Reference Custom Field

Reference custom fields allow you to create links between records in different projects, enabling cross-project relationships and data sharing. They provide a powerful way to connect related work across your organization’s project structure.

Basic Example

Create a simple reference field:

mutation CreateReferenceField {
  createCustomField(input: {
    name: "Related Project"
    type: REFERENCE
    referenceProjectId: "proj_456"
    description: "Link to related project records"
  }) {
    id
    name
    type
    referenceProjectId
  }
}

Advanced Example

Create a reference field with filtering and multiple selection:

mutation CreateFilteredReferenceField {
  createCustomField(input: {
    name: "Dependencies"
    type: REFERENCE
    referenceProjectId: "proj_456"
    referenceMultiple: true
    referenceFilter: {
      status: ACTIVE
      tags: ["dependency"]
    }
    description: "Select multiple dependency records from the project"
  }) {
    id
    name
    type
    referenceProjectId
    referenceMultiple
    referenceFilter
  }
}

Input Parameters

CreateCustomFieldInput

Note: Custom fields are automatically associated with the project based on the user’s current project context.

Reference Configuration

Single vs Multiple References

Single Reference (default):

{
  referenceMultiple: false  # or omit this field
}

• Users can select one record from the referenced project
• Returns a single Todo object

Multiple References:

{
  referenceMultiple: true
}

• Users can select multiple records from the referenced project
• Returns an array of Todo objects

Reference Filtering

Use referenceFilter to limit which records can be selected:

{
  referenceFilter: {
    assigneeIds: ["user_123"]
    tagIds: ["tag_123"]
    dueStart: "2024-01-01"
    dueEnd: "2024-12-31"
    showCompleted: false
  }
}

Setting Reference Values

Single Reference

mutation SetSingleReference {
  setTodoCustomField(input: {
    todoId: "todo_123"
    customFieldId: "field_456"
    customFieldReferenceTodoIds: ["referenced_todo_789"]
  })
}

Multiple References

mutation SetMultipleReferences {
  setTodoCustomField(input: {
    todoId: "todo_123"
    customFieldId: "field_456"
    customFieldReferenceTodoIds: [
      "referenced_todo_789",
      "referenced_todo_012",
      "referenced_todo_345"
    ]
  })
}

SetTodoCustomFieldInput Parameters

Creating Records with References

mutation CreateRecordWithReference {
  createTodo(input: {
    title: "Implementation Task"
    todoListId: "list_123"
    customFields: [{
      customFieldId: "reference_field_id"
      value: "referenced_todo_789"
    }]
  }) {
    id
    title
    customFields {
      id
      customField {
        name
        type
      }
      selectedTodos {
        id
        title
        status
      }
    }
  }
}

Response Fields

TodoCustomField Response

Note: Referenced todos are accessed via customField.selectedTodos, not directly on TodoCustomField.

Referenced Todo Fields

Each referenced Todo includes:

Querying Reference Data

Basic Query

query GetRecordsWithReferences {
  todos(projectId: "project_123") {
    id
    title
    customFields {
      id
      customField {
        name
        type
        selectedTodos {
          id
          title
          status
          project {
            id
            name
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Advanced Query with Nested Data

query GetDetailedReferences {
  todos(projectId: "project_123") {
    id
    title
    customFields {
      id
      customField {
        name
        type
        referenceProjectId
        referenceMultiple
      }
      selectedTodos {
        id
        title
        description
        status
        dueDate
        assignees {
          id
          name
          email
        }
        tags {
          id
          name
          color
        }
        project {
          id
          name
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Required Permissions

Important: Users must have view permissions on the referenced project to see the linked records.

Cross-Project Access

Project Visibility

• Users can only reference records from projects they have access to
• Referenced records respect the original project’s permissions
• Changes to referenced records appear in real-time
• Deleting referenced records removes them from reference fields

Permission Inheritance

• Reference fields inherit permissions from both projects
• Users need view access to the referenced project
• Edit permissions are based on the current project’s rules
• Referenced data is read-only in the context of the reference field

Error Responses

Invalid Reference Project

{
  "errors": [{
    "message": "Project not found",
    "extensions": {
      "code": "PROJECT_NOT_FOUND"
    }
  }]
}

Referenced Record Not Found

{
  "errors": [{
    "message": "Custom field not found",
    "extensions": {
      "code": "CUSTOM_FIELD_NOT_FOUND"
    }
  }]
}

Permission Denied

{
  "errors": [{
    "message": "Forbidden",
    "extensions": {
      "code": "FORBIDDEN"
    }
  }]
}

Best Practices

Field Design

1. Clear naming - Use descriptive names that indicate the relationship
2. Appropriate filtering - Set filters to show only relevant records
3. Consider permissions - Ensure users have access to referenced projects
4. Document relationships - Provide clear descriptions of the connection

Performance Considerations

1. Limit reference scope - Use filters to reduce the number of selectable records
2. Avoid deep nesting - Don’t create complex chains of references
3. Consider caching - Referenced data is cached for performance
4. Monitor usage - Track how references are being used across projects

Data Integrity

1. Handle deletions - Plan for when referenced records are deleted
2. Validate permissions - Ensure users can access referenced projects
3. Update dependencies - Consider impact when changing referenced records
4. Audit trails - Track reference relationships for compliance

Common Use Cases

Project Dependencies

# Link to prerequisite tasks in other projects
{
  name: "Prerequisites"
  type: REFERENCE
  referenceProjectId: "infrastructure_project"
  referenceMultiple: true
  referenceFilter: {
    showCompleted: true
    tagIds: ["prerequisite_tag_id"]
  }
}

Client Requirements

# Reference client requirements from a requirements project
{
  name: "Client Requirements"
  type: REFERENCE
  referenceProjectId: "requirements_project"
  referenceFilter: {
    assigneeIds: ["client_user_id"]
    showCompleted: false
  }
}

Resource Allocation

# Link to resource records in a resource management project
{
  name: "Assigned Resources"
  type: REFERENCE
  referenceProjectId: "resources_project"
  referenceMultiple: true
  referenceFilter: {
    tagIds: ["available_tag_id"]
  }
}

Quality Assurance

# Reference QA test cases from a testing project
{
  name: "Test Cases"
  type: REFERENCE
  referenceProjectId: "qa_project"
  referenceMultiple: true
  referenceFilter: {
    showCompleted: false
    tagIds: ["test_case_tag_id"]
  }
}

Integration with Lookups

Reference fields work with Lookup fields to pull data from referenced records. Lookup fields can extract values from records selected in reference fields, but they are data extractors only (no aggregation functions like SUM are supported).

# Reference field links to records
{
  name: "Related Tasks"
  type: REFERENCE
  referenceProjectId: "other_project"
}

# Lookup field extracts data from referenced records
{
  name: "Task Status"
  type: LOOKUP
  lookupOption: {
    customFieldId: "related_tasks_field_id"
    targetField: "status"
  }
}

Limitations

• Referenced projects must be accessible to the user
• Changes to referenced project permissions affect reference field access
• Deep nesting of references may impact performance
• No built-in validation for circular references
• No automatic restriction preventing same-project references
• Filter validation is not enforced when setting reference values

Related Resources

• Lookup Fields - Extract data from referenced records
• Projects API - Managing projects that contain references
• Records API - Working with records that have references
• Custom Fields Overview - General concepts