---
title: "Connected with: link ideas and projects for better visibility"
description: Connect related ideas and projects while keeping each item independently visible. Learn the workflow, compare Connected with with merge and bundle, and explore an Innovation Lens demo example.
url: "https://www.acceptmission.com/fr/knowledge/connected-with-link-ideas-and-projects-for-better-visibility/"
updated: "2026-10-13"
category: Idea Management / Idea Funnels
---

# Connected with: link ideas and projects for better visibility

## Why connect ideas and projects?

Related work is easier to understand when you can see it directly from an idea or project. Two ideas may address the same opportunity from different angles. A project may be relevant to several ideas, or two projects may contribute to the same visitor experience. Keeping these relationships visible helps teams find context, coordinate work and trace which initiatives belong together.

Use **Connected with** when the items should remain independent. It links ideas and projects without combining them into a single record or placing one underneath another.

## What Connected with does

You can add connections from both an **idea detail** page and a **project detail** page. Supported combinations are idea to idea, idea to project, and project to project. An item can have multiple connections, including a mix of ideas and projects.

Connected items remain at the same level: there is no parent or child. Each keeps its own record and remains separately visible in its funnel. The connection itself does not hide an item; normal access, filters and lifecycle status still apply.

The **Connected with** section shows the linked items as cards, with an **IDEA** or **PROJECT** label. Open a card to inspect the related item.

![Idea details with the Connected with section in the left sidebar](https://www.acceptmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/connected-with-aquatic-idea-demo.png)

*Connected with appears in the left sidebar of the idea detail page. This illustrative demo shows “The Aquatic Odyssey: A Virtual Water Journey” connected to the “Accessible VR controls” idea and the “VR visitor experience pilot” project.*

## How to connect an idea or project

**Navigation:** Open an idea or project → **Connected with** in the detail sidebar → **+**.

1. Open the idea or project whose related work you want to show.
2. Expand **Connected with** in the sidebar if it is collapsed.
3. Click the **+** beside the section title.
4. In the pop-up, enter a search term to find an idea or project.
5. Check the title, description preview and **IDEA** or **PROJECT** label to identify the right record.
6. Click **Connect** beside that result.
7. Return to the detail page and check that the item appears in **Connected with**.
8. Repeat these steps for each additional item you want to connect.

The dialog connects **one item at a time**. You can build a set of several related items by repeating the action.

![Search dialog with ideas, projects and individual Connect buttons](https://www.acceptmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/connected-with-aquatic-search-demo.png)

*Search results can contain both ideas and projects. Use the type label and description to choose the correct item.*

![Connected with cards showing an idea and a project](https://www.acceptmission.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/connected-with-aquatic-connections-demo.png)

*The same record can show several connections, including a mixture of ideas and projects. The example connects a supporting accessibility idea to a related visitor pilot project.*

## Connected with, merge or bundle: which should you use?

These are three different ways to organize related work. Choose based on whether you want separate items to remain visible or want the funnel to continue with one main idea.

| Option | Relationship | What remains visible in the funnel? | Best use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Connected with** | Links existing ideas and/or projects as equal, independent items. No new parent is created. | Each item remains separately visible, subject to its normal status, filters and access. | Related work that needs its own ownership, evaluation or progress tracking. |
| **Merge** | You choose an existing idea as the parent. The other selected ideas become its children. | The chosen parent remains visible; child ideas no longer appear as separate funnel items. | Duplicate ideas or variations that should continue as one idea. |
| **Bundle** | Creates a new parent idea. All selected ideas become children of that new parent. | The new parent is visible; the original child ideas no longer appear separately in the funnel. | Several contributions that should continue as one broader concept. |

With **merge** and **bundle**, child records are retained rather than deleted. Their contributor connections, points, levels and associated history are preserved, so the original contributions are not lost. A retained child record is different from an independently visible funnel item.

The merge and bundle comparison above describes **ideas**. Use Connected with to link a mixture of ideas and projects, or to relate two projects.

For the full merge and bundle workflow, see [Merge, bundle, archive, or delete ideas in an idea funnel](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/merge-bundle-archive-or-delete-ideas-in-an-idea-funnel/).

## Practical example: Innovation Lens demo

Consider the **“The Aquatic Odyssey: A Virtual Water Journey”** idea shown in the screenshots. It proposes a VR attraction where visitors explore underwater landscapes. In an Innovation Lens demonstration, a team can use this as the starting point to show how related concepts and delivery work stay easy to find.

The images in this article are **illustrative demo images generated from application screenshots**, with relevant example data. They do not show live customer records. The detail and sidebar images show the accessibility idea and visitor pilot project already connected; the search image includes further ideas and projects that could be connected.

| Item | Why connect it to Aquatic Odyssey? |
| --- | --- |
| Idea: **Accessible VR controls** | Makes the experience usable by more visitors, while remaining a distinct idea for review. |
| Idea: **Ocean conservation storytelling** | Adds an educational theme that could also be used by other attractions. |
| Project: **VR visitor experience pilot** | Tests equipment and visitor feedback relevant to the Aquatic Odyssey concept. |

To demonstrate the workflow, open Aquatic Odyssey, use **+** to search for the relevant ideas and projects, and click **Connect** for each match. If you use different records in your demo environment, choose equivalent ideas and projects.

The result is one idea with several visible connections. A reviewer can open the accessibility concept, explore the storytelling proposal, or inspect the pilot project directly from the idea. Each remains independent, so the team can review or progress it separately.

You can also connect the **VR visitor experience pilot** project to another project, such as an **Attraction staff training pilot**, to make related delivery work visible from the project detail page.

### Why this helps in practice

Before an investment [Decision](https://www.acceptmission.com/fr/encyclopedia/decision/), the team can quickly find the associated pilot rather than search for it separately. During delivery, the project team can follow the connected concepts to understand the intended experience. Later, a new owner can see which ideas and projects were associated with the initiative and revisit their context.

For clearer traceability, add a short explanation in the item's description or a comment, for example: **“Connected to the VR visitor experience pilot because its visitor feedback will inform the next review of this concept.”** The link makes the related record easy to find; the explanation records why it matters.

A connection does not by itself define a task dependency, prove that a project implements an idea, or replace a [Decision](https://www.acceptmission.com/fr/encyclopedia/decision/) record. Document those meanings explicitly when relevant.

### When would merge or bundle be better here?

If two submissions both describe the same underwater VR attraction, **merge** them and select the idea that should continue as the parent.

If several attraction ideas should become one new overall concept, use **bundle** to create a new parent such as **Immersive Ocean Experience**.

If the accessibility idea, storytelling idea and pilot project should each retain their own visibility and follow-up, use **Connected with**.

## Tips for keeping connections useful

- Connect records that share a meaningful relationship, such as a common opportunity, supporting concept or related delivery work.
- Check the item type and content before clicking **Connect**, especially when titles are similar.
- For several items, decide which direct relationships you want users to see and add those connections explicitly.
- Keep the reason for an important connection in a description or comment, so future reviewers understand the context.
- If you cannot find an item or see the **+** control, check that you have access to the relevant record and the required editing permissions with your administrator.

## Related guidance

- [Merge, bundle, archive, or delete ideas in an idea funnel](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/merge-bundle-archive-or-delete-ideas-in-an-idea-funnel/)
- [Find and manage duplicate or similar ideas](https://www.acceptmission.com/knowledge/find-and-manage-duplicate-or-similar-ideas/)