Configure Relationship Types

A relationship is a link between accounts and/or contacts. You can use relationship types, such as bill-to or executive, to organize and define the relationships between accounts/contacts. Each relationship is made of two accounts/contacts: a parent account and a child account. See Manage Account and Contact Relationships for more information on how Relationship Types are used. 

In the steps below, a parent account is the main account/contact and the child account is the connected account/contact.

In this article:

• Add a Relationship Type
• Edit a Relationship Type
• Inactivate a Relationship Type
• Delete a Relationship Type

Add a Relationship Type

1. Navigate to the Relationship Types page and click Add. The Add Relationship Type window opens.
2. Enter the necessary information:
   • Master Description: Description of the relationship from the child account’s perspective.
   • Code: Unique alphanumeric code.
   • Subordinate Description: Description of the relationship from the parent account’s perspective.
   • Scope: Select if the relationship type is required. Optional is almost always selected.
     • Mandatory: The relationship must exist between a parent account/contact and child account/contact. When adding a new account, a relationship is automatically created linking the account to itself.
     • Optional: The relationship is not required between a parent account/contact and child account/contact. 
   • Class: Type of relationship created between the parent and child account.
     • Contact is most often used.
     • A Subsidiary class requires you to select Unique Master in the Occurrence field.
     • A Bill-To class requires you to select Unique Subordinate in the Occurrence field.   
   • Occurrence: Number of times you can use the relationship type between a parent account/contact and child account/contact.
     • Multiple: You can use the relationship type multiple times between a parent and child account/contact.
     • Unique: You can only have one relationship with this relationship type.
     • Unique Master: A parent account/contact can only have one relationship with this relationship type with a child account/contact.
     • Unique Subordinate: A child account can only have one relationship with this relationship type with a parent account/contact.
   • Order: Determines the order the relationship displays in the Relationship Type drop-down. 
3. Click OK.

Edit a Relationship Type

The information for the relationship type can be edited after it's created. When the information for a relationship type is changed, it updates wherever the relationship type is used. If you don't want to update the already existing relationship type data, then you must add a new relationship type.

1. Navigate to the Relationship Types page and select the relationship type to edit.
2. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Relationship Type window opens.
3. Make the desired change.
4. Click OK.

Inactivate a Relationship Type

To stop using an relationship type group while keeping a record for reporting or other purposes, mark it inactive. When you make a relationship type inactive, it is no longer available for selection when adding or editing relationships.

1. Navigate to the Relationship Types page and select the relationship type to make inactive.
2. Right-click and select Edit. The Edit Relationship Type window opens.
3. Check Retire.
4. Click OK.

Delete a Relationship Type

To stop using a relationship type and remove it completely, delete it. If the relationship type is still in use, a prompt will ask you to choose another relationship type to replace it. The delete and replace process cannot be undone.

1. Navigate to the Relationship Types page and right-click on the relationship type to delete.
2. Select Mark for Delete.
3. Click Save. The Replace window opens.
4. Select the new relationship type from the drop-down to replace the deleted relationship type.
5. Click OK.