Relationship types define how two records are associated in Slate. When creating relationship types, consider the kinds of connections records can have. Common examples include family relationships such as Spouse, Child, Parent, Sibling, or Guardian.

Relationship types can also link person records to non-person records or datasets. For example, a person may be related to a fund as a Steward or to a company as a Primary Contact. These relationship types help structure data, control reporting, and support downstream workflows and communications.

Prompt configuration

Relationship types are created and managed by Selecting Prompts in the Records and Datasets area of the Database page. The prompts tool also be located quickly using the search bar.

There are five key components to a relationship-type prompt: Key, Value, Category, Order, and XML.   

Prompt key

Relationship types use the specific prompt key of relationship_type. Any prompt created with the relationship_type prompt key is available as a relationship type.  

Prompt value

In the value section of the prompt, provide the name of the relationship type. With default settings, the relationship name appears for administrators and constituents.

Prompt category

While not required, assigning each relationship type prompt a category value is highly recommended. The value for the prompt category should be a value that groups together similar relationship types. For example, Son and Daughter relationship-type prompts can both have a Child category. Likewise, the inverse of Mother and Father can have a category of Parent. Lastly, the Husband, Wife, and Spouse can have a category of Spouse.

Give relationship-type prompts a Category value. The relationship type category enables accurate joins in Configurable Joins, and assists with the head of household and salutations calculations.

Prompt order

The database ranks relationships on a record. Relationships without a relationship-type prompt category will be ranked together. Relations with a relationship-type prompt with a category are ranked in that category. A record can have multiple rank category 1 relations, but just one per relationship type category. For example, if a record has two relationships with the type of mother and a father, and both of these relationship types have the category parent, one will be assigned rank 1, and the other will be given rank 2. If this record has one other relationship with a type of husband, and the category for husband is configured as spouse, that relation record will be assigned rank 1.

When no relationship type prompt order exists, the ranking of the relationships is determined alphabetically by the relationship type prompt value. When a relationship type prompt order exists, the relationship rank will be determined numerically by the relationship type prompt order value.

The other use for a prompt order is to change the order of appearance in a list. By default, a list of prompts will appear alphabetically when no order is provided. To display a list of prompts in a specific order, provide a numeric value in the order section of the prompt. Prompts with an order will appear in numerical order.

Prompt XML

The XML section of the relationship type prompt should only be used for Advancement use cases. It determines which relationships should get a soft credit or be suggested for a soft credit when a hard credit is entered on a related record. 

Creating relationship types

1. In the Prompts tool, select the relationship_type key. 

2. Select New Prompt.

3. For the value, provide the name of the type you want to have. (Guardian, Sister, Brother, etc.)

4. While it is not required, adding a category is recommended.

5. While it is not required, providing a numerical order to the order prompt (1, 2, 3, etc.) is recommended.

6. If the relationship type should get a soft credit by default or should not be suggested for a soft credit, insert the appropriate PKV code in the XML section.

7. Select Save. 

For additional information regarding Advancement soft credits, refer to the Soft Credits Knowledge Base article.

When finished with creating prompts, refresh your prompt tool cache and update your configurable joins library in the database (Database → Refresh Configurable Joins Library).