It depends on how the relationship between the two tables was set up. When you create a 1:N relationship in Dataverse, there’s a setting called “cascading behavior” that controls exactly this. There are a few options:
- Cascade All (Parental):
If the parent gets deleted, all the related child records get deleted too, automatically. No warning, no leftover records — they just go with the parent. - Referential (Remove Link):
The child records don’t get deleted. They just lose the connection — the lookup field on the child gets cleared out, but the child record itself stays in the system. This is the default for new relationships. - Referential, Restrict Delete:
This one blocks you completely. If there are any related child records still linked, Dataverse won’t let you delete the parent at all. You’d have to remove or reassign the children first. - Cascade Active:
Only the child records that are still “active” get deleted. Anything already inactive or closed stays untouched.
Interview tip: A common follow-up is “what’s the default behavior for a standard 1:N relationship?” — most standard Dataverse relationships default to Referential, meaning child records are not deleted automatically, they just lose the link.
