A contact or organization’s Relationships tab shows every relationship that includes that record, no matter which side of the relationship it is on. Use this tab to review current, past, and future relationships, and manage those relationships in the Console.
Where to Find It
Open a contact or organization to see its Relationships tab, when one is available. For a contact, go to Contacts › a contact in the search results › Relationships. The tab shows relationships where this record appears on either side, so a relationship that lists the contact as the second party still appears on that contact’s record.
Current, Past, and Future
Relationships can have a start date, an end date, both dates, or no dates. The tab uses today’s date to place each relationship in one of three groups:
- Current — today falls between the start date and the end date. If the relationship has no start date, Rhythm treats it as though it started a very long time ago. If it has no end date, Rhythm treats it as though it never ends. A relationship with no dates is always current.
- Past — the end date has already passed.
- Future — the start date has not arrived yet.
The tab opens with only current relationships shown. Use the switches to include past and future relationships, and use the text filter to narrow the list to relationships with a specific other record by name.
Tip
The number in the tab label counts every relationship on the record, including past and future relationships. The list opens with only current relationships shown, so turn on the past and future filters if the count is higher than the rows you see.
When the Tab Doesn't Appear
The Relationships tab appears on a contact or organization only when at least one active relationship type applies to that kind of record. If no active relationship type applies, the tab is hidden for every record of that kind, even records that already have relationships. For example, if every relationship type that applies to organizations has been deactivated, the tab is hidden on all organizations. The tab depends on the active relationship types in your Rhythm account, not on whether the individual record already has relationships.
Names Shown Are a Snapshot
The other record’s name in a relationship row is copied when someone saves the relationship. If that record is renamed later, the relationship still shows the old name until someone opens and saves the relationship again.
Relationship records cannot currently be queried or used as query fields. You can't build a list or report of a record's related people, their contact details, relationship type, and the related contact through a query. Use the Relationships tab to see this information.
The Child Organizations tab does not show a relationship's start date or end date as columns, so it does not show whether a child-organization relationship is current or past. Check the dates on the Relationships tab instead.
Relationships Are a Console Feature Only
Relationships do not have a Portal equivalent. If a Portal member tries to view or create a relationship, Rhythm refuses the request. Members cannot view their own relationships in self-service or add new ones, so staff manage relationships entirely in the Console. Outside of the designation shown on the contact or organization record itself, relationship records are largely informational and are not used elsewhere across the platform. They also cannot be pulled into a query, which is part of why relationship types are not typically recommended for broad, ongoing use.
Related
For what happens to relationships when a record is deleted or merged, see How Deleting or Merging Records Affects Activities and Relationships.