Who can use this feature?
Task Owners, Assignees and Admins can add relationship links between tasks
Relationship Links in Aphex allow you to establish task dependencies, ensuring tasks are completed in the correct order. Whether you need tasks to start together, finish together, or follow one another, Relationship Links help keep your project on track and aligned.
You can draw links directly on the Gantt - just click and drag from one bar to another. The link type is set based on where you start and end. It’s quick, visual, and often the easiest way to build out your logic as you go.
Hover over the Predecessor Task Bar and click the
Click and drag from the predecessor to the successor
Release the mouse to automatically create the relationship.
Spotlight Mode helps you quickly see how a task connects to the rest of the plan. Instead of manually tracing arrows or opening extra panels, you can highlight a task and follow its linked pathway directly on the Gantt, with hints showing where the sequence continues off screen.
Select a Task Bar on the Gantt
Click the Spotlight Button that appears next to the Task
The linked pathway will be highlighted immediately
Look for the small Pathway Hint tags at the edges of the screen
These show how many linked Tasks sit just out of view
Click a hint to preview the linked Tasks or jump directly to them
Click the X in the banner
Refreshing the page or logging out will also disable Spotlight Mode
Checkboxes let you select multiple Tasks and build logic between them all at once. Set the sequence, adjust the link type & lag, and apply. It’s the fastest way to build out a full section of your plan.
Hover over tasks and click
Click the Link icon in the multi-select toolbar
Choose the link type (SS, SF, FS, FF
If the Task you want to link to isn’t visible, drop your link on the blue search icon. A menu will open so you can quickly search and select the right Task without changing your filters or losing your place.
Hover over the Predecessor Task and click the
Click and drag to
The Link Search Modal will appear. Use the search bar or filters to find the task you want to link
When you open a Task, you’ll see a full list of its linked Tasks including Link Type, Lag and Float/Driving. From here, you can make changes or add new relationships; no dragging or switching views required.
Open the Task Panel for the task you want to link.
Scroll to Related Tasks and click
The Link Search Menu will appear. Use the search bar or filters to find the task you want to link.
Lag lets you add a space between linked Tasks, helping account for handovers, wait times, or real-world gaps without shifting tasks manually. As you adjust Tasks, Aphex gives you a quick visual cue showing how much lag you’ve just added or removed.
Use the Task Bar, or Start and End properties to edit the dates of the successor Task
The Lag Change Indicator appears, showing the number of lag days added or removed
Open the Task Panel for the Task you want to link.
Scroll to Related Tasks and click into the Lag field and enter a value
On the Gantt, click a Link Line
In the Link Modal, click into the Lag field and enter a value
Select to apply the Lag change to the relationship
Each relationship between Tasks shows whether it’s Driving or how much Float it has. A Driving relationship means the predecessor has zero float - any change to it will move the successor. Links with float display how much flexibility exists before the successor is affected. These values update automatically as Task dates, link type, or lag change, helping you see which parts of the schedule are fixed and which still have room to move.
Click any relationship link on the Gantt - single or multiple
In the Link Menu that opens, Driving Tasks are marked with
Links that aren’t driving display their Float Value
You can edit or break existing relationship links at any time to update or remove connections between Tasks.
On the Gantt, click a Link Line
In the Link Modal that opens, you can either:
edit the Link Type (FS, SF, FF, SS)
On the Gantt, click a Link Line
In the Link Modal that opens, click Remove Link
Understanding scheduling behaviour helps you predict how linked tasks behave when dates change based on whether they're Planned, Promised, or Done. It’s the key to controlling movement, Ripple Status, and Progress Updates in your plan.
Successor is Planned:
Both tasks reschedule freely.
Successor follows any changes to the Predecessor.
See also:
Click to apply edits to the relationship
Successor won’t move.
Only the Predecessor shifts.
Successor is Planned:
Successor moves freely and reschedules based on new Predecessor date.
Successor is Promised:
You’ll get a Ripple Status prompt.
Optionally apply the delay to the Successor.
Successor is Done:
Successor won’t move. Only the Promised Predecessor shifts.
The task is locked. You can’t move it.
Any changes must start from its Successors.
While Spotlight is active
Clicking another task switches the spotlight to that pathway
Up and down arrow keys change the spotlighted task
You can pan, scroll, and switch Views without disabling Spotlight
All normal task interactions remain available
Selection behaviour
Spotlight follows the currently selected Task
Clicking into empty space deselects the Task and clears the Pathway Spotlight
Printing
Spotlight is not included in print outputs
Printing does not disable Spotlight
Returning to the Gantt keeps Spotlight active
The Predecessor Task Calendar is used to determine lag when added to a relationship link
When drawing Links on the Gantt, Aphex automatically applies zero-day lag, snapping the successor to come immediately after the predecessor
Hold Shift while drawing the link to keep the existing gap - Aphex will automatically calculate and apply the right lag to preserve the spacing between tasks
The Lag Change Indicator will be visible on the Gantt for a few seconds after the change is applied
Float is the amount of time a predecessor task can move without delaying its successor
It’s calculated automatically using the start and finish dates of both tasks, the relationship type, and any lag that exists between them
When Float = 0, the predecessor is considered Driving - any change to it will immediately shift the successor’s dates
When Float > 0, the predecessor is non-driving and has flexibility before it impacts the successor
Float and Driving values update dynamically whenever task dates, relationship types, or lag are changed
Example
Predecessor task finishes on: 1 September
Successor task starts on: 6 September
Lag: 1 day
Step-by-step:
Days between 1 Sep and 6 Sept (inclusive): 5 days
Float = 5 - 0 - 1 = 4 days
The predecessor has 4 days of float. It can finish as late as 5 September without delaying the successor
The second task starts when the first task starts.
Start > Finish (SF)
The second task finishes when the first task starts.
Finish > Start (FS)
The second task starts when the first task finishes.
Finish > Finish (FF)
The second task finishes when the first task finishes.
