What is a parent-child account?
Parent-child is the basic unit of account hierarchy - the link that connects a corporate entity to the smaller entities beneath it.
It preserves the ability to work each entity separately while revealing the larger organization they all belong to.
Short answer
A parent-child account is a hierarchy relationship where one account (the parent) sits above one or more related accounts (the children), such as a corporate headquarters over its subsidiaries or regional offices. The children remain separate workable records while the link lets you view and roll up deals and revenue across the whole organization.
Key takeaways
- Links a parent account above related child accounts.
- Models headquarters-to-subsidiary and division relationships.
- Children stay separately workable; the link enables rollups.
- The building block of account hierarchy.
Why it matters
Large customers are structured, not flat. Parent-child links model that structure, so a global account is not a dozen disconnected records but one visible organization with enterprise-wide rollups and per-entity detail both available.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo supports parent-child relationships and rolls up deals and revenue across them, while distinguishing them from duplicates. Rook keeps the links accurate as organizations restructure, so hierarchies reflect reality.
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of a parent-child account?
A corporate headquarters as the parent, with regional offices or subsidiaries as children beneath it - for instance, a global company parent over its country-level entities. Each child is worked separately, but the hierarchy connects them for organization-wide visibility and rollups.
Do child accounts work independently?
Yes. Child accounts remain separate, workable records with their own contacts and deals. The parent-child link adds a layer of connection and rollup on top, so you get both per-entity working detail and an enterprise-wide view of the whole organization.
Is a parent-child account the same as a duplicate?
No, and confusing them is costly. Parent-child links distinct entities that should stay separate; duplicates are two records for the same entity that should merge. Merging a child into its parent destroys a real relationship, so confirm the case before acting.