---
title: Add a dependency to a work item in CWM
description: Link a work item to another in Collaborative Work Management \(CWM\) to show how they relate, whether one is a prerequisite for another or they are generally connected.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/add-a-dependency-to-a-work-item-cwm.html
release: australia
product: Collaborative Work Management
classification: collaborative-work-management
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 2
keywords: [dependencies, relationships, prerequisite, dependent, related to, CWM, work items, link]
breadcrumb: [Task dependencies and relationships, Agile in CWM, Use, Collaborative Work Management, Strategic Portfolio Management]
---

# Add a dependency to a work item in CWM

Link a work item to another in Collaborative Work Management \(CWM\) to show how they relate, whether one is a prerequisite for another or they are generally connected.

## Before you begin

Role required: sn\_cwm.cwm\_user

## About this task

Relationships are added from the **Relationships** tab on the work item form in the side panel. You can link work items across Boards and Spaces, and a single work item can have multiple relationships. For an overview of the available relationship types, see [Task dependencies and relationships in CWM](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/managing-task-dependencies-relationships-cwm.md).

## Procedure

1.  Navigate to **Workspaces** > **Collaborative Work Management**.

2.  From a Space, select a Board.

3.  Select a work item to open it in the side panel.

4.  Select the **Relationships** tab.

5.  From the **Prerequisite**, **Dependent**, or **Related to** section, select **Add more**.

6.  Search for the work item by nameor number and select it.

    \[Omitted image "cwm-relationships-add-prereq.png"\] Alt text: Search results showing a work item being selected to add as a relationship in CWM.

7.  Select the Save icon \(\[Omitted image "cwm-icon-scrum-task-save.png"\] Alt text:\) to save the relationship.


## What to do next

After adding a relationship, a relationships indicator icon appears on the work item's Kanban card. Select the icon to view all relationships for that work item from the board.\[Omitted image "cwm-relationships-kanban.png"\] Alt text: A Kanban card showing the relationships indicator, and the side panel open listing the related work items and their relationship types.

If a relationship doesn't apply to your task anymore, you can remove it. For more information, see [Remove a dependency from a work item in CWM](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/remove-a-dependency-from-a-work-item-cwm.md).

**Parent Topic:**[Task dependencies and relationships in CWM](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/managing-task-dependencies-relationships-cwm.md)

**Related topics**  


[Task dependencies and relationships in CWM](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/managing-task-dependencies-relationships-cwm.md)

[Remove a dependency from a work item in CWM](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/it-business-management/collaborative-work-management/remove-a-dependency-from-a-work-item-cwm.md)