FreeAgent CRM helps you store, organize, and track many different types of information. We do this using Apps.
But Apps are just the beginning. To get the full benefit of FreeAgent CRM, you need to connect the Apps to each other. This is done via Reference Fields and Related Lists.
When Reference Fields and Related Lists are used together, these two amazing capabilities give you the power to manage your business exactly as you want it.
Note: If you have not read our article on Reference Fields (link above), read that first before moving on to this article.
Edition Qualifier: This feature is available in all FreeAgent Editions.
This article covers the following topics:
- What are Related Lists?
- How to create a Related List
- Reorder Related Lists
- Edit Related Lists
- Deactivate/Activate Related Lists
FAQ
How do I create a Related List in FreeAgent?
See How to create a Related List.
Where can I find my Related Lists?
See Navigate to Related Lists.
How do I delete/deactivate a Related List?
See Delete/Deactivate/Activate Related Lists.
Who can create Related Lists?
Only Administrators can create Related Lists.
Can I use custom fields in a Related List?
Yes.
What types of records can be used in a Related List?
The App you are creating the Related List in will determine the records you can use. Related lists can use various types of records, including Contacts, Opportunities, Activities, and more.
Can I filter the records displayed in a Related List?
Yes. FreeAgent 'Conditions' allow you to customize your Related List to display filtered records.
See Conditions.
Can I reorder my Related Lists?
Yes. You can decide the order of the items in a Related List and even choose not to display particular items. See Reorder Related Lists.
Can I create reports based on data from related lists?
Yes.
Are Related Lists searchable?
Yes.
What are Related Lists?
Related Lists specify which App records connected via Reference Fields are displayed when viewing an App record.
For example, if you are viewing an Account record, you can create a Related List to see all the Contacts associated with that Account record. In fact, you could create Related Lists that display all the Opportunities, Quotes, Orders, and Tickets (or any other App record) associated with that Account record.
This centralizes your data so that you can quickly and easily create and update App records and navigate between them.
For example, if you want to create a new Contact record that will be associated with an existing Account record, you can use the Contacts Related List in the Account record to create a new Contact record in just a few seconds. See Set Fields below.
Related Lists are also used to determine which Events should show on your App record’s Timeline.
Some common examples of Related Lists include:
- Account Contacts list- Allows you to see every Contact associated with an Account.
- Sales Activities list- Allows you to see every sales Activity related to a Lead or Account, including meetings, calls, and emails.
- Team Members list- Allows you to see all employees assigned to a specific project, Deal, Opportunity, or Account.
- Marketing Email list- Allows you to see all Contacts or Leads associated with a specific email marketing campaign.
- To-Do list- Allows you to see all Tasks associated with a specific account.
Related Lists make it easy to navigate related information in a structured and organized way.
How to create a Related List
Navigate to the Related Lists tab in the App Settings
There are two ways to access the Related Lists tab in the App Settings.
1. From the Navigation Menu, go to Settings > Apps and select the App you'd like to create the Related List in. Next, select the Related Lists tab from the menu bar across the top.
2. From the Apps Home Page, hover your cursor over an App icon and you'll see the gear icon appear in the top right corner. Click on it to enter the App Settings for that App. Next, select the Related Lists tab from the menu bar across the top.
Add Related List
Navigate to the App you want to create the Related List in, select the Related Lists tab, and click the Add Related List button.
You will be presented with the Add Related List menu.
Step 1- Name the Related List
The first thing you should do is name your new Related List. Be sure to choose a name that is clear and specific.
“To-do” is a great example as we all know what a to-do list is.
Enter the name in the Name field and the singular version of the name in the Singualr Name field.
Step 2- Choose Reference and Reference Field
You will then designate a Reference and a corresponding Reference Field. The options will be determined by the App you are using to create the Related List.
- Reference refers to the specific type of record that the Related List is associated with.
Continuing with our To-Do list example, the Reference is Task because we want the Related List to be directly associated with the Task record.
- Reference Field refers to the unique identifier that will connect a specific record to the Reference record.
In the case of our To-Do list, the Reference Field is Source Record because we want to see the Task record associated with a specific source record (such as a specific Account or Project).
Step 3- Set Fields
The Set Fields section of the Related Lists tab allows you to set the required fields for creating a new App record from a Related List.
For example, if you want to be able to create new Contact records from the Contacts Related List of an Account record, you can determine what fields must be filled out in order to save the new Contact record.
Begin by selecting the +Add Field button in the Set Fields section of the Related Lists tab.
A pair of Set Fields bars will appear titled Field and Value.
From here, you can set the required fields. The options available will be determined by the type of App record you want to create.
For example, if you want to set the required fields for a Contact record, you can choose fields such as First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone.
Note: It is recommended you keep the list of required fields small as the purpose of creating a new record from a Related List is speed and efficiency. More details can always be added to the new record later.
Step 4- Conditions
The Conditions section of the Related Lists tab allows you to use filters to customize your Related Lists so that only the most relevant records in a Related List are displayed.
Begin by selecting the +Add Filter By button in the Conditions section of the Related Lists tab.
A set of Conditions bars will appear titled Field, Operator, and Value.
If we return again to the example of our To-Do list, we can use the Conditions bars to filter out tasks that are Done, so we only see the tasks that still need to be completed.
You can add any number of conditions to achieve your desired Related List. These conditions can be modified at any time.
Step 5- Create and Save your new Related List
Click the Save button in the bottom right corner to create your new Related List.
Reorder Related Lists
With FreeAgent, changing the order of your Related lists is easy. Just navigate to the App the Related List you want to reorder is in and click the Reorder button.
This will bring up a window with all the Active Related List elements. You can drag and drop the elements into the desired order.
This new order will be available in the Rolodex view as well as the detailed view of your records.
Note: If you would like to reorder related lists that have been deactivated, you will need to activate them first. To do this, click the 'show deactivated' checkbox, activate them, and then click the 'Reorder' button.
Edit Related Lists
In FreeAgent, editing your Related Lists is quick and easy.
Begin by navigating to the Related Lists tab in the desired app. Next, select the Options (...) button on the left-hand side of the Related Lists menu.
From here you will see options to Edit, Duplicate, Deactivate, and Delete the selected list.
Select Edit and you will be presented with the same menu you used to create the Related List.
From here you can rename the Related List by entering a new value in the Name and Singular Name fields. The rest of the fields are uneditable.
Delete/Deactivate/Activate Related Lists
If you don't need to use a Related List, you can Delete or Deactivate it.
Begin by navigating to the Related Lists tab in the desired app. Next, select the Options (...) button on the left-hand side of the Related Lists menu.
From here you will see options to Edit, Duplicate, Deactivate, and Delete the selected list.
Select either Duplicate, Deactivate, or Delete and confirm the choice by clicking on the corresponding button in the confirmation dialogue box.
Note: It is usually better to Deactivate a Related List than to Delete it so that you have the option to Activate it again later.
To reactivate a deactivated Related List, navigate to the app that contains the deactivated list and click on the Show Deactivated checkbox.
You can then reactivate the list by selecting the Options (...) button on the left-hand side of the Related Lists menu and clicking on Activate.
Confirm the choice by clicking the Activate button again in the confirmation dialogue box.