Connect your custom object to your contacts, pick the right relationship type, add and link your first record, and know when a custom object is the right call.
How it connects
Everything Stays Connected
An association identifies and tracks the connection between your objects. The pet relates to the contact, and the contact relates to the pet.
🐶Luna Pet record
Owner
👤Pet Owner Contact
Belongs To
🏡Household Company
Compare the options
The 4 Relationship Types
When you create an association, you choose a single label (like Owner) or a pair of labels (like Borrower and Co-Borrower), then configure the relationship. Tap each type.
01
One-to-One
One record is linked to exactly one other record. This is the pet and owner setup from the video: up to one contact per pet, and up to one pet per contact, using the label Owner.
Example: a single car linked to one specific contact, the owner.
02
One-to-Many
One record is linked to several other records.
Example: one car linked to several contacts labeled Interested Buyers, or one property linked to many interested renters.
03
Many-to-Many
Several records are linked to several other records.
Example: many cars linked to many contacts, the buyers and sellers at a dealership.
04
One-to-N (Custom Limit)
You define a specific limit for the relationship, so no more than a set number of records can connect.
Example: a dealership allows one car to be listed for sale by up to five contacts labeled Sellers.
"We're not calling the pet or the property or the automobile. We're calling the contact. You're relating that object to the contact."
Put it to work
Adding & Linking A Record
Once the object, fields, and association are set, here's the day-to-day flow.
➕
Add The Record
Click your object in the left-side menu (refresh if it's new) and add a record, like the pet name Luna. Then save.
✏️
Fill In The Details
Open the record to fill in your custom fields, like female, spayed or neutered, and last date of shots.
🔗
Link It From The Record
Inside the record, search for a contact and add them. A new record isn't connected to anyone until you do this.
👤
Or Link It From The Contact
Open the contact, click the Associations icon, and link an existing pet or create a new one. The Owner label shows on both sides.
Smart use
Custom Object Or Standard Object?
Custom objects are powerful, but not always the right answer.
Great fit for a custom object
The data is a thing, not a person or organization
You need repeatable records of the same kind of thing
Real estate: a Homes object for price, status, and location
Vet clinics: a Pets object for medical history and vaccinations
Stick with standard objects
Contacts, companies, or opportunities already do the job
You need bulk emails, marketing campaigns, or messaging
It would duplicate an existing object (use smart lists or tags)
You're tracking notes, tasks, or activities
Key terms
Definitions
Tap any term to expand it.
The connection between two records, used to identify and track how your objects relate to contacts, opportunities, and companies.
One name for the connection, like Owner for a pet and its owner.
A name for each side of the connection, like Borrower and Co-Borrower.
One entry inside your object, like Luna inside your Pets object.
A saved, filtered list of standard records. Often the better choice than a custom object when you just need to segment.
Help me do it
Things To Do
Finish these before moving to the next lesson. They only take a few minutes.
0 of 3 done
⚡ Tips
Start with the simplest relationship that fits. Most pet and owner setups are one-to-one.
Read the relationship preview before you save. It spells out how many records can connect on each side.
You can edit any association later from the three dots, so update it as your process grows.
Relate every custom object to the opportunity, contact, or company it belongs to. An unlinked object is just a list.
Brand new to your software? Get comfortable with custom fields first, then come back to custom objects.
Check yourself
Quick Knowledge Check
Answer a few quick questions to lock in what you just learned. Miss one and we'll show you the right answer.
0 of 4 answered
A pet is linked to exactly one owner, and each owner to one pet. Which relationship type is that?
A dealership lets one car be listed by up to five sellers. Which relationship type sets that limit?
Borrower and Co-Borrower is an example of a ____ of labels.
You need to send a bulk email campaign to a group of people. What should you use?
Help me apply it
Try This With Your Favorite AI
Copy a prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever AI tool you use. Fill in the bracketed details and it'll help you build your own version for your business.
🔗 Plan My Associations
You are a CRM architect helping me connect a custom object to the people in my database the right way.
My context:
- My business type: [describe your business]
- My custom object: [for example Pets, Properties, Vehicles]
- Who connects to each record and in what role: [for example owner, buyer, seller, renter, borrower]
- How many people can connect to one record, and how many records one person can have: [describe it]
Give me:
- The association label or pair of labels to use
- The right relationship type (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many, or one-to-N with a custom limit) and a one-sentence reason
- If it's one-to-N, the limit you'd set and why
- One common mistake to avoid with this setup
Rules: plain language, no software brand names, bullet points, under 250 words.
Finish by asking me: "Do you want to add a second association, like connecting this object to an opportunity or a company?"
⚖️ Custom Object Or Not?
You are a CRM advisor who keeps systems simple. Help me decide whether each item below needs a custom object or should stay in a standard object.
My business: [describe your business]
Items I'm thinking about tracking:
[list 3 to 6 items, one per line, for example event attendees, pets, project deliverables, VIP clients]
For each item, tell me:
- Custom object, or standard object (contacts, companies, opportunities) with smart lists or tags
- One sentence explaining why
- If it's a custom object, the primary field it should use
Use these rules: people and organizations stay on contacts and companies, anything needing bulk email or marketing campaigns stays on contacts, notes and tasks never become custom objects, and never duplicate an existing object.
Format as a simple table, no software brand names, under 300 words.
Finish by asking me: "Which custom object on this list do you want to build first?"
Custom objects keep your data clean and connected. If you're ready, go create and add your first custom object now, then link it to the contact it belongs to.
✨✨
✓
You did it!
You made it through every question. That's the lesson, locked in.