You assign a project to a client, but the client page has no property listing its projects. Before creating another relation, check whether the existing connection has its corresponding property enabled.
This guide uses Clients and Projects. Its goal is one connection you can manage from either end.
1. Find the relation you already use
In Projects, open the settings of the Client relation. Confirm that it points to the intended Clients source. Open a selected client page to check its identity if several sources or pages share similar names.
A client name in a text field does not establish this connection. If you have no relation yet, start with connecting two databases.
2. Enable the corresponding property
- Open the existing Client relation’s property settings.
- Find the option to show the relation on the related Clients database.
- Enable it and name the corresponding property Projects.
- Save the property settings.
- Open Clients and show Projects in a Table view if it is hidden.
Notion describes this as a two-way relation. The wording of the setting can vary with the interface.
3. Test the connection with fictional records
| Action | Expected counterpart |
|---|---|
| Select Oak Studio in Website test → Client | Website test appears in Oak Studio → Projects |
| Remove Website test from Oak Studio → Projects | The Oak Studio selection is removed from Website test → Client |
| Restore Oak Studio on the test project | The project appears on the client again |
Use a fictional client and project for this check. Removing a relation association is different from deleting either page. Keep real assignments intact while investigating.
4. Distinguish a hidden property from a missing connection
If Projects is absent from one table, inspect that view’s property visibility. Open the client record and check its page property display too.
If the property exists but is empty, verify the selected client on the test project. Similar names can conceal a different page or a different source.
If you discover two independent relations, do not delete either immediately. Identify which property your dashboards, templates and rollups use, then reconcile their selected pages before changing the structure.
5. Keep navigation separate from summaries
The relation lets you open connected projects. It does not calculate revenue or completion by itself.
For summaries, read relations versus rollups. For a project page displaying task records, use the linked task dashboard guide.
For one client per project and several projects per client, check the 1 page versus No limit guide before applying selection limits.
Common mistakes
- Creating a second independent relation instead of enabling the counterpart.
- Expecting identical names to prove that two properties are paired.
- Deleting a property before checking the views and calculations that depend on it.
- Changing a real client assignment just to test the setup.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need two independent relations?
No. Enable the corresponding property on the existing relation when you want the same connection available at both ends.
Does removing an association delete the client?
No. Removing a selected related page removes that association. Deleting the page itself is a separate action.
Why is the property missing from my table?
Check that view’s property visibility, then inspect the source and the relation settings.
Will the relation calculate project totals?
No. Use a separate summary property when you need a calculation.
Explore the wider workflow
You can build this with your existing databases. If you also need a workspace for clients and projects, explore Freelancer CRM and compare it with your workflow.