ExpressionEngine Docs

# Relationships Fieldtype

- Field Options
- Template Tags
- Accessing Children
- Accessing Siblings
- Accessing Parents
- Fetching Entry IDs Only
- Namespacing Variables
- Field Examples: Children
- Field Examples: Parents

Relationships are an extremely powerful tool that allow you to connect Entries in one Channel to those in another one, or even to other entries in the same channel. This ability allows you to store very complex content in your Channel entries.

This fieldtype is currently only limited to Channels.

## Field Options

### Channels to Relate

Choose which channels can related content be pulled from.

### Include in Selection

Allow expired or future entries in this relationships field.

### Limit by Category

Choose categories to limit the entries in this relationships field.

### Authors

Choose authors to limit the entries in this relationships field.

### Limit By Status

Choose statuses to limit the entries in this relationships field.

### Maximum Entries

Maximum number of entries to show in the relationship field. Leave blank to allow all entries.

### Order By

Default ordering of entries in relationship field.

### Allow Multiple Relationships?

When set to yes, authors will be allowed to create multiple relationships in a single field.

## Template Tags

### Parameters

The following parameters are available to all looping relationship tags, allowing you to further filter or sort the entries being retrieved. They function the same as they do when used on the {exp:channel:entries}. The available parameters are:

- author_id
- backspace
- category
- channel
- entry_id
- group_id
- offset
- orderby
- show_expired
- show_future_entries
- sort
- start_on
- status
- stop_before
- url_title
- username

Some relationship tags may have additional parameters available. These are included in the usage instructions below.

## Accessing Children

### Usage: Multiple Related Entries

Given the following channel layout:

    ParentChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text
      relationship_field    Relationship (ChildChannel, Multiple)

    ChildChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text

You would access the child entries in your template using the following syntax:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="parentChannel"}
      {title} - {field1} - {field2}
      {relationship_field}
        {relationship_field:title}
        {relationship_field:field1}
        {relationship_field:field2}
      {/relationship_field}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

The section of the template that belongs to the `relationship_field`:

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:title}
      {relationship_field:field1}
      {relationship_field:field2}
    {/relationship_field}

Will be looped over. It acts very similarly to a `channel:entries` tag.

### Usage: Single Related Entries

Given the following channel layout, where `relationship_field` is limited to taking a single child entry:

    ParentChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text
      relationship_field    Relationship (ChildChannel, Single)

    ChildChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text

You would access the child entry in your template using the following syntax:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="parentChannel"}
      {title} - {field1} - {field2}
      {relationship_field:title}
      {relationship_field:field1}
      {relationship_field:field2}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

No looping occurs.

## Accessing Siblings

### Usage

Given the following channel layout:

    ParentChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text
      relationship_field    Relationship (ChildChannel, Multiple)

    ChildChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text

You can access siblings of the current entry in `{exp:channel:entries}` tag using the following syntax:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="childChannel"}
      {siblings field="relationship_field"}
        {siblings:title} - {siblings:field1} - {siblings:field2}
      {/siblings}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

The `{siblings}` tag does not need to be a top level tag. It may be used from a nested relationship in order to access that relationship’s siblings. The syntax is:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="parentChannel"}
      {relationship_field}
        {relationship_field:siblings field="relationship_field"}
          {relationship_field:siblings:title}
        {/relationship_field:siblings}
      {/relationship_field}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

### Parameters

In addition to the standard parameters, the following parameter may be used in this tag:

#### field

There can be multiple relationship fields in a field group, thus child entries may be related to the same parent via different fields. Use the `field` parameter to specify which field in the parent entry we should be pulling the siblings from. The syntax is:

    {siblings field="relationship_field"}

## Accessing Parents

### Usage

Given the following channel layout:

    ParentChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text
      relationship_field    Relationship (ChildChannel, Multiple)

    ChildChannel
      title
      url_title
      field1          Text
      field2          Text

