# Relation

> Use a Relation column to link records across tables, such as an order to its customer or a delivery to its orders. Show links on both sides.

A Relation column links a record to records in another table. An order links to its customer, a job links to its vehicle, a delivery links to the orders it carries. Instead of copying a customer's name into every order, you link to the customer once and always see their current details.

## When to use it

Use a Relation whenever the thing you are pointing at is a record with details of its own: a customer, a product, a project, a supplier.

- Link to exactly one record, such as an order's Customer, by turning **Allow multiple records** off.
- Link to many records, such as a delivery's Orders, by leaving **Allow multiple records** on.

If the choices are simple labels with no details, a [Single Select](/docs/columns/single-select) or [Multi Select](/docs/columns/multi-select) is simpler. If the choice is a member of your organization, use [Person](/docs/columns/person).

## Settings

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **View** | The view of the other table that people pick records from. Only records visible in that view can be picked, so you can use a filtered view to offer, for example, only active customers. |
| **Display Field** | The column of the other table shown as the link's label, such as the customer's name. |
| **Additional Display Fields** | More columns of the other table to show in the picker, such as the customer's city, so people pick the right record. |
| **Allow multiple records** | Lets one record link to several records. On by default. Turn it off for a single link. |
| **Minimum Records** and **Maximum Records** | How many linked records a record must have and can have. Only shown when **Allow multiple records** is on. |
| **Show on linked table** | Also adds a column to the other table that lists the records linking to it. |

> **Note:** Decide on **Allow multiple records** when you create the column. Changing it later converts how every existing value is stored.

## Show the link on both sides

A Relation lives on the table where you create it. The other table doesn't need a matching column, but it is often useful to see the link from both sides: an order shows its customer, and the customer shows all their orders.

Turn on **Show on linked table** when you create the Relation. Give the new column a name under **Property name on the linked table**, and choose which fields identify this table's records over there. Adding or removing a record on either side updates the link on the other.

If the Relation already exists, you can add the other side later. On the other table, add a new column, choose the **Relation** type described as "The other side of a relation", and pick the relation under **Which relation**. Then choose the **View** and **Display Field** as usual.

> **Tip:** The other side shows up to 100 linked records per record. Counts and number rollups over it still include every linked record.

## Tips

- For every relation, be clear about which table it lives on, which table it points to, and whether it holds one link or many.
- Pick a **Display Field** people recognize, usually a name or an [ID](/docs/columns/id).
- To show totals or counts from linked records, such as an order total from its order lines, add a [Rollup](/docs/columns/rollup).
- To show the linked records as a list on the [record page](/docs/views/record-page), add a nested view filtered on this relation.
- Deleting or archiving a linked record doesn't delete the records that link to it. If your process needs that, use a [business rule](/docs/business-rules) or a [workflow](/docs/workflows).
- A Relation can be converted to Text, which stores the linked record's ID as text and stops linking to the other table.

---

Source: https://community.sapugo.app/docs/columns/relation