Tree view: link contracts to one another

The screenshots in this article show the German interface. The English label is given first, with the German label in square brackets.

Your benefit

If you have many contracts with the same counterparty or relating to one project, a flat list quickly becomes hard to keep track of. With the tree view [Baumansicht] you assign sub-contracts to their main contract and can expand and collapse them like a folder structure. That saves time searching, avoids duplicate maintenance and makes audits, handovers and termination decisions faster.

How it works

1. Switching to the tree view

In the contract list (sidebar „Contracts [Verträge]") you will see a toggle at the top:

• Simple view [Einfache Ansicht] — a flat list of all contracts
• Tree view [Baumansicht] — a hierarchical display with a parent-child relationship

Click „Tree view [Baumansicht]" to switch to the tree display.

2. Recognising linked contracts

Contracts that have subordinate sub-contracts show:

• An arrow icon to the left of the contract name (for expanding and collapsing)
• A number badge with the number of linked sub-contracts (e.g. „3" for three subordinate contracts)

Click the arrow to expand the subordinate contracts.

3. Linking contracts in the detail view

Open a contract and switch to the „Linked [Verknüpft]" tab on the right. Here you will see:

• The current contract with its category tag
• All linked contracts with their category tag, added-by [Hinzugefügt-von] and date [Datum]

Use the „+" icon in the top right to add further links — and the magnifying-glass icon to search for a specific existing contract in the system.

4. Adding a new link

Click „+" and then „Link contract [Vertrag verknüpften]".

A search then opens: type the title of the target contract and select it from the list of suggestions. The contract appears in the Linked [Verknüpft] list straight away — the link applies in both directions (you also see the connection in the target contract).

5. Removing a link again

In the Linked [Verknüpft] list you remove an existing connection using the delete icon on the relevant row (the contract itself is kept — only the relationship is removed).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between „Linked [Verknüpft]" and a sub-contract in the tree view [Baumansicht]?
It is the same concept from two perspectives: the tree view [Baumansicht] shows the links visually as a hierarchy in the contract list, while the „Linked [Verknüpft]" tab inside a contract lists them for that single document.

Can a contract have more than one parent contract?
Yes. ContractHero allows cross-links — an annex can belong to several framework agreements. In the tree view it then appears under both parents.

How deep can the hierarchy go?
There is no hard limit. Several levels are possible (framework agreement → individual order → side agreement → annex). From around three levels onwards it becomes challenging to keep an overview — only use deep hierarchies where they genuinely add value.

Are permissions inherited?
No. The visibility of a contract is still determined by category and team, not by its position in the tree. Anyone without access to a sub-contract will not see it in the tree view either.

What happens to links if I delete a contract?
When a contract is deleted, its links are removed automatically. The other contracts are kept — but the connection disappears from their „Linked [Verknüpft]" list.

Can I create links in bulk?
At the moment links are created per contract. If you want to carry over hundreds of links from an existing portfolio, talk to us — we can help with the initial setup.

Do links affect reminders or approvals?
No. Reminders, approval rules and tasks apply per contract — a link is purely a viewing relationship, not a workflow trigger.

Good to know

• A clear naming convention saves days. If all sub-contracts follow the pattern „ — ", you will find them quickly when linking — and audits run more cleanly.
• Main contract = container, sub-contract = content. Treat framework agreements as the umbrella and store the specific terms (prices, volumes) in the sub-contracts. That keeps the framework agreement stable even when individual orders change.
• Not everything has to go into the tree. Linking is helpful for contracts that genuinely belong together — a coincidental similarity (same supplier, but independent contracts) does not need a connection. Otherwise the tree quickly becomes overgrown.
• The simple view remains better for searching. If you are looking for one specific contract or need a bulk export, the simple view [Einfache Ansicht] is usually faster. The tree view is particularly suited to getting an overview and preparing for audits.
• We support you with the setup. During onboarding we help you define a sensible hierarchy for your most important contract types — with large framework agreements and many individual orders in particular, it pays to set this up properly once.

Related articles

• How do I add contracts to ContractHero?
• How do I edit contracts?
• How can I assign multiple documents to a contract?
• How does task management work?

Updated on: 08/26/2026