Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration for communications on a set of cells. The UE may determine that signals transmitted on the set of cells may be spatially quasi co-located based on the CA configuration and a predetermined relationship rule. For example, the UE may determine that the signals are spatially co-located based on receiving multiple synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) that have a same SSB index, receiving a common SSB, assuming that an SSB and reference signals sourced by the SSB are spatially quasi co-located, receiving a signal from a particular cell of the set of cells, or receiving a common spatial QCL relationship during a configured period of time. Once the spatial QCL relationship is determined, the UE may receive the signals transmitted on the set of cells based on the spatial QCL relationship.