"}],"short_description":"Relationship classes keep your hosted feature layers connected, enabling smarter editing, cleaner data, and richer insights across ArcGIS Online.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Hosted feature layers are the foundation of\u00a0<\/span>nearly everything<\/span>\u00a0you do\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0ArcGIS Online\u2014whether\u00a0<\/span>you’re<\/span>\u00a0building a web map, reviewing data in the office, collecting it in the field, or running analysis across your organization. They power your apps, dashboards, and mobile workflows.\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>n many\u00a0<\/span>real-world<\/span>\u00a0scenarios,\u00a0<\/span>your data\u00a0<\/span>isn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0a simple flat table<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>A feature might have dozens of related records<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>inspections, notes, observations<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>all combining to\u00a0<\/span>add important context that helps tell the full story<\/span>\u00a0and improve decision-making.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Relationship classes in ArcGIS Online are a powerful solution to keep related records connected. They support cleaner data models, smarter editing workflows, and richer insight across web maps and apps. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This blog breaks down what relationship classes are, how to create them in ArcGIS Pro, how to publish a hosted feature layer with relationship classes and how to use them effectively in ArcGIS Online, along with the key workflow differences you\u2019ll encounter between ArcGIS Pro and the web.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Relationship classes define how records in one dataset are connected to records in another. There are two sides to the relationship, the origin and destination datasets; both can be a spatial layer or a nonspatial table. The origin dataset is where the relationship begins, and the destination contains the related features\/records. It\u2019s also important to note that relationship classes can only be created in a geodatabase, and both the origin and destination datasets must reside in the same geodatabase. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2960864,"id":2960864,"title":"Diagram_One_to_Many","filename":"Diagram_One_to_Many.png","filesize":195407,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/data-management\/understanding-relationship-classes-in-arcgis-online-hosted-feature-services\/diagram_one_to_many","alt":"This is an example of a one-to-many (1:M) relationship class. The relationship is between the origin (Campground Facilities) to the destination (Campsites).","author":"437412","description":"","caption":"This is an example of a one-to-many (1:M) relationship class.","name":"diagram_one_to_many","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2960842,"date":"2026-03-19 21:52:29","modified":"2026-03-23 19:28:12","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":663,"height":444,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","medium-width":390,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","medium_large-width":663,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","large-width":663,"large-height":444,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","1536x1536-width":663,"1536x1536-height":444,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","2048x2048-width":663,"2048x2048-height":444,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","card_image-width":663,"card_image-height":444,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Diagram_One_to_Many.png","wide_image-width":663,"wide_image-height":444}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Before creating a relationship class,\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0important to think through a few key design choices to ensure it supports your workflow correctly. Decisions around the relationship type and cardinality directly affect how features connect and behave.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To create a relationship between features in different tables, there must be a way to match records across those datasets. This is done using fields that\u00a0contain\u00a0corresponding values in the origin and destination tables\u2014known as the primary key and foreign key.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The type of relationship (Simple or Composite)\u00a0defines the dependency\u00a0of the\u00a0related\u00a0features.\u00a0Choosing the correct type is important for\u00a0maintaining\u00a0data integrity and supporting your workflow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Note:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0When\u00a0a\u00a0composite relationship class\u00a0(1:1 or 1:M)\u00a0is\u00a0published to ArcGIS\u00a0Online\u00a0a field index requiring unique values is automatically created on the primary key to\u00a0enforce uniqueness.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When you create a relationship class, the cardinality defines how many features in one dataset should be related to features in another. There are three different options:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2960867,"id":2960867,"title":"Cardinality","filename":"Cardinality.jpg","filesize":29936,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/data-management\/understanding-relationship-classes-in-arcgis-online-hosted-feature-services\/cardinality-2","alt":"Cardinality types diagram.","author":"437412","description":"","caption":"Cardinality types diagram","name":"cardinality-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2960842,"date":"2026-03-19 22:09:27","modified":"2026-03-19 22:09:46","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":423,"height":225,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","medium-width":423,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","medium_large-width":423,"medium_large-height":225,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","large-width":423,"large-height":225,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","1536x1536-width":423,"1536x1536-height":225,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","2048x2048-width":423,"2048x2048-height":225,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","card_image-width":423,"card_image-height":225,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cardinality.jpg","wide_image-width":423,"wide_image-height":225}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Note:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0In ArcGIS Online, managing a many<\/span>\u2011<\/span>to<\/span>\u2011<\/span>many relationship class currently requires manually adding records to the relationship class table and entering the appropriate keys to create each relationship. If the relationship class is composite, it will not cascade the deletion to related features in the destination table.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For more\u00a0information on the fundamentals of relationship classes\u00a0and\u00a0how to create them\u00a0in ArcGIS Pro\u00a0see:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Currently, the only way to use relationship classes in ArcGIS Online is to create them within a geodatabase and then publish the participating datasets as a hosted feature layer.\u00a0<\/span>Publishing data with relationship classes preserves the connections between your tables and feature layers, ensuring that your related records behave as expected in web maps, apps, and\u00a0analysis\u00a0workflows.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>To publish, use\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>Publish Web Layer<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Publish Web Map<\/span><\/a>\u00a0option on the Share tab in ArcGIS Pro. Analyze your map, resolve any errors, and then publish your data.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now that\u00a0your data is published\u00a0in\u00a0ArcGIS Online,\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0explore how to work with your relationship classes to improve your workflow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Attribute tables in ArcGIS Online allow you to quickly see the number of related records and navigate through multiple levels of a relationship tree. To learn more: <\/span>Introducing Related Records to the Table<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Pop-ups are the primary way you can explore and understand relationships between features. The option to view related records is not automatically enabled in the default pop-up settings. To learn more: <\/span>Rolling Out Related Records in Map Viewer<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Related features can be added, edited, and deleted through the editing form for the related dataset, making it easy to manage related records. When a new related feature is created through the edit form, the destination key is automatically populated to establish the relationship. Like pop-ups, the option to view and edit related records is not enabled by default when a feature layer is added to a map. To learn more: <\/span>Configure Forms for Attribute Editing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Are Relationship Classes, and Key Considerations When Setting Them Up<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Primary and Foreign Keys<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Types<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Cardinality<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Additional Resources<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n
Publishing Your Data with Relationship Classes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Requirements\u00a0To\u00a0Publish\u00a0a\u00a0Hosted\u00a0Feature\u00a0Layer\u00a0with\u00a0Relationship\u00a0Classes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Working with Relationship Classes in ArcGIS Online<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Navigating Related Records in\u00a0the Attribute Table<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
Setting up the Pop-ups to View Related Records<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
Configure\u00a0Editing\u00a0Forms\u00a0and\u00a0Editing\u00a0Related\u00a0Records<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n