> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create Your First Dependency Link

> This tutorial shows you how to create dependency links between tasks in your Nextedy GANTT chart.

export const LastReviewed = ({date}) => {
  if (!date) return null;
  const formatted = new Date(`${date}T00:00:00Z`).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
    year: "numeric",
    month: "long",
    day: "numeric",
    timeZone: "UTC"
  });
  return <p className="mt-10 text-sm text-gray-400 dark:text-zinc-500 not-prose">
      Last reviewed on {formatted}
    </p>;
};

## What You Will Achieve

After completing this tutorial, you will have:

* A configured dependency role in your Gantt widget
* A dependency link created between two tasks using the graphical link builder
* An understanding of link direction and the four dependency types

## Prerequisites

* [Gantt installed](/gantt/getting-started/installation) on your Polarion server
* A working Gantt chart with at least two work items (see [Set Up a Basic Gantt Chart](/gantt/getting-started/setup-basic-gantt))
* Edit permissions on the Gantt page

<Steps>
  <Step title="Configure the Dependency Role">
    Before you can create dependency links, you need to tell the Gantt chart which Polarion link role represents a dependency relationship.

    1. Enter page edit mode by clicking **Edit** on the Polarion page
    2. Open the widget parameters by clicking the widget gear icon
    3. Find the **Dependency Role** parameter under **Work Items**
    4. Click **Select** and add `depends_on` (or your project's dependency link role) from the left list to the right
    5. Click **OK**, then **Apply**

    You should see the Gantt chart reload. If any work items already have dependency links in Polarion, arrows now appear between them.

    <Note title="Multiple Dependency Roles">
      You can select multiple link roles. If you select more than one, the first role in the list is used when creating new dependency links via the graphical builder.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Edit Mode on the Gantt">
    1. Click the **Edit** button in the Gantt toolbar

    You should see the toolbar change to show the save and cancel buttons, and task bars become interactive (draggable, resizable).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Dependency Link">
    1. Hover over the source task bar (the predecessor task). You should see small circles appear on the left and right edges of the task bar.
    2. Click and drag from the **right circle** of the source task
    3. Drop onto the **left circle** of the target task (the successor task)

    An arrow now appears connecting the two tasks, flowing from the predecessor to the successor. This creates a **finish-to-start** dependency link, meaning the target task cannot start until the source task finishes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save Your Changes">
    Click the **Save** button in the Gantt toolbar to persist the dependency link to Polarion.

    After saving, the dependency link is stored as a Polarion work item link using the configured dependency role.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Understanding Link Direction

Polarion's default `depends_on` link role points from a dependent item to its source (the opposite direction from standard Gantt convention). The Gantt chart automatically reverses the arrow direction so that dependency arrows flow correctly from predecessor to successor.

If your project uses a different link role where the source already points to the dependent item, you can configure this using the `nextedy.gantt.workitems.default.forward_dependency` administration property.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/DDjWgCW2DWY5biNv/gantt/diagrams/getting-started/first-dependency/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=DDjWgCW2DWY5biNv&q=85&s=8c1134fcf30e9de3917f4660936f57c1" alt="diagram" style={{ maxWidth: "640px", width: "100%" }} width="640" height="70" data-path="gantt/diagrams/getting-started/first-dependency/diagram-1.svg" />
</Frame>

## Dependency Types

The Gantt chart supports four standard dependency types:

| Type                      | Code | Description                                          |
| ------------------------- | ---- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Finish-to-Start (FS)**  | `0`  | Target cannot start before source finishes (default) |
| **Start-to-Start (SS)**   | `1`  | Target cannot start before source starts             |
| **Finish-to-Finish (FF)** | `2`  | Target cannot finish before source finishes          |
| **Start-to-Finish (SF)**  | `3`  | Target cannot finish before source starts            |

<Tip title="Enabling Advanced Dependency Types">
  By default, only finish-to-start dependencies are available. To enable all four types, set the following administration property:

  ```
  nextedy.gantt.default.advanced_dependencies=true
  ```

  This property is set in **Project / Repository Administration > Configuration Properties**. Advanced dependency types (SS, FF, SF) require Gantt version **4.4.0** or later. See the [Dependency Types Reference](/gantt/reference/dependency-types) for full details.
</Tip>

## Dependency Constraint Violations

When auto-scheduling is enabled and a dependency constraint is violated (for example, a successor task starts before its predecessor finishes), the Gantt chart displays a **red dotted line** beneath the offending task. To resolve the violation, move the task to satisfy the dependency rules.

<Warning title="Hidden Dependencies">
  If a dependency link connects to a task that is hidden from the current Gantt view (due to filtering or max items), the dependency is ignored by the Gantt as if it does not exist. The task with the missing dependency continues to function normally, with a tooltip indicating the missing connection.
</Warning>

## Disabling Dependency Link Creation

If you want to display existing dependency links but prevent users from creating new ones, add the following to your widget's **Gantt Config Script** parameter:

```javascript theme={null}
gantt.config.drag_links = false;
```

## Next Steps

* [View Resource Allocation](/gantt/getting-started/first-resource-view) -- enable the resource view to monitor team workload
* [Set Up a Plans Gantt Chart](/gantt/getting-started/setup-plans-gantt) -- configure Plans Gantt for release planning
* Explore [Guides](/gantt/guides/index) for advanced dependency configuration, lag time, and auto-scheduling

<LastReviewed date="2026-07-07" />