Post Linking and Relationships

How to get there: Click All Posts in the sidebar → open a post → click More (⋯) → Link Posts to create relationships between posts.

Learn how to create connections between related posts in ProductLift, helping you organize dependencies, track related features, and provide context for complex initiatives.

What are Post Links?

Post linking allows you to create explicit relationships between posts, showing how features are connected, dependent, or related. Links help users understand the bigger picture and help your team manage dependencies in product development.

When you link posts, ProductLift displays these relationships on post detail pages, making it easy to navigate between related ideas and understand how different features fit together.

Why Link Posts?

Benefits of Post Linking:

For Users:

  • Discover related features they might also want
  • Understand which features depend on others
  • Follow the full scope of a product initiative
  • See alternative solutions to their problem

For Product Teams:

  • Track feature dependencies
  • Manage multi-post initiatives
  • Prevent duplicate work
  • Communicate phased rollouts
  • Plan release sequences

For Prioritization:

  • Identify blocking relationships
  • Group related features for bulk planning
  • Understand impact scope
  • Coordinate cross-team work

Types of Post Relationships

Relationship Types

ProductLift supports several relationship types:

1. Related To

  • General association between posts
  • No specific dependency
  • Example: "Dark Mode" related to "Custom Themes"
  • Bidirectional: Both posts show the link

2. Depends On

  • One post requires another to be completed first
  • Shows dependency chain
  • Example: "Advanced Search" depends on "Search Infrastructure"
  • Direction matters: A depends on B (A blocked until B done)

3. Blocks

  • Inverse of "Depends On"
  • Post must be done before others can proceed
  • Example: "API Authentication" blocks "API Rate Limiting"
  • Direction matters: A blocks B (B can't start until A done)

4. Duplicates

  • Two posts describe the same feature
  • Used before merging posts
  • Example: "Add Export" duplicates "Download Reports"
  • Usually indicates posts should be merged

5. Part Of

  • Post is a component of larger initiative
  • Creates parent-child hierarchy
  • Example: "iOS App" is part of "Mobile Platform"
  • Useful for epics or themes

[Screenshot: Relationship type selector dropdown showing options: "Related To", "Depends On", "Blocks", "Duplicates", "Part Of"]

Choosing the Right Relationship Type

Use "Related To" when:

  • Posts share a theme but are independent
  • Both solve similar problems
  • Users who want one might want the other
  • No dependency, just association

Use "Depends On" when:

  • Feature A can't be built without Feature B first
  • Technical dependency exists
  • Sequence matters for product strategy

Use "Blocks" when:

  • Feature must complete before others start
  • Foundation feature for multiple dependents
  • Critical path item

Use "Duplicates" when:

  • Two posts request the same thing
  • Before merging posts together
  • Redirecting users to canonical post

Use "Part Of" when:

  • Breaking large feature into smaller posts
  • Organizing initiatives or themes
  • Creating hierarchical structure

Creating Post Links

Link Posts from Post Detail Page

Method 1: Link Button

  1. Open post detail page
  2. Scroll to "Relationships" or "Links" section
  3. Click "Add Link" or "Link Post" button
  4. Search for post to link
  5. Select relationship type
  6. Click "Create Link"
  7. Link appears immediately

[Screenshot: Post detail page with "Relationships" section showing "Add Link" button]

Step-by-Step Example:

Scenario: Link "Advanced Search" to depend on "Search Infrastructure"

  1. Open post: "Advanced Search"
  2. Click "Add Link" in Relationships section
  3. Search dialog opens
  4. Type "search infrastructure" in search box
  5. Select "Search Infrastructure" from results
  6. Choose relationship: "Depends On"
  7. Click "Link"
  8. "Advanced Search" now shows: "Depends on: Search Infrastructure"

[Screenshot: Link creation dialog showing search box with results, relationship type dropdown set to "Depends On", and "Link" button]

Bulk Linking:

Link one post to multiple others at once:

  1. Open post detail page
  2. Click "Add Links" (plural)
  3. Search and select multiple posts (checkboxes)
  4. Choose relationship type (applies to all)
  5. Click "Link All"

Example:

Link "Mobile Platform" to three child posts:

  • "iOS App" (Part Of)
  • "Android App" (Part Of)
  • "Mobile API" (Part Of)

Result: Mobile Platform shows three "Part Of" relationships.