You can access the parents of the current entry in a `channel:entries` tag using the following syntax:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="childChannel"}
      {parents field="relationship_field"}
        {parents:title} - {parents:field1} - {parents:field2}
      {/parents}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

The `{parents}` tag may be accessed through nested relationships tags using the following syntax:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="parentChannel"}
      {relationship_field}
        {relationship_field:parents field="relationship_field"}
          {relationship_field:parents:title}
        {/relationship_field:parents}
      {/relationship_field}
    {/exp:channel:entries}

### Parameters

In addition to the standard parameters, the following parameter may be used in this tag:

#### field

There can be multiple relationship fields in a field group, and thus an entry may be selected as a child in multiple fields. Use the `field` parameter to specify which field in the parent entry we should be checking for our child. The syntax is:

    {parents field="relationship_field"}

## Fetching Entry IDs Only

Sometimes it’s useful to get just a list of the entry IDs of related entries, to pass on to a plugin as a tag a parameter or similar. If you need to do this, you can use the single variable `:entry_ids` shortcut modifier:

    {relationship_field:entry_ids}

Outputs in the format:

    43|58|127

Note that this is not used inside a relationships tag pair, but is a standalone variable.

### Usage

For children:

    {relationship_field:entry_ids}

For parents:

    {parents:entry_ids}

    {!-- or --}

    {parents:entry_ids field="relationship_field"}

### Parameters

The entry_ids shortcut tag has only one optional parameter:

#### delimiter

By default the entry IDs will be pipe-delimited, but you can choose to have them delimited with something else:

    {relationship_field:entry_ids delimiter=","}

Would output in the format:

    43,48,127

## Namespacing Variables

Any variable available to the channel entries tag can be used inside a relationship tag pair. Use prefixes to specify which entry or set of entries the variable belongs to:

    {exp:channel:entries channel="childChannel"}

      {parents}

        {if parents:count == "1"}
          <h3>Parents</h3>
        {/if}

        {parents:title} - {parents:field1} - {parents:field2}

        {if parents:no_results}
          No parent entries
        {/if}

        {parents:switch="one|two"}

      {/parents}

    {/exp:channel:entries}

## Field Examples: Children

### Checkbox and Multi Select Fields

For checkbox and multiselect single variables:

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:my_checkbox}
    {/relationship_field}

This would output a comma-separated list of the checkbox labels.

For checkbox and multiselect variable pairs:

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:my_checkbox}
         Value: {item}<br>
         Value: {item:value}<br>
         Label: {item:label}<br>
      {/relationship_field:my_checkbox}
    {/relationship_field}

### Date Fields

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:my_date format="%F %d %Y"}
    {/relationship_field}

### Email Address Fields

    {relationship_field}
        {relationship_field:my_email:mailto title="Email about their dog" subject="Question about your dog" encode="no"}
    {/relationship_field}

### File Fields

Single variable file field:

    {relationship_field}
      URL: {relationship_field:my_image}
    {/relationship_field}

A file field variable pair:

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:my_image}
          Extension: {extension}
          Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
          URL: {url}
          Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
      {/relationship_field:my_image}
    {/relationship_field}

### File Grid Fields

A file grid field variable pair:

     {relationship_field}
       {relationship_field:my_file_grid}
         {relationship_field:my_file_grid:my_image}
             Extension: {extension}
             Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
             URL: {url}
             Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
         {/relationship_field:my_file_grid:my_image}
       {/relationship_field:my_file_grid}
     {/relationship_field}

### Fluid Fields

    {relationship_field}
      {relationship_field:my_fluid_field}
        {elationship_field:my_fluid_field:my_grid}
          {content}
            {if content:count == 1}<h3>Grid total rows: {content:total_rows}{/if}
            Date field: {content:my_grid format="%Y %m"}
            Toggle: {if content:my_toggle}YES there is a toggle value!{/if}

            File field pair:
            {content:my_file}
              Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
              Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
            {/content:my_file}
          {/content}
        {/relationship_field:my_fluid_field:my_grid}
      {/relationship_field:my_fluid_field}
    {relationship_field}

