A relationship shows that two contacts or organizations are connected in a specific way, such as “spouse,” “owner,” or “parent company.” You can create the relationship from either record’s page.
Prerequisites
- You need permission to create relationships. If the create control on the Relationships tab is not available, ask your administrator.
- At least one active relationship type in your account must apply to the kind of record you start from, either a contact or an organization. If none apply, the Relationships tab does not appear on that record’s page.
- This is a Console feature. Portal members cannot create relationships themselves.
Relate Two Records
- Open either record in the relationship, whether it is the contact or the organization, and go to its Relationships tab.
- Use the tab’s create control.
- Choose a relationship type. You only see active types that work with this kind of record, and the record you opened automatically fills the matching side of the relationship.
- Choose the other record you want to relate it to.
- Optionally enter a start date, an end date, and notes.
- Save.
Result
The relationship appears on both records’ Relationships tabs. Rhythm names it with the relationship type and both sides, such as “(Owner) Maria Diaz → Diaz Consulting,” and shows that name on the tab. If either side is renamed later, the relationship keeps showing the old name until someone saves it again; see End or Delete a Relationship for more.
You use the same steps to link a child organization to a parent organization. You need an active organization-to-organization relationship type, and then you can create the relationship from either organization’s Relationships tab.
If a child organization is later removed from a parent, Rhythm does not automatically keep a record of that earlier relationship. To preserve that history, create or reuse a relationship type and add a relationship from the parent organization’s record with an end date before the connection is removed. You need to add that relationship yourself if you want to keep the history.
What Rhythm Checks Before Saving
Before Rhythm saves the relationship, it checks these items in order:
- The relationship type you chose exists.
- Both sides use the correct kind of record for that type. For example, if a type requires a contact on the left side, Rhythm will not accept an organization there.
- Both records exist, and you have permission to read them. The same requirement applies when you import records that reference an organization, such as contacts tied to an organization by ID. That organization must already exist in your live account or your sandbox, or the referencing row fails with a foreign-key-style error while other valid rows in the same import can still succeed.
- The two sides are not the same record, because you cannot relate a record to itself.
- If you entered both a start date and an end date, the start date is not after the end date.
- Any date you enter is a plain calendar date, not a date with a time of day.
If any check fails, Rhythm does not create the relationship. Correct the field named in the message, then save again.
Can You Relate the Same Two Records More Than Once?
Yes. Rhythm does not check whether the same two records already have the same relationship type, so you can save another relationship of that type between them. This is useful when you need to record separate periods, such as a second term in the same role. If you did not mean to create a duplicate, check the tab for an existing relationship before you add a new one, because Rhythm will not stop you from adding it.
Can You Choose an Inactive Relationship Type?
Not from this screen. The create dialog only offers your account’s currently active relationship types. If a relationship already uses a type that was later made inactive, the existing relationship stays as it is; inactive types are simply not available when you create a new relationship.
If It Fails
- "You cannot relate a record to itself." You chose the same record for both sides. Choose a different record for the other side.
- The save is refused because the relationship type doesn't fit. The relationship type you chose requires a different kind of record on one side, such as a contact instead of an organization, or the reverse. Choose a type that fits both records, or choose a different other record.
- A chosen record can't be found. The other record may have been deleted, or you may not have permission to read it. Choose a different record, or check with the person who manages that record.
- The dates are refused. Make sure the start date is not after the end date, and make sure neither date includes a time of day.
- An organization's primary-contact entry won't open. The contact must also be assigned in the organization's relationship data — that is, appear on the organization's own Relationships tab — for the primary-contact link to open successfully. Relate the contact to the organization, then try again.