Multi-predicate relationships

Expert

Define relationships with more than one match field to create precise joins that filter related records by multiple criteria.

What you'll learn

How to add a second match predicate to an existing relationship
When multi-predicate joins are necessary vs. a single-field join
How additional predicates affect which records appear in portals

A FileMaker relationship can match on multiple field pairs simultaneously, equivalent to a SQL JOIN with AND conditions. Multi-predicate relationships are essential when a single field is not enough to uniquely identify the correct related records — for example, relating line items to an invoice AND a specific product.

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Adding a second match field

In the Edit Relationship dialog, click the = operator row to add additional match field pairs. All conditions are ANDed — only records matching every predicate appear in the relationship.

FileMaker Script

// Relationship: Invoices → LineItems
// Single predicate:
Invoices::id = LineItems::InvoiceId

// Multi-predicate (also filter by category):
Invoices::id = LineItems::InvoiceId
AND
Invoices::Category = LineItems::Category

Organizing the Relationships Graph: layout, colors, and notes Self-join relationships and hierarchical data