### Grid Fields

     {relationship_field}
       {relationship_field:my_grid}
         {relationship_field:my_grid:my_image}
             Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
             URL: {url}
         {/relationship_field:my_grid:my_image}
         Some text in the grid: {relationship_field:my_grid:my_text}
       {/relationship_field:my_grid}
     {/relationship_field}

### Relationship Fields

    {relationship_field}
      <h3>Related entry's title: {relationship_field:title}</h3>

      {relationship_field:my_relationship status="open"}
          {if relationship_field:my_relationship:count == 1}
              <h3>Relationships ({relationship_field:my_relationship:total_results})</h3>
          {/if}

          <h3>Related entry's related entry's title: {relationship_field:my_relationship:title}</h3>

          Related entry's file field, med custom image size: {relationship_field:my_relationship:my_file:med wrap="image"}

      {/relationship_field:my_relationship}
    {/relationship_field}

### Toggle Fields

    {relationship_field}
      {if relationship_field:my_toggle}YES there is a toggle value!{/if}
    {/relationship_field}

### URL Fields

    {relationship_field}
      <a href="{relationship_field:my_url}">Your Link</a>
    {/relationship_field}

## Field Examples: Parents

### Checkbox and Multi Select Fields

For checkbox and multiselect single variables:

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {parents:my_checkbox}
    {/parents}

This would output a comma-separated list of the checkbox labels.

For checkbox and multiselect variable pairs:

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {parents:my_checkbox}
         Value: {item}<br>
         Value: {item:value}<br>
         Label: {item:label}<br>
      {/parents:my_checkbox}
    {/parents}

### Date Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {parents:my_date format="%F %d %Y"}
    {/parents}

### Email Address Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
        {parents:my_email:mailto title="Email about their dog" subject="Question about your dog" encode="no"}
    {/parents}

### File Fields

Single variable file field:

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      URL: {parents:my_image}
    {/parents}

A file field variable pair:

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {parents:my_image}
          Extension: {extension}
          Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
          URL: {url}
          Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
      {/parents:my_image}
    {/parents}

### File Grid Fields

A file grid field variable pair:

     {parents field="relationship_field"}
       {parents:my_file_grid}
         {parents:my_file_grid:my_image}
             Extension: {extension}
             Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
             URL: {url}
             Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
         {/parents:my_file_grid:my_image}
       {/parents:my_file_grid}
     {/parents}

### Fluid Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {parents:my_fluid_field}
        {elationship_field:my_fluid_field:my_grid}
          {content}
            {if content:count == 1}<h3>Grid total rows: {content:total_rows}{/if}
            Date field: {content:my_grid format="%Y %m"}
            Toggle: {if content:my_toggle}YES there is a toggle value!{/if}

            File field pair:
            {content:my_file}
              Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
              Custom med thumbnail url: {url:med}
            {/content:my_file}
          {/content}
        {/parents:my_fluid_field:my_grid}
      {/parents:my_fluid_field}
    {/parents}

### Grid Fields

     {parents field="relationship_field"}
       {parents:my_grid}
         {parents:my_grid:my_image}
             Upload date: {upload_date format="%Y %m %d"}
             URL: {url}
         {/parents:my_grid:my_image}
         Some text in the grid: {parents:my_grid:my_text}
       {/parents:my_grid}
     {/parents}

### Relationship Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      <h3>Related entry's title: {parents:title}</h3>

      {parents:my_relationship status="open"}
          {if parents:my_relationship:count == 1}
              <h3>Relationships ({parents:my_relationship:total_results})</h3>
          {/if}

          <h3>Related entry's related entry's title: {parents:my_relationship:title}</h3>

          Related entry's file field, med custom image size: {parents:my_relationship:my_file:med wrap="image"}

      {/parents:my_relationship}
    {/parents}

### Toggle Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      {if parents:my_toggle}YES there is a toggle value!{/if}
    {/parents}

### URL Fields

    {parents field="relationship_field"}
      <a href="{parents:my_url}">Your Link</a>
    {/parents}