> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.get-clara.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create Many-to-Many Relations

> Connect records where many items on both sides can be linked together using junction objects.

Many-to-many relations let you connect multiple records on both sides. For example: many People can work on many Projects, and each Project can have many People.

<Warning>
  **Lab Feature**: Junction relations are currently in the Lab. Enable them at **Settings → Updates → Lab** before following this guide.
</Warning>

<Note>
  This feature also requires **Advanced mode** to be enabled (toggle at the bottom right of Settings).
</Note>

## When to Use Many-to-Many

Use many-to-many when both sides of a relationship can have multiple connections:

| Relationship      | Example                                                                  |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| People ↔ Projects | A person works on multiple projects; a project has multiple team members |
| Companies ↔ Tags  | A company can have multiple tags; a tag can apply to multiple companies  |
| Products ↔ Orders | A product can be in multiple orders; an order contains multiple products |

## How It Works

Clara uses a **junction object** pattern for many-to-many relations. A junction object sits between two objects and holds the connections:

```
People ←→ Project Assignments ←→ Projects
```

The **Project Assignments** object (junction) has:

* A relation to People (many-to-one)
* A relation to Projects (many-to-one)

When you enable the junction relation toggle, Clara displays linked records directly instead of showing the intermediate junction records.

## Prerequisites

1. **Enable Junction Relations in Lab**: Go to **Settings → Updates → Lab** and enable **Junction Relations**
2. **Enable Advanced mode**: Toggle on **Advanced mode** at the bottom right of the Settings sidebar
3. Plan your data model:
   * Which two objects are you connecting?
   * What should the junction object be called?

## Step 1: Create the Junction Object

First, create the intermediate object that will hold the connections.

1. Go to **Settings → Data Model**
2. Click **+ New object**
3. Name it descriptively (e.g., "Project Assignment", "Team Member", "Product Order")
4. Click **Save**

<Tip>
  **Naming convention**: Use a name that describes the relationship, like "Project Assignment" or "Team Membership". This makes the data model easier to understand.
</Tip>

## Step 2: Create Relations from the Junction Object

Add relation fields from the junction object to both objects you want to connect.

### First Relation (Junction → Object A)

1. Select your junction object in **Settings → Data Model**
2. Click **+ Add Field**
3. Choose **Relation** as the field type
4. Select the first object (e.g., "People")
5. Set the relation type to **Many-to-One** (many assignments can link to one person)
6. Name the fields:
   * Field on junction: e.g., "Person"
   * Field on People: e.g., "Project Assignments"
7. Click **Save**

### Second Relation (Junction → Object B)

1. Still on the junction object, click **+ Add Field**
2. Choose **Relation** as the field type
3. Select the second object (e.g., "Projects")
4. Set the relation type to **Many-to-One**
5. Name the fields:
   * Field on junction: e.g., "Project"
   * Field on Projects: e.g., "Team Members"
6. Click **Save**

## Step 3: Configure the Junction Relation Display

Now configure the source objects to display linked records directly, skipping the intermediate junction object.

1. Go to **Settings → Data Model**
2. Select the first object (e.g., "People")
3. Find the relation field pointing to the junction object (e.g., "Project Assignments")
4. Click to edit the field
5. Enable **"This is a relation to a Junction Object"**
6. Select the **Target relation** (e.g., "Project" — the field on the junction that points to the other side)
7. Click **Save**

Repeat for the other object:

1. Select "Projects" in Data Model
2. Edit the "Team Members" relation field
3. Enable the junction toggle
4. Select "Person" as the target relation
5. Save

## Result

After configuration:

* On a **Person** record, the "Project Assignments" field displays **Projects** directly (not assignment records)
* On a **Project** record, the "Team Members" field displays **People** directly

The junction object still exists and stores the connections, but the UI presents a cleaner many-to-many view.

## Example: People ↔ Projects

Here's a complete walkthrough:

### Create the Junction Object

* Name: **Project Assignment**
* Description: "Links people to projects they work on"

### Add Relations

1. **Project Assignment → People**
   * Type: Many-to-One
   * Field on Assignment: "Person"
   * Field on People: "Project Assignments"

2. **Project Assignment → Projects**
   * Type: Many-to-One
   * Field on Assignment: "Project"
   * Field on Projects: "Team Members"

### Configure Junction Display

1. On **People** object:
   * Edit "Project Assignments" field
   * Enable junction toggle
   * Target: "Project"

2. On **Projects** object:
   * Edit "Team Members" field
   * Enable junction toggle
   * Target: "Person"

### Use It

* Open a Person record → See their Projects directly
* Open a Project record → See team members directly
* Create new connections from either side

## Adding Extra Data to Connections

Since the junction object is a real object, you can add custom fields to store information about the relationship:

* **Role**: "Developer", "Designer", "Manager"
* **Start Date**: When they joined the project
* **Hours Allocated**: Weekly hours on this project

To access this data, navigate to the junction object directly or query it via the API.

## Limitations

* **CSV Import/Export**: Importing many-to-many relations directly is not supported. Import records to the junction object instead.
* **Filters**: Filtering by many-to-many relations may have limited options.

## Related

* [Relation Fields](/user-guide/data-model/capabilities/relation-fields) — relation types explained
* [Create Custom Objects](/user-guide/data-model/how-tos/create-custom-objects) — how to create objects
* [Create Relation Fields](/user-guide/data-model/how-tos/create-relation-fields) — basic relation setup