Multi-predicate relationships
ExpertDefine 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.
// Relationship: Invoices → LineItems // Single predicate: Invoices::id = LineItems::InvoiceId // Multi-predicate (also filter by category): Invoices::id = LineItems::InvoiceId AND Invoices::Category = LineItems::Category
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