Top 10 MongoDB Best Practices Every Developer Should Follow

MongoDB is a widely used NoSQL database with high flexibility, scalability, and performance. However, using MongoDB efficiently requires following best practices to ensure optimal performance, security, and maintainability.

In this article, we will explore the top 10 MongoDB best practices that will help you design efficient and scalable applications.

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1. Choose the Right Data Model

MongoDB offers schemaless design flexibility, but choosing the right data model is crucial for performance and scalability.

✅ Good Practice (Embedded Documents for One-to-Few Relationships)

{
  "_id": 1,
  "name": "John Doe",
  "orders": [
    { "order_id": 101, "amount": 50 },
    { "order_id": 102, "amount": 30 }
  ]
}

❌ Bad Practice (Using Separate Collections for One-to-Few Relationships)

{
  "_id": 1,
  "name": "John Doe"
}

{
  "_id": 101,
  "user_id": 1,
  "amount": 50
}

🔹 Why?

• Embedding is better when there are few related documents.
• Reduces extra queries and improves read performance.