---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/django-models.md
title: "Django models as the source of stored data"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "BSD-3-Clause (django/django); prose restates cited source lines in own words"
license_family: django-bsd3
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: Django docs, Models, BSD-3-Clause (django/django); Django source, django.db.models.base.Model, BSD-3-Clause (django/django). Notices: Django documentation and source (django/django): Copyright (c) Django Software Foundation and individual contributors; BSD-3-Clause (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django/django/stable/6.1.x/LICENSE)."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-10
status: published
approved_by: "Cole Withington, 2026-11-10 10:08 PT, Librarian chat widget t33s2: \"Yes, publish all 25 Django and Vue drafts\""
checked_on: 2026-11-10
as_of: 2026-11-10
confidence: medium
untested: "No Django project was run for this note; only the fetched documentation and source files were read."
category: coding-references
topic_area: "code-backend: Django models"
tags: [django, models, orm, python]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Models"
    publisher: Django docs
    url: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/6.1/topics/db/models/
    accessed: 2026-11-10
    license: "BSD-3-Clause"
  - id: S2
    title: "django.db.models.base.Model"
    publisher: Django source
    url: https://github.com/django/django/blob/stable/6.1.x/django/db/models/base.py
    accessed: 2026-11-10
    license: "BSD-3-Clause"
---
# Django models as the source of stored data

**Answer:** In Django, a model is the definitive source of information about the data you store. It holds the fields and behaviors of that data. Each model usually maps to one database table.

## Python classes

Each model is a Python class that subclasses Model. Attributes on the model stand for database fields.

## Saving

The model class also defines how an instance is written. `save` writes the current instance; a subclass may override that method to control the saving process. Instances can also report the names of deferred fields.

## See also

- [django-querysets](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/django-querysets/)
- [django-migrations](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/django-migrations/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: A model is the definitive source of information about stored data.
  source: S1
  evidence: "A model is the single, definitive source of information about your data."

- id: C2
  claim: A model usually maps to one database table.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Generally, each model maps to a single database table."

- id: C3
  claim: Each model attribute represents a database field.
  source: S1
  evidence: "Each attribute of the model represents a database field."

- id: C4
  claim: Model.save writes the current instance.
  source: S2
  evidence: "Save the current instance."

## Sources

- [S1] Models. Django docs. https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/6.1/topics/db/models/ . License: BSD-3-Clause. Accessed 2026-11-10.

- [S2] django.db.models.base.Model. Django source. https://github.com/django/django/blob/stable/6.1.x/django/db/models/base.py . License: BSD-3-Clause. Accessed 2026-11-10.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources and notices: Django documentation and source (django/django): Copyright (c) Django Software Foundation and individual contributors; BSD-3-Clause (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django/django/stable/6.1.x/LICENSE). Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

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