# Collections - Read

Retrieve collection items from your ButterCMS account. Collections are flexible, user-defined content structures with completely customizable field schemas.

See also: Architecture & Performance for guidance on `levels`, pagination, and performance best practices.


## Retrieve Collection

 - [GET /content/{collection_key}/](https://api.docs.buttercms.com/collections-read/retrievecollection.md): Retrieve items from a specific Collection with comprehensive filtering, pagination, and relationship serialization capabilities. This endpoint provides flexible access to your dynamic content with powerful query options.

Collection Structure: Collections contain completely user-defined content with customizable field schemas that you configure through the dashboard. Each collection can have different field types, validation rules, and structural requirements based on your content needs.

Response Format: The response includes a meta object containing pagination information and result counts, a data array with the actual collection items, and individual item.meta objects containing unique IDs that you'll need for update and delete operations.
See also: Architecture & Performance for guidance on levels, pagination, and performance best practices.