What Is a Salesforce ID in Salesforce?
A Salesforce ID is the unique identifier of a record. It comes in a 15-character case-sensitive form and an 18-character case-insensitive form that is safe fo
Updated 2026-09-09
A Salesforce ID is the unique identifier of a record. It comes in a 15-character case-sensitive form and an 18-character case-insensitive form that is safe for systems which ignore case.
In more detail
The first three characters are the key prefix and identify the object: 001 is Account, 003 is Contact, 005 is User, 500 is Case.
The 18-character form appends a checksum to the 15-character ID. Both refer to the same record, and the API accepts either.
SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Id = '001XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'Why it matters for admins
- Spreadsheets and case-insensitive databases can silently merge two different 15-character IDs - always export the 18-character form.
- Key prefixes let you identify an object from an ID alone, which speeds up debugging.
- IDs are the join key for every import that corrects existing data.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I store 15 or 18 character IDs?
- Store 18. It is unambiguous in case-insensitive systems, and Salesforce accepts it everywhere the 15-character form is accepted.
- Are Salesforce IDs reused after a record is deleted?
- No. IDs are not reused, though a record restored from the Recycle Bin keeps its original ID.
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Related reading
- SOQL LibrarySOQL Query for the Latest Accounts (ORDER BY and LIMIT)Return the most recent accounts with ORDER BY and LIMIT, plus OFFSET paging and the null-ordering options most admins never touch.
- SOQL LibrarySOQL Query for the Latest Campaigns (ORDER BY and LIMIT)Return the most recent campaigns with ORDER BY and LIMIT, plus OFFSET paging and the null-ordering options most admins never touch.
- SOQL LibrarySOQL Query for the Latest Cases (ORDER BY and LIMIT)