Linked Fields: Two-Way Links Between Task and Contact Fields
Planfix supports two-way linked fields: pair a task or contact field with another one, and when you fill in one, the other is updated automatically. The video description calls them related fields: each record gets a reciprocal link, so you fill in the connection only once, not in each record separately. This 76-second video shows how to link two custom fields and what happens in the paired record once you fill in one side.
What you’ll learn: how two-way linked fields work in Planfix
- Where the link lives: in the settings of a custom field, for contacts and for tasks.
- How to choose Link to another field and pick the paired field.
- How filling in a field on one contact card updates its pair on another card.
- How a Truck field connects truck tasks and client tasks on a Logistics board.
- How the link works in both directions, whichever task you fill in first.
How to set up linked fields in Planfix, step by step
Step 1. Add both fields to tasks or contacts
Setup takes two steps, plus a quick check. First, make sure both fields exist: add them to the objects in Planfix or contact templates where you need them. In the current interface, task and contact fields are under Account management → Types of objects: select Task or Contact and open Custom fields. The video, published in January 2025, opens them from the older Custom fields section, under Contact fields and Task fields.
Only certain field types can be linked:
- Task to task: Task or Task set fields on both sides.
- Task to contact: a task field of type List of users, Contact, Counterparty or Group, employee, or contact, paired with a contact field of type Task or Task set.
- Contact to contact: List of users, Contact, Counterparty or Group, employee, or contact fields on both sides.
Step 2. Link the fields in the field settings
Open one of the fields for editing. In the video, it is the contact field Teacher. Find the Linked to field setting, which reads Not linked to another field by default, and choose Link to another field. Then pick the paired field, which looks like Students in the video, and click Save. Task fields work the same way: the video repeats the setup for the task field Truck.
A field can be linked to only one other field, so decide on the pairs before you start.
Step 3. Fill in one side and check the other
Open a record and fill in the linked field. In the video, a contact is chosen from the dropdown on Elizabeth Green’s card. When Andre King’s card is opened next, its paired field is already filled in.
Example: trucks and client cargo on a logistics board
The second half of the video uses a Logistics project board with a column of truck tasks, such as Freightliner Cascadia (TX 94-ABR) and Volvo VNL 860 (FL 22-KUM), and a column of client tasks, such as Global Tech Supplies and Sunrise Agriculture Corp. The task field Truck is linked to a second task field, much like the Truck — Cargo example in the Help Center.
- From the truck: in the Freightliner task, the linked field is set to Global Tech Supplies. The Global Tech Supplies task then shows the truck in its field.
- From the client: in the Sunrise Agriculture Corp. task, the Volvo is picked. The Volvo task then shows Sunrise Agriculture Corp. automatically.
Linked field examples: who this is for
Any process where two records point at each other can use a pair of linked fields. The Help Center suggests these pairs:
- Logistics and delivery: Truck — Cargo, much like the example above.
- Property rentals: Lease agreement — Apartment, connecting each agreement with the apartment it covers.
- Schools and training centers: Teacher — Student on contact cards, as in the video.
- Companies with branches: Branch Office — Head Office, between company contacts.
The same setup gives you linked records in CRM. Pair a task field of type Contact with a contact field of type Task set, and filling in the client on a task also updates that client’s card. See how it fits a configurable CRM.
FAQ
Can one field be linked to several other fields?
No, only to one. To connect one record with many, use a field that holds several values on that side, such as Task set or List of users.
Do I have to fill in both linked fields?
No. Fill in either one, and Planfix automatically updates the related field in the other record. In the video, the link works the same way from the truck task and from the client task.
Do linked fields support one-to-many and many-to-many relationships?
Yes. Pairing a single-value field with a multi-value field gives a one-to-many link, and two multi-value fields give many-to-many. Planfix supports all four combinations: single → single, single → multiple, multiple → single and multiple → multiple. A Task set field stores links to several tasks, up to 250 values.
Link your first pair of fields
Pick two records your team keeps connecting by hand and link their fields once. For the full table of field types and combinations, see the Help Center article on linked fields. If the records you want to connect don’t exist yet, start with custom objects with their own fields and statuses. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
This video was featured in What’s New in Planfix: December 2024 – January 2025.
