Relationships are the connections that bring your family tree to life. Understanding how to create and manage them is key to building an accurate tree.
The Three Relationship Types
Friendictionary supports three core relationship types:
Parent-Child: Vertical connections that show generational links. These are the backbone of your family tree structure.
Spouse: Horizontal connections between married partners. Shown with a solid line and typically includes marriage dates.
Partner: Horizontal connections for unmarried partnerships. Functionally identical to spouse but labeled differently.
Creating a Parent-Child Relationship
To connect a parent to a child:
- Click on the parent's card
- Drag from the parent to the child
- Select "Parent-Child" from the options
- The tree automatically arranges to show the generational hierarchy
Children are positioned below their parents, and siblings are aligned horizontally at the same generational level.
Creating Spouse and Partner Relationships
To connect partners:
- Click on one partner's card
- Drag to the other partner
- Select "Spouse" or "Partner"
- Optionally add marriage date and location
- The couple will be positioned side-by-side
Multiple Marriages and Relationships
Real families are complex, and Friendictionary handles that gracefully:
- A person can have multiple spouse/partner relationships
- Sequential marriages are supported (divorced, remarried)
- Each relationship maintains its own details
- Children can be connected to the appropriate parents
Editing Existing Relationships
Need to change a relationship? Click on the connection line between two people. You can:
- Change the relationship type
- Add or edit marriage dates
- Mark relationships as divorced
- Delete the relationship if incorrect
Complex Family Structures
Modern families come in many forms, and we support them all:
Blended Families: Children from previous relationships, step-parents, and half-siblings.
Adoptions: Mark children as adopted and maintain both biological and adoptive connections.
Same-Sex Couples: All relationship types work regardless of gender.
Best Practices
Start with immediate family: Get your close relatives connected first, then branch outward.
Double-check connections: It's easy to accidentally connect the wrong people. Review relationships as you build.
Add dates when known: Marriage dates and locations add context and help organize the tree chronologically.
Be patient with complex trees: Large trees with many generations take time to build. Work on one branch at a time.
The relationship system is designed to be flexible enough to represent any family structure accurately while keeping the interface simple and intuitive.