Cascade deletes: deleting related records with a parent

Intermediate

Enable "Delete related records when a record in this table is deleted" on a relationship to automatically remove child records, and understand the risks involved.

What you'll learn

Where to enable cascade delete in the Relationships Graph
Which direction the delete cascades and how deep it goes
Safeguards to add before relying on cascade delete in production

Cascade delete automates the removal of child records when a parent is deleted — useful for keeping data tidy, but irreversible and potentially dangerous without proper safeguards.

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Enable cascade delete on the relationship

In the Relationships Graph, double-click the relationship line to open Edit Relationship. On the right-hand table's panel, check "Delete related records in this table when a record is deleted in the other table."

FileMaker Script

Edit Relationship dialog:
Left table: Customers                Right table: Orders
[ ] Allow creation of records...     [✓] Delete related records in this
    via this relationship                 table when a record is deleted
                                          in the other table

Sorting portal rows: relationship sort vs portal sort Allow creation of records via a relationship