Referencing the custom object type in a template

[markkuleinio]

I'm regularly using this kind of syntax in templates of my own plugins:

<a href="{% url 'dcim:site' object.pk %}">{{ object.name }}</a>

where the link URL renders as /dcim/sites/123/ for example (based on the object passed to the template).

How to do the same with custom object types? I haven't found a working syntax. For example this:

<a href="{% url 'plugins:netbox_custom_objects:dns_zone' object.pk %}">{{ object.name }}</a>

(where dns_zone is the custom object type name)

It leads to error:

<class 'django.urls.exceptions.NoReverseMatch'>

Reverse for 'dns_zone' not found. 'dns_zone' is not a valid view function or pattern name.

Python version: 3.13.5
NetBox version: 4.6.6
Plugins: 
  ipam_dns_zones_plugin: 0.1.4
  netbox_custom_objects: 0.6.0

What would be the correct way to get a link to a custom object type instance in a template?

[markkuleinio]

Other syntaxes tested with same error:

plugins:netbox_custom_objects:dns-zone
plugins:netbox_custom_objects:table1model

[rakeshutekar]

The reason dns_zone fails is that the plugin doesn't register a URL per custom object type — there's no dns_zone view. All custom objects are served by a single generic view named customobject, so {% url 'plugins:netbox_custom_objects:dns_zone' ... %} can never reverse (hence Reverse for 'dns_zone' not found).

Simplest: use get_absolute_url

Custom objects implement it, so you don't need {% url %} at all:

<a href="{{ object.get_absolute_url }}">{{ object.name }}</a>

That's the same pattern NetBox core uses, and it's the most robust because the plugin owns the reverse logic. From the model (netbox_custom_objects/models.py):

def get_absolute_url(self):
    return reverse(
        "plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject",
        kwargs={
            "pk": self.pk,
            "custom_object_type": self.custom_object_type.slug,
        },
    )

If you want the explicit {% url %} form

Use the real view name customobject, and pass two kwargs — pk and custom_object_type, where the type is its slug (not its name, and not the type PK):

<a href="{% url 'plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject' pk=object.pk custom_object_type=object.custom_object_type.slug %}">{{ object.name }}</a>

That mirrors the route exactly:

path("<str:custom_object_type>/<int:pk>/", views.CustomObjectView.as_view(), name="customobject"),

Related names, same pattern

• List view: customobject_list with custom_object_type=<slug> (this is what CustomObjectType.get_list_url() uses).
• Edit / delete / journal / changelog: customobject_edit, customobject_delete, customobject_journal, customobject_changelog, each taking custom_object_type=<slug> + pk.

So the mental model is: one set of customobject* URL names for all types, with the type carried as the custom_object_type slug argument, rather than a per-type name like dns_zone.

[markkuleinio]

Thank you! Based on those I was able to set these breadcrumbs:

{% block breadcrumbs %}
    <li class="breadcrumb-item">
        <a href="{% url 'plugins:netbox_custom_objects:customobject_list' custom_object_type=object.custom_object_type.slug %}"
        >{{ object.custom_object_type.verbose_name_plural }}</a>
    </li>
    <li class="breadcrumb-item">
        <a href="{{ object.get_absolute_url }}"
        >{{ object.zone_name }}</a>
    </li>
{% endblock breadcrumbs %}