Linking Records
Records rarely live alone: a child has parents, a client was referred by someone, a file belongs to a case. Links connect records to each other, with readable wording in both directions and rules that keep the connections sensible.
Where links live
A record's links appear in its Links panel. One link is shown from both sides with the right wording for each: if Anna is linked to Ben as "Child of", Anna's page says Child of Ben and Ben's page says Parent of Anna. It is one link, not two — edit or remove it from either side.
Adding a link
- In the Links panel, click Add.
- Pick the link type (Child of, Spouse of, Referred by...).
- Find the other record with the search picker — start typing a name and choose from the matches. You always pick by name, never by ID.
- Save. If the record you need does not exist yet, use + Add new in the picker to create it on the spot; it is selected for you when you save it.
Link rules
Link types can carry rules, and the app enforces them when you link:
- Who can be linked. A type can require each end to be a certain kind of contact, or to hold a certain role. For example, Child of only accepts a link to a contact holding the Mother or Father role. If the record you picked does not qualify, you get a clear message saying why — assign the needed role first, then link.
- One-per-slot links. Some types allow only one holder — a client has one Mother. If the slot is taken you are asked: "This client already has a Mother (Jane Sample). Replace?" Choosing Replace swaps the link; the old connection is closed, not silently erased.
- No self-links and no duplicates. A record cannot link to itself, and the same link cannot be added twice on the same placement path (see below — a contact CAN be linked to the same agency once per branch it sits under).
Family trees and hierarchies
Some link types are hierarchical — they build trees, like org charts or family structures. A record may sit under more than one parent (a child with two guardians, a team reporting into two leads), and each line of ancestry is kept distinct, so "everyone under this branch" always answers correctly.
Linking to a record that sits in a hierarchy
When the record you are linking TO sits inside a hierarchy (say, an agency under two umbrella organizations), the picker offers it once per branch — e.g. "Yad Lnoar (Cares › SA)" and "Yad Lnoar (Jemcare)". Pick the placement the link belongs to; the link remembers it and always displays the full chain (Cares › SA › Yad Lnoar). Linking the same two records on another branch is a second, independent link — each placement carries its own extra fields (like Role at agency). Removing one placement never touches the other. If the hierarchy above the record is restructured later, stored placements follow their branch automatically.
Relations vs. linked records
Contact pages have two connection surfaces, side by side:
| Panel | Connects | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Relations | Contact to contact, with a validated type | Spouse of, Colleague of, Parent |
| Linked records | A contact to anything — files, records in other parts of the app | An attachment, a related case |
Both directions are always listed, so it never matters which side created the connection.
Removing links
Removing a link disconnects the two records — it never deletes either record. History of who linked and unlinked what stays in each record's activity feed.
For administrators: defining link types
With the link-types permission you can define the vocabulary: the label and its inverse ("Child of" / "Parent of"), which contact types or roles each end requires, whether it is one-per-slot or unlimited, and whether it is hierarchical. New types are available in the picker immediately.
Related pages
- Roles & Extension Fields — connection slots that roles bring to a record page.
- Contacts — the rest of the contact page.