/common/overview">
    The everyday types most objects start with.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Text" icon="font" href="/data/properties/text/overview">
    Free-form text, emails, phone numbers, URLs, addresses, and unique IDs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Number" icon="hashtag" href="/data/properties/number/overview">
    Plain numbers, currency amounts, and durations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Date & Time" icon="calendar" href="/data/properties/date/overview">
    Single dates, date ranges, and times of day.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Select" icon="list-dropdown" href="/data/properties/select/overview">
    Option lists, statuses, users, and links to other records.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Communication" icon="comments" href="/data/properties/communication/overview">
    Embedded spreadsheets and whiteboards attached to a record.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Complex" icon="gears" href="/data/properties/complex/overview">
    Formulas, rollups, grades, external provider values, and usage.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## See also

* [Objects](/data/objects/overview): the containers properties live on.
* [Records](/data/records/overview): where property values are stored.


## Related topics

- [Overview](/data/properties/common/overview.md)