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Connect Everything with Relations

Understanding Relations

Relations are key to organizing and connecting your Objects and knowledge in Anytype. There are two functions that Relations serve in Anytype:
  • Defining attributes: You can use Relations to define the characteristics of a certain Object. For example, when creating a Task in Anytype, you can add Relations such as Status: Done/Not Done, or Priority: Low, Medium, or High. If we were to imagine a database, Relations represent the column headers to each row (where column A is the Object). Once you have set your attributes, it becomes possible to sort and filter your Objects according to the Relations you've defined in Set View.
  • Defining connections: You can also use Relations to link one Object to another. Returning to the example of a Task, you can add the Relation: Assignee, and assign another Object in your Anytype to this task. As above, you can view the Assignees as Relations in Set view, or in Graph view.

Adding & Managing Relations

You can add a Relation to your Objects as you would with any other block in the editor: by using the + button or the in-line / menu.
You can also manage the Relations for a given Object via its Relations Panel: the triangular icon that appears when hovering above the Object name. This Panel shows all relations for that Object.

Featuring Relations

Here you can add, feature, or modify existing Relations. Featuring Relations allows you to visually prioritize the most relevant Relations for a given Object, as Featured Relations appear directly beneath the Title. You can feature any Relation by clicking ★ next to the relation in the Relations panel.

Types of Relations

Here are the currently available Relation-types within Anytype:
  • Text: accepts text as the input.
  • Number: for all numbers. Different formats are coming soon.
  • Date: date, optional information for time.
  • Status: categorical relation wherein you can define a list of options to choose from, like X, Y, or Z.
  • Tag: another variety of the string with no limits, only one string.
  • Email/phone/URL: special formats for URL, email, and phone number.
  • Checkbox: an object with a boolean, string, or link to an object.
  • Media: audio, movies, or pictures which you can view, play, or download.
  • Object: reference to a specific object, like a person, task, or document.
At present, you cannot delete relations. So be careful to avoid duplicate relations with the same name.