[Screenshot: Bulk link dialog showing three selected posts with checkboxes, relationship type "Part Of", and "Link All" button]

Viewing Post Relationships

Relationships Section

Post Detail Display:

Linked posts appear in "Relationships" section:

What You See:

  • Relationship type icon
  • Linked post title (clickable)
  • Linked post status badge
  • Vote count
  • Link direction indicator

Example Display:

Relationships

Depends On:
→ Search Infrastructure (Status: In Progress) • 45 votes

Blocks:
→ Search Analytics (Status: Under Review) • 23 votes
→ Saved Searches (Status: Planned) • 18 votes

Related To:
⟷ Advanced Filters (Status: Planned) • 32 votes

[Screenshot: Relationships section on post showing multiple linked posts with icons, titles, status badges, and vote counts]

Bidirectional Relationships

Automatic Reverse Links:

When you create a link, ProductLift automatically creates the reverse link on the other post:

Example:

When you link:

  • Post A "depends on" Post B

ProductLift automatically creates:

  • Post B "blocks" Post A

Benefits:

  • Complete picture on both posts
  • No manual reverse linking needed
  • Dependency chain always visible

Dependency Visualization

Dependency Chain View:

For complex dependencies, ProductLift can display visual dependency tree:

  1. Open post with dependencies
  2. Click "View Dependency Tree"
  3. Visual graph shows all related posts
  4. Color coding by status
  5. Click nodes to navigate

[Screenshot: Dependency tree visualization showing connected nodes representing posts, with arrows indicating dependencies and color-coded status]

Change Relationship:

If you linked with wrong relationship type:

  1. Hover over linked post in Relationships section
  2. Click "Edit" icon
  3. Select new relationship type
  4. Click "Update"
  5. Both posts update immediately

Example:

Change "Advanced Search" from "Related To" to "Depends On" Search Infrastructure:

  • Edit link
  • Change type to "Depends On"
  • Save
  • Dependency now properly tracked

Unlink Posts:

  1. Hover over linked post in Relationships section
  2. Click "Remove" or "X" icon
  3. Confirm removal
  4. Link removed from both posts

When to Remove Links:

  • Link was created in error
  • Posts no longer related
  • Dependency resolved (feature shipped)
  • Before merging duplicate posts

[Screenshot: Hover state on linked post showing "Edit" and "Remove" icons]

Remove Multiple Links:

  1. Open post with many links
  2. Click "Manage Links" button
  3. Select links to remove (checkboxes)
  4. Click "Remove Selected"
  5. Confirm bulk removal

Use Cases and Workflows

Use Case 1: Feature Dependencies

Scenario: Building multi-tier feature requiring foundation work

Setup:

  1. Create foundation post: "API Authentication"
  2. Create dependent features:
    • "API Rate Limiting" (depends on Authentication)
    • "API Webhooks" (depends on Authentication)
    • "API Usage Analytics" (depends on Rate Limiting)

Link Structure:

API Authentication
  ↓ blocks
API Rate Limiting
  ↓ blocks
API Usage Analytics

API Authentication
  ↓ blocks
API Webhooks

Benefits:

  • Team knows build order
  • Can't start Rate Limiting until Authentication done
  • Clear sequence for prioritization

[Screenshot: Post "API Authentication" showing it blocks two other posts with arrows indicating dependency direction]

Use Case 2: Large Initiative Breakdown

Scenario: Mobile app initiative split into smaller posts

Setup:

  1. Create parent post: "Mobile Platform"
  2. Create child posts:
    • "iOS App" (part of Mobile Platform)
    • "Android App" (part of Mobile Platform)
    • "Mobile API" (part of Mobile Platform)
    • "Push Notifications" (part of Mobile Platform)

Link Structure:

Mobile Platform
  ├─ iOS App
  ├─ Android App
  ├─ Mobile API
  └─ Push Notifications

Benefits:

  • Users see full scope of mobile initiative
  • Vote on parent or specific child
  • Track progress across all components
  • Ship incrementally

[Screenshot: Parent post "Mobile Platform" showing four child posts linked with "Part Of" relationship]

Use Case 3: Duplicate Management

Scenario: Two users submitted same feature

Workflow:

  1. Identify duplicates: "Export to Excel" and "Download Reports"
  2. Link posts: "Export to Excel" duplicates "Download Reports"
  3. Add comment on duplicate: "Thanks! We're tracking this in [Download Reports]"
  4. Merge posts (see Merging Posts)
  5. Duplicate link automatically removed after merge

Benefits:

  • Users see there's a duplicate before you merge
  • Can review both descriptions for complete context
  • Transparent process

Use Case 4: Alternative Solutions

Scenario: Multiple ways to solve same problem

Setup:

Feature request: "Better reporting"

Alternative solutions:

  • "Custom Report Builder" (related to Better Reporting)
  • "Report Templates" (related to Better Reporting)
  • "Export to BI Tools" (related to Better Reporting)

Link Structure:

Better Reporting (theme)
  ⟷ Custom Report Builder (alternative)
  ⟷ Report Templates (alternative)
  ⟷ Export to BI Tools (alternative)

Benefits:

  • Users see all options
  • Team can choose best approach
  • Vote distribution shows preference

Use Case 5: Phased Rollout

Scenario: Feature shipping in multiple phases

Setup:

  1. "Dark Mode - Phase 1: UI" (blocks Phase 2)
  2. "Dark Mode - Phase 2: Charts" (depends on Phase 1, blocks Phase 3)
  3. "Dark Mode - Phase 3: Email Templates" (depends on Phase 2)

Link Structure:

Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3

Benefits:

  • Clear roadmap sequence
  • Users understand incremental delivery
  • Can ship Phase 1 while planning Phase 2

[Screenshot: Three posts showing phased rollout with dependency chain visualization]

Best Practices

Do Link When:

  • Technical dependency exists
  • Posts are part of same initiative
  • Users who want A probably want B
  • Build order matters
  • Posts share implementation

Don't Link When:

  • Posts are completely unrelated
  • Connection is too vague
  • Every mobile post to every other mobile post (use categories instead)
  • Link would confuse rather than clarify

Guideline:

If you can't explain the link in one sentence, it might not be a meaningful relationship.

Quality Over Quantity:

  • 2-5 links per post: Good
  • 10+ links per post: Too many, likely not all meaningful
  • 0 links on complex feature: Might be missing connections

Review Links Regularly:

  • When post status changes (dependency resolved?)
  • During roadmap planning
  • Quarterly link audit

Prioritization with Dependencies:

  1. Run RICE/ICE prioritization
  2. Review top-scored posts
  3. Check dependency links
  4. Ensure dependencies planned first
  5. Adjust roadmap order accordingly

Example:

  • "Advanced Search" scores high (RICE: 8.5)
  • But depends on "Search Infrastructure" (RICE: 6.0)
  • Plan Search Infrastructure first despite lower score
  • Dependency-aware prioritization

In Status Updates:

Status Update: Planned

We're adding this feature to our roadmap! Note that it depends on
[API Authentication] which we're building first. Expected Q3 2026.

In Roadmap View:

  • Show dependency chains visually
  • Indicate which features must ship first
  • Set expectations for timing

Troubleshooting

Issue: Can't Find Post to Link

Solution:

  • Check if post exists (search portal)
  • Verify you have permissions to see post
  • Try searching by ID or partial title
  • Post might be in different board

Issue: Link Direction Confusing

Solution:

  • Remember: "A depends on B" means A needs B first
  • Remember: "A blocks B" means B needs A first
  • Use tooltip hover for clarification
  • Dependency tree visualization helps

Issue: Too Many Links, Overwhelming

Solution:

  • Remove vague "related to" links
  • Keep only dependency/blocking links
  • Use categories for general grouping instead of links
  • Focus on direct relationships only

Issue: Link Shows on One Post But Not Other

Solution:

  • Refresh both posts
  • Bidirectional links should be automatic
  • If persists, remove and recreate link
  • Contact support if issue continues

Issue: Circular Dependency Created

Solution:

  • Detect: A depends on B, B depends on C, C depends on A
  • This shouldn't be possible logically
  • Review links and remove incorrect dependency
  • Usually indicates misunderstanding of feature scope

Post Management:

Planning:

Workflow: