# Add Related Record

_How to add and configure an Add Related Record field in the {{Notebook}}
Editor._

---

## What This Field Does

A Related Records field creates connections between records, supporting
both hierarchical parent-child relationships (e.g., site → trench →
context → find) and semantic peer associations with qualified vocabulary
pairs (e.g., "cuts / is cut by", "fills / is filled by"). It is the
only relationship field type in {{FAIMS}} and is essential for modelling
the structured data relationships common in archaeological and field
science recording.

## Adding the Field

To add this field, open the
[ADD A FIELD dialog](../shared-settings/adding-a-field.md), navigate to the
**RELATIONSHIP** tab, and click the **Add Related Record** card. Then click
the **ADD FIELD** button in the lower right.

> **Note:** The RELATIONSHIP tab may not be visible in the tab bar
> initially — click the **›** arrow button on the right side of the tab
> bar to scroll until it appears.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/related-records-01-add-field.png
:alt: Adding Related Records — the RELATIONSHIP tab in the ADD A FIELD dialog
:align: right
```

## Configuring the Field

Click the field's **grey header bar** to expand it and see its settings.
For an overview of the settings shared by all fields — including Label,
Helper Text, Field ID, and the field toolbar — see
[Field Identity](../shared-settings/field-identity.md) and
[Field Toolbar](../shared-settings/field-toolbar.md).

Give the field a meaningful Label, review the auto-populated
Field ID, and add any desired Helper Text.

```{screenshot} field-types-design/related-records-02-configured.png
:alt: Related Records configuration in the {{Notebook}} Editor
:align: right
:width: 100%
```

### Related Records-Specific Settings

The Related Records field provides several settings for defining how
records are connected:

| Setting                               | What It Does                                                                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Multiple**                          | When enabled, allows linking to more than one related record.                                                                                         |
| **Allow linking to existing records** | When enabled, collectors can link to records that already exist rather than only creating new ones.                                                   |
| **Hide the 'Create Another' Button**  | When unchecked (default), displays a button allowing users to quickly create another related record after saving one. Check this to hide that button. |
| **Select Relation Type**              | Choose **Child** for hierarchical parent-child relationships or **Linked** for peer-to-peer associations.                                             |
| **Select Related Form**               | Selects which form type this field links to (e.g., "Context", "Find", "Sample").                                                                      |
| **Related Type Label**                | A human-readable label for the related form type, displayed in the UI (e.g., "Context Record").                                                       |

### Shared Field Options

Configure any of the shared field options as needed.

For settings shared across all field types — including Required,
Annotation, Uncertainty, Conditions, Copy value to new records,
and Display in child records — see
[Field Options](../shared-settings/field-options.md).

## Tips

- **Think carefully about relationship direction and semantics.**
  "Context 5 cuts Context 8" is different from "Context 8 is cut by
  Context 5". For linked relationships, vocabulary pairs (configured
  via JSON) capture both directions automatically.
- **Performance degrades above ~50 relationships per record.** Design
  the data model to keep relationship counts manageable — split
  dense networks across multiple Related Records fields if needed.
- **Child relationships create a "Finish and New" workflow** — after
  saving a child record, collectors can immediately create another
  child of the same type. This streamlines bulk data entry (e.g.,
  recording multiple finds from one context).