A relationship connects two contacts or organizations, such as a marriage, employment, or ownership. When the connection is no longer current, end it to keep the history, or delete it to remove it completely. This article explains both options and how saved relationship names behave after you rename a contact, organization, or relationship type.
Prerequisites
- You need permission to edit relationships before you can change one, and permission to delete relationships before you can remove one. If the row controls on the Relationships tab are not available, ask your administrator.
- The Relationships tab appears on a contact or organization only when at least one active relationship type in your Rhythm account can include that kind of record.
End a Relationship (Keep It as History)
Ending a relationship is usually better than deleting it because the connection stays available for later reference. Use an end date for relationships you may need to see again, such as an employee’s past job or a membership’s past sponsor.
- Open either record in the relationship, and go to its Relationships tab.
- Find the relationship and open it for editing.
- Set an end date.
- Save.
Result
The relationship stays on both records and now shows as ended. By default, the tab lists only relationships that are current today. Turn on the option to show past relationships when you need to see ended ones. An ended relationship still uses its relationship type, so you cannot remove that type while any current or ended relationship still refers to it. If either connected record is deleted, Rhythm still removes the relationship automatically.
Correct a Relationship's Details
You can update a relationship’s type, either side, dates, or notes from either record’s tab.
- Open the relationship for editing from either record's Relationships tab.
- Make your changes.
- Save.
When you save, Rhythm runs the same checks it ran when the relationship was created. The two sides must still fit the selected type, both records must still exist, and the start date cannot be after the end date. If the relationship type’s allowed record kinds have changed, or one side was removed without the relationship being cleaned up with it, you cannot save until the sides match the type again.
Delete a Relationship
Deleting removes the relationship from both records at once and does not keep it as history. If you may want to see the connection later, give it an end date instead.
- Open either record's Relationships tab.
- Find the relationship and use its delete control.
Warning
Deletion is permanent. Rhythm does not keep history for a deleted relationship, and there is no way to bring it back. You would need to recreate the relationship from scratch, including its original dates and notes if you remember them. If you are not sure whether you will need the connection again, end it instead of deleting it.
Tip
Before deleting a contact altogether, open the contact record, choose Contact Options, and use Database Relationships to review everything linked to that contact, including its relationships. This is a good first check before you attempt the deletion.
Why a Relationship Still Shows an Old Name
Each relationship stores the names of its type and both sides when you save it, so the tab can show those names without looking them up again. If you later rename a contact, organization, or relationship type, every relationship that names it keeps showing the old name until you save that specific relationship again. Rhythm does not refresh those names automatically across your Rhythm account. If a relationship shows an outdated name, open it and save it again, even if you do not change anything, to refresh the names it displays.
If It Fails
- The save is refused, and the relationship's sides don't seem to fit its type anymore. The relationship type’s allowed record kinds may have changed since this relationship was created, or a side record was removed without the relationship being cleaned up with it. Choose a different type, or ask an administrator to check the type’s current setup.
- The end date is refused. The end date cannot be before the start date, and both dates must be plain calendar dates without a time of day.
- A relationship still shows a name that no longer matches the record. See the section above, then save the relationship again to refresh its stored names.