# Relationships (collection to itself)

**URL:** <https://forum.adalo.com/t/relationships-collection-to-itself/35589>\
**Category:** Database\
**Created:** [January 23, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/relationships-collection-to-itself/35589 "2023-01-23T23:19:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John.Nope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@John.Nope](https://forum.adalo.com/u/John.Nope)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://forum.adalo.com/t/relationships-collection-to-itself/35589/1 "2023-01-23T23:19:05Z")

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I would love a better understanding of how relationships work when it’s a Collection’s relationship to itself works. I think it’s actually something I need to understand for what I am trying to build right now! I would love to understand how it works, even if it’s not what I need for this example.

App: Project Management Software for the Construction Industry

Collection: “Contractors”

Purpose: Internal Directory / Contacts List

1. Contractor to Referral
2. Contractor to Subcontractor
3. Subcontractor to Subcontractor
4. Contractor to Subcontractor / Subcontractor to Contractor

The best way to describe the 4th scenario is this.

Contractor A is a Flooring Specialist and Contractor B specializes in Painting. Whenever Contractor A has a client that needs paint work they sell it directly to the client and Subcontract the work to Contractor B. Whenever Company B has floor work they do the same with Company A.

One of the things I want to do is make it where each Contractor has their own profile that they can share with other Contractors. This automatically updates the new Contractor’s Contractor, Subcontractor, and/or Referrals list(s) in their directory and categorizes it correctly.