Custom contact link fields vs. relationships

Learn more about the difference between a custom contact link field and a relationship here.

Custom contact link fields are helpful for tracking consistent connections between contacts.

• A custom contact link field will appear on the right side of the contact, under the "Contact info" section. You can click on the linked contact to go to that record, and the contact name will also appear on the linked contact.
• This option is best when many contacts have a similar connection to other contacts since the field name will remain consistent.
• For example, if you have a lot of contacts who work for multiple businesses you could have a field for “Other companies” that links to other employers.
• You can link multiple contacts through a single contact link field.
• You can filter by whether this custom contact link field is empty or not, to pull up all of the contacts that are associated with other records if need be.
• Not sure how to create a custom field? Learn more here.

Relationships are helpful for tracking unique, detailed relationships between contacts.

• A relationship will appear at the top of the contact and will link to the other contact record. The same relationship will appear on the linked contact.
• This option is best when relationships between different contacts are all unique since there is room to save extra detail.
• For example, if you work with family members or friends you can use a relationship to track that connection and save some additional detail about that relationship.
• You can create multiple relationships with a single contact, which will all appear at the top of the contact.
• Not sure how to create a relationship? Learn more here.

Details to keep in mind:

• There are some situations where connections can be tracked through a custom contact link field or through a relationship. Ultimately, the best option depends on the end goal.
• If you have a lot of contacts with the same type of relationship, a custom contact link field may be a better option. Those details will appear in a field under “Contact info” and the field name will consistently indicate the same type of relationship.
• If you have a wide variety of relationships that you’d like to track, a relationship may be a better option. The relationship option provides more flexibility to enter unique explanations of each different relationship.