diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2e74ba..63e8389 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Strapi plugin populate-deep
+
 This plugin allows for easier population of deep content structures using the rest API.
 
 # Installation
@@ -7,7 +8,6 @@ This plugin allows for easier population of deep content structures using the re
 
 `yarn add strapi-plugin-populate-deep`
 
-
 # Usages
 
 ## Examples
@@ -28,25 +28,39 @@ Populate a request with the a custom depth
 
 The default max depth is 5 levels deep.
 
-The populate deep option is available for all collections and single types using the findOne and findMany methods.
+The populate deep option is available for all collections and single types using the `findOne` and `findMany` methods.
 
 # Configuration
 
-The default depth can be customized via the plugin config. To do so create or edit you plugins.js file.
+The default depth and custom depth for certain fields can be customized via the plugin config. To do so create or edit you `plugins.js` file.
+
+To avoid cyclic population you might need to ignore certain fields.
+
+To avoid too much data, especially when you are working with parent-child relationships, adjust the depth of population of these fields using the `fields` option.
+
+To find out what collections and fields are populated, set the debug option to true.
 
 ## Example configuration
 
 `config/plugins.js`
 
-```
+```js
 module.exports = ({ env }) => ({
   'strapi-plugin-populate-deep': {
     config: {
       defaultDepth: 3, // Default is 5
+      ignore: ['field1', 'collectionName.field2'], // default is []
+      fields: [
+        { collectionName: 'collectionName', field: 'field1', depth: 1 },
+        { field: 'field2', depth: 3 }, // for all collections
+      ],
+      debug: true, // default is false
+      skipCreatorFields: true, // default is false, skips all fields of model admin::user
     }
   },
 });
 ```
 
 # Contributions
+
 The original idea for getting the populate structure was created by [tomnovotny7](https://github.com/tomnovotny7) and can be found in [this](https://github.com/strapi/strapi/issues/11836) github thread
diff --git a/server/bootstrap.js b/server/bootstrap.js
index cb357c6..37dd5c5 100644
--- a/server/bootstrap.js
+++ b/server/bootstrap.js
@@ -7,10 +7,18 @@ module.exports = ({ strapi }) => {
     if (event.action === 'beforeFindMany' || event.action === 'beforeFindOne') {
       const populate = event.params?.populate;
       const defaultDepth = strapi.plugin('strapi-plugin-populate-deep')?.config('defaultDepth') || 5
+      const ignore = strapi.plugin('strapi-plugin-populate-deep')?.config('ignore') || []
+      const debug = strapi.plugin('strapi-plugin-populate-deep')?.config('debug') || false
+
+      /** @type {import('./helpers').FieldPopulateConfiguration[]} */
+      const fields = strapi.plugin('strapi-plugin-populate-deep')?.config('fields') || {}
 
       if (populate && populate[0] === 'deep') {
         const depth = populate[1] ?? defaultDepth
-        const modelObject = getFullPopulateObject(event.model.uid, depth, []);
+        debug && console.debug(`[strapi-plugin-populate-deep] DEBUG Deep populating for model ${event.model.uid}`, {
+          depth, ignore, fields
+        })
+        const modelObject = getFullPopulateObject(event.model.uid, depth, ignore, fields, debug);
         event.params.populate = modelObject.populate
       }
     }
diff --git a/server/helpers/index.js b/server/helpers/index.js
index 7f026b8..81d559a 100644
--- a/server/helpers/index.js
+++ b/server/helpers/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,23 @@ const getModelPopulationAttributes = (model) => {
   return model.attributes;
 };
 
-const getFullPopulateObject = (modelUid, maxDepth = 20, ignore) => {
+/**
+ * @typedef {Object} FieldPopulateConfiguration
+ * @property {string?} collectionName - optional, if not given, it will be considered for all collections
+ * @property {string} field
+ * @property {number} depth
+ * @exports FieldPopulateConfiguration
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @param {string} modelUid 
+ * @param {number} maxDepth 
+ * @param {string[]?} ignore 
+ * @param {FieldPopulateConfiguration[]?} fieldPopulateConfigurations 
+ * @param {boolean?} debug
+ * @returns 
+ */
+const getFullPopulateObject = (modelUid, maxDepth = 20, ignore, fieldPopulateConfigurations, debug = false) => {
   const skipCreatorFields = strapi.plugin('strapi-plugin-populate-deep')?.config('skipCreatorFields');
 
   if (maxDepth <= 1) {
@@ -21,25 +37,41 @@ const getFullPopulateObject = (modelUid, maxDepth = 20, ignore) => {
 
   const populate = {};
   const model = strapi.getModel(modelUid);
-  if (ignore && !ignore.includes(model.collectionName)) ignore.push(model.collectionName)
+
   for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(
     getModelPopulationAttributes(model)
   )) {
-    if (ignore?.includes(key)) continue
+    if (ignore?.includes(key) || ignore?.includes(model.collectionName + '.' + key)) {
+      debug && console.debug(`[strapi-plugin-populate-deep] DEBUG Ignoring collectionName: ${model.collectionName}, field: ${key}`)
+      continue
+    }
+
+    let depth = maxDepth
+    if (fieldPopulateConfigurations) {
+      debug && console.debug(`[strapi-plugin-populate-deep] DEBUG collectionName: ${model.collectionName}, field: ${key}`)
+      const fieldPopulateConfiguration = fieldPopulateConfigurations.find(f => f.field === key && (!f.collectionName || f.collectionName === model.collectionName))
+      if (fieldPopulateConfiguration) {
+        debug && console.debug(`[strapi-plugin-populate-deep] DEBUG Overriding depth for collectionName: ${model.collectionName}, field: ${key} to ${fieldPopulateConfiguration.depth}`)
+        depth = fieldPopulateConfiguration.depth
+      }
+    }
+
     if (value) {
       if (value.type === "component") {
-        populate[key] = getFullPopulateObject(value.component, maxDepth - 1);
-      } else if (value.type === "dynamiczone") {
+        populate[key] = getFullPopulateObject(value.component, depth - 1, ignore, fieldPopulateConfigurations, debug);
+      } else if (value.type === "dynamiczone" && depth > 1) {
         const dynamicPopulate = value.components.reduce((prev, cur) => {
-          const curPopulate = getFullPopulateObject(cur, maxDepth - 1);
+          const curPopulate = getFullPopulateObject(cur, depth - 1, ignore, fieldPopulateConfigurations, debug);
           return curPopulate === true ? prev : merge(prev, curPopulate);
         }, {});
         populate[key] = isEmpty(dynamicPopulate) ? true : dynamicPopulate;
-      } else if (value.type === "relation") {
+      } else if (value.type === "relation" && depth > 1) {
         const relationPopulate = getFullPopulateObject(
           value.target,
-          (key === 'localizations') && maxDepth > 2 ? 1 : maxDepth - 1,
-          ignore
+          (key === 'localizations') && depth > 2 ? 1 : depth - 1,
+          ignore,
+          fieldPopulateConfigurations,
+          debug,
         );
         if (relationPopulate) {
           populate[key] = relationPopulate;