Self-relationships on the same object
Key Takeaway
A self-relationship must be a lookup relationship, because you can't relate an object to itself with a master-detail relationship.
A self-relationship links an object to itself, so one record can point to another record of the same type. On most objects, you build it as a lookup relationship field, but the User object uses a special hierarchical relationship instead.
What a self-relationship is
A self-relationship is a lookup relationship field whose related object is the same object the field sits on.
For example, imagine you want Position records to point to other Position records. You would create a field on the Position object with the "Lookup Relationship" data type, and you would select Position in the "Related To" picklist.
Use a self-relationship when records need to reference peers or parents of the same type. Examples include:
- Linking two Bug records tied to the same problem
- Linking one campaign to another campaign
- Letting recruiters see other open positions that need similar skills