diff --git a/public/examples/blog.yml b/public/examples/blog.yml
index 5fe6d8a..480f4e7 100644
--- a/public/examples/blog.yml
+++ b/public/examples/blog.yml
@@ -84,3 +84,42 @@ collections:
                 options:
                   - { label: "Lead", value: "lead" }
                   - { label: "Body", value: "body" }
+
+      # Relation fields
+      - label: "Author"
+        name: "author"
+        widget: "relation"
+        collection: "authors"
+        multiple: false
+        required: true
+        search_fields: ["name"]
+        value_field: "name"
+        display_fields: ["name"]
+
+      - label: "Tags"
+        name: "tags"
+        widget: "relation"
+        collection: "tags"
+        multiple: true
+        required: false
+        search_fields: ["title"]
+        value_field: "title"
+        display_fields: ["title"]
+
+      - label: "Categories"
+        name: "categories"
+        widget: "relation"
+        collection: "categories"
+        multiple: true
+        required: true
+        search_fields: ["name"]
+        value_field: "name"
+        display_fields: ["name"]
+
+      - label: "Post Type"
+        name: "post_type"
+        widget: "relation"
+        collection: "types"
+        multiple: false
+        required: false
+        search_fields: ["type"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index ab97d94..0221be6 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -56,9 +56,16 @@ export async function loadAndTransformCollections(
       const keys = { name: collection.name };
       const name = naming.replace(/%%(\w+)%%/, (_, k: keyof typeof keys) => keys[k] ?? _);
       const path = resolve(to, name);
+      const relational = collection.fields?.some(field => field.widget === 'relation');
+      const astroImports = ['z'];
+
+      if (relational) {
+        // Collections containing relational fields require `reference`
+        astroImports.push('reference');
+      }
 
       // build content and prettify if possible
-      const raw = `import { z } from 'astro:content';\n\nexport const schema = ${cptime};\n`;
+      const raw = `import { ${astroImports.sort().join(', ')} } from 'astro:content';\n\nexport const schema = ${cptime};\n`;
       const pretty = await tryOrFail(() => formatCode(raw, 'typescript'), ERROR.FORMATTING_FAILED);
 
       // prepare folder if non-existent, remove existing and write file
diff --git a/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.spec.ts b/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe2bb22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import type { CmsFieldBase, CmsFieldRelation } from 'decap-cms-core';
+import z from 'zod';
+
+import { transformRelationField } from './field-relation.transform.js';
+
+describe('field-relation.transform', () => {
+  // Constructs a base relation field configuration with overrides
+  function buildField(
+    partial: Partial<CmsFieldBase & CmsFieldRelation>,
+  ): CmsFieldBase & CmsFieldRelation {
+    return {
+      name: 'test_field',
+      widget: 'relation',
+      collection: 'authors',
+      multiple: false,
+      required: true,
+      search_fields: ['name'],
+      value_field: 'name',
+      display_fields: ['name'],
+      ...partial,
+    };
+  }
+
+  // Normalises quotes in the cptime output for consistent comparison
+  function normaliseCptime(cptime: string): string {
+    return cptime.replace(/'/g, '"');
+  }
+
+  it('transforms a single required relation field into a string schema', () => {
+    const field = buildField({ multiple: false, required: true, collection: 'authors' });
+    const { runtime, cptime } = transformRelationField(field, z);
+
+    expect(runtime._def.typeName).toBe(z.ZodFirstPartyTypeKind.ZodString);
+    expect(normaliseCptime(cptime)).toBe('reference("authors")');
+    expect(() => runtime.parse('some-author-id')).not.toThrow();
+    expect(() => runtime.parse(['not allowed'])).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('transforms a single non-required relation field into the same string schema', () => {
+    const field = buildField({ multiple: false, required: false, collection: 'authors' });
+    const { runtime, cptime } = transformRelationField(field, z);
+
+    expect(runtime._def.typeName).toBe(z.ZodFirstPartyTypeKind.ZodString);
+    expect(normaliseCptime(cptime)).toBe('reference("authors")');
+    expect(() => runtime.parse('some-author-id')).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('transforms a multiple required relation field into an array of strings schema', () => {
+    const field = buildField({ multiple: true, required: true, collection: 'tags' });
+    const { runtime, cptime } = transformRelationField(field, z);
+
+    expect(runtime._def.typeName).toBe(z.ZodFirstPartyTypeKind.ZodArray);
+    expect(normaliseCptime(cptime)).toBe('z.array(reference("tags"))');
+    expect(() => runtime.parse(['tag1', 'tag2'])).not.toThrow();
+    expect(() => runtime.parse('invalid')).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('transforms a multiple non-required relation field into the same array schema', () => {
+    const field = buildField({ multiple: true, required: false, collection: 'categories' });
+    const { runtime, cptime } = transformRelationField(field, z);
+
+    expect(runtime._def.typeName).toBe(z.ZodFirstPartyTypeKind.ZodArray);
+    expect(normaliseCptime(cptime)).toBe('z.array(reference("categories"))');
+    expect(() => runtime.parse(['cat1', 'cat2'])).not.toThrow();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.ts b/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.ts
index 8db2fec..ed73f4c 100644
--- a/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.ts
+++ b/src/transformers/field-relation.transform.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 import type { CmsFieldBase, CmsFieldRelation } from 'decap-cms-core';
-import type { ZodString } from 'zod';
+import type { ZodTypeAny } from 'zod';
 
 import type { Transformer } from '../utils/transform.utils.js';
 
-// TODO implement transform relations
-// https://decapcms.org/docs/widgets/#relation
-export const transformRelationField: Transformer<ZodString, CmsFieldBase & CmsFieldRelation> = (
-  _,
+export const transformRelationField: Transformer<ZodTypeAny, CmsFieldBase & CmsFieldRelation> = (
+  { collection, multiple = false },
   z,
-) => ({
-  runtime: z.string(),
-  cptime: 'z.string()',
-});
+) => {
+  const runtime = multiple ? z.array(z.string()) : z.string();
+
+  const cptime = multiple ? `z.array(reference('${collection}'))` : `reference('${collection}')`;
+
+  return { runtime, cptime };
+};
diff --git a/src/transformers/field.transform.spec.ts b/src/transformers/field.transform.spec.ts
index ffbd6ec..44a0998 100644
--- a/src/transformers/field.transform.spec.ts
+++ b/src/transformers/field.transform.spec.ts
@@ -85,7 +85,10 @@ describe('field.transform', () => {
 
     it(`interchangeable results ${desc}`, () => {
       const { cptime, runtime } = transform(field, z);
-      const compiled = new Function('z', `return ${transpileFrom(cptime)};`)(z);
+      const compiled = new Function('z', 'reference', `return ${transpileFrom(cptime)};`)(
+        z,
+        (_collection: string) => z.string(),
+      );
       expect(serializeShape(compiled)).toEqual(serializeShape(runtime));
     });