---
title: "Sub-issues and relations"
description: "Break an issue into smaller work and link dependencies."
canonical_url: "https://initera.app/issues/issue-relations"
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://initera.app/llms.txt)

## Make a sub-issue

Open the parent issue and select **Add sub-issue** in its Sub-issues section. The composer carries the parent into the new issue. Enter a title and choose the properties that belong to the smaller task.

After you save, the parent lists its children by identifier and title. Select a child to open it. Use **Load more sub-issues** if the parent has more children than the first page shows.

Use a sub-issue when you need to track a task with its own status, estimate, comments, or time. Use a checklist in the description when each step belongs to one issue and needs no separate history.

## Change a parent

Open the child issue and select **Parent issue** in its properties. Search by identifier or title, then choose the new parent. Clear the field to make the child a top-level issue.

The picker excludes a choice that would create a loop in the issue tree. If the issue belongs to a project, check the destination's project before you move it. A project move can also change the issue identifier according to your workspace preference.

## Link related work

Open **Relations** on an issue. Choose one of these buttons, then search for the other issue:

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      Relation
    </th>
    
    <th>
      Use it when
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Related to
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The two issues share context without a dependency.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      Blocks
    </td>
    
    <td>
      This issue must progress before the other one can.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      Blocked by
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The other issue holds up this one.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      Duplicates
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Both issues describe the same work.
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Search by identifier or title. The picker can find issues beyond the page loaded in **All issues**. Select a result to create the relation. Select the related issue's identifier to open it; use the remove button on a relation row to unlink it.

![Relation picker searching issues to link](https://initera.app/images/app/issue-relation-picker.png)

A child also shows blocking relations from its ancestors with a **via** marker. This gives you the parent's dependency context without adding another direct relation to every child.

## Archive or delete a parent

When you archive a parent with children, the confirmation gives you three choices:

1. **Archive all sub-issues** applies the action to the issue tree.
2. **Make sub-issues top-level** keeps the children open without a parent.
3. **Move sub-issues to another issue** keeps them open under a parent you select.

The same choices appear when you permanently delete an archived parent, with **Delete all sub-issues** for the first choice. Check the affected count before you confirm. Deletion is permanent; archiving keeps an issue available for restore under **Archives**.

Read [Triage and archive](https://initera.app/issues/triage-and-archive) for the archive and restore screens.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://initera.app/sitemap.md) for all pages.