diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 1c0ebf2..c5dc42f 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -124,3 +124,26 @@
 # CUSTOM CONFIGURATION
 
 intersphinx_mapping['render'] = ('https://sphinx.silverrainz.me/render/', None)
+
+# [example config start]
+data_define_directives = {
+   'cat': {
+       'schema': {
+           'name': 'str, required',
+           'attrs': {
+               'color': 'str',
+           },
+           'content': 'str, required'
+       },
+       'template': {
+           'debug': False,
+           'on': 'parsing',
+           'text': '\n'.join([
+               'Hi human! I am a cat named {{ name }}, I have {{ color }} fur.',
+               '',
+               '{{ content }}.',
+           ]),
+       },
+   },
+}
+# [example config end]
diff --git a/docs/conf.rst b/docs/conf.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fe36a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/conf.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+=============
+Configuration
+=============
+
+The extension provides the following configuration:
+
+.. autoconfval:: data_define_directives
+
+   A dictionary ``dict[str, directive_def]`` for creating custom directives for
+   data definition.
+
+   The ``str`` key is the name of the directive to be created;
+   The ``directive_def`` value is a ``dict`` with the following keys:
+
+   - ``schema`` (dict): Schema definition, works same as the
+     :rst:dir:`data.schema` directive, which has the following keys:
+
+     - ``name`` (str, optional): same as the directive argument
+     - ``attr`` (dict, can be empty): same as the directive options
+     - ``content`` (str, optional): same as the directive content
+
+   - ``template`` (dict): Template definition, works same as the
+     :rst:dir:`data.template` directive, which has the following keys:
+
+     - ``text`` (str): the Jinja2 template text.
+     - ``on`` (str, optional): same as :rst:dir:`data.template:on`
+     - ``debug`` (bool, optional): same as :rst:dir:`data.template:debug`
+
+   See :ref:`custom-dir` for example.
+
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 7908f62..9f90ede 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ Contents
    :caption: Contents
 
    usage
+   conf
    changelog
 
 The Sphinx Notes Project
diff --git a/docs/usage.rst b/docs/usage.rst
index 624579c..6bd8942 100644
--- a/docs/usage.rst
+++ b/docs/usage.rst
@@ -118,3 +118,41 @@ Directives
       .. data.render::
 
          Sphinx has **{{ _sphinx.extensions | length }}** extensions loaded.
+
+
+.. _custom-dir:
+
+Defining Custom Directives
+===========================
+
+Instead of using :rst:dir:`data.define`, :rst:dir:`data.template`, and
+:rst:dir:`data.schema` directives to define data in documents, you can define
+custom directives in :file:`conf.py` using the :confval:`data_define_directives`
+configuration option.
+
+This is useful when you want to create a reusable directive with a fixed schema
+and template across multiple documents.
+
+First, add ``'sphinxnotes.data'`` to your extension list like what we do in
+:doc:`Getting Started <index>`.
+
+Then add the following code to your :file:`conf.py`:
+
+.. literalinclude:: conf.py
+   :language: python
+   :start-after: [example config start]
+   :end-before: [example config end]
+
+This creates a ``.. cat::`` directive that requires a name argument and accepts
+a ``color`` options and a content. Use it in your document:
+
+.. example::
+   :style: grid
+
+   .. cat:: mimi
+      :color: black and brown
+
+      I like fish!
+
+For more details please refer to the :confval:`data_define_directives`
+configuration value.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 27960a1..ad000ea 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
     # CUSTOM DEPENDENCIES START
     "sphinxnotes-render",
+    "schema", # python dict schema validation
     # CUSTOM DEPENDENCIES END
 ]
 
diff --git a/src/sphinxnotes/data/__init__.py b/src/sphinxnotes/data/__init__.py
index 3296d8f..ffbd762 100644
--- a/src/sphinxnotes/data/__init__.py
+++ b/src/sphinxnotes/data/__init__.py
@@ -19,13 +19,6 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 from . import meta
-from .adhoc import (
-    TemplateDefineDirective,
-    SchemaDefineDirective,
-    FreeDataDefineDirective,
-    FreeDataDefineRoleDispatcher,
-    DataRenderDirective,
-)
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from sphinx.application import Sphinx
@@ -36,11 +29,9 @@ def setup(app: Sphinx):
 
     app.setup_extension('sphinxnotes.render')
 
-    app.add_directive('data.define', FreeDataDefineDirective)
-    app.add_directive('data.template', TemplateDefineDirective)
-    app.add_directive('data.schema', SchemaDefineDirective)
-    app.add_directive('data.render', DataRenderDirective)
+    from . import adhoc, derive
 
-    app.connect('source-read', FreeDataDefineRoleDispatcher().install)
+    adhoc.setup(app)
+    derive.setup(app)
 
     return meta.post_setup(app)
diff --git a/src/sphinxnotes/data/adhoc.py b/src/sphinxnotes/data/adhoc.py
index a8d52c0..5cacb50 100644
--- a/src/sphinxnotes/data/adhoc.py
+++ b/src/sphinxnotes/data/adhoc.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     from types import ModuleType
     from docutils.utils import Reporter
     from sphinx.util.typing import RoleFunction
-    from sphinxnotes.render.ctx import PendingContext, ResolvedContext
+    from sphinxnotes.render import PendingContext, ResolvedContext
 
 
 # Keys of env.temp_data.
@@ -201,3 +201,12 @@ def install(self, app: Sphinx, docname: str, source: list[str]) -> None:
                   automatically.
         """
         self.enable()
+
+
+def setup(app: Sphinx) -> None:
+    app.add_directive('data.define', FreeDataDefineDirective)
+    app.add_directive('data.template', TemplateDefineDirective)
+    app.add_directive('data.schema', SchemaDefineDirective)
+    app.add_directive('data.render', DataRenderDirective)
+
+    app.connect('source-read', FreeDataDefineRoleDispatcher().install)
diff --git a/src/sphinxnotes/data/derive.py b/src/sphinxnotes/data/derive.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d4ad95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sphinxnotes/data/derive.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+"""
+sphinxnotes.data.derive
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+:copyright: Copyright 2025~2026 by the Shengyu Zhang.
+:license: BSD, see LICENSE for details.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from schema import Schema as DictSchema, SchemaError as DictSchemaError, Optional, Or
+
+from sphinx.errors import ConfigError
+from sphinxnotes.render import Schema, Template, Phase, StrictDataDefineDirective
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from sphinx.application import Sphinx
+    from sphinx.config import Config
+
+
+DATA_DEFINE_DIRECTIVE = DictSchema(
+    {
+        'schema': {
+            Optional('name', default='str, required, uniq, ref'): Or(str, type(None)),
+            Optional('attrs', default={}): {str: str},
+            Optional('content', default='str'): Or(str, type(None)),
+        },
+        'template': {
+            Optional('on', default='parsing'): Or('parsing', 'parsed', 'resolving'),
+            'text': str,
+            Optional('debug', default=False): bool,
+        },
+    }
+)
+
+
+def _validate_directive_define(d: dict, config: Config) -> tuple[Schema, Template]:
+    validated = DATA_DEFINE_DIRECTIVE.validate(d)
+
+    schemadef = validated['schema']
+    schema = Schema.from_dsl(
+        schemadef['name'], schemadef['attrs'], schemadef['content']
+    )
+
+    tmpldef = validated['template']
+    phase = Phase[tmpldef['on'].title()]
+    template = Template(text=tmpldef['text'], phase=phase, debug=tmpldef['debug'])
+
+    return schema, template
+
+
+def _config_inited(app: Sphinx, config: Config) -> None:
+    for name, objdef in app.config.data_define_directives.items():
+        try:
+            schema, tmpl = _validate_directive_define(objdef, config)
+        except (DictSchemaError, ValueError) as e:
+            raise ConfigError(
+                f'Validating data_define_directives[{repr(name)}]: {e}'
+            ) from e
+
+        directive_cls = StrictDataDefineDirective.derive(name, schema, tmpl)
+        app.add_directive(name, directive_cls)
+
+
+def setup(app: Sphinx) -> None:
+    app.add_config_value('data_define_directives', {}, 'env', types=dict)
+    app.connect('config-inited', _config_inited)
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-derive/conf.py b/tests/roots/test-derive/conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf59d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-derive/conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+keep_warnings = True
+
+extensions = ['sphinxnotes.data']
+
+data_define_directives = {
+    'custom': {
+        'schema': {
+            'name': 'str, required',
+            'attrs': {'type': 'str'},
+        },
+        'template': {
+            'on': 'parsing',
+            'text': 'Custom: {{ name }} (type: {{ attrs.type }})',
+        },
+    },
+}
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-derive/index.rst b/tests/roots/test-derive/index.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35549da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-derive/index.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Test
+====
+
+.. custom:: myname
+   :type: mytype
+
+.. custom:: myname
+   :unkown: 
diff --git a/tests/test_smoke.py b/tests/test_smoke.py
index 3735498..8359fc4 100644
--- a/tests/test_smoke.py
+++ b/tests/test_smoke.py
@@ -24,3 +24,14 @@ def test_data_template_and_define(app, status, warning, phase):
     assert 'RenderedValue1' in html
     assert 'RenderedValue2' in html
     assert 'RenderedContent' in html
+
+
+@pytest.mark.sphinx('html', testroot='derive')
+def test_data_define_directives(app, status, warning):
+    """Test that data_define_directives generates directives correctly."""
+    app.build()
+
+    html = (app.outdir / 'index.html').read_text(encoding='utf-8')
+
+    assert 'Custom: myname (type: mytype)' in html
+    assert 'Error in “custom” directive: unknown option: “unkown”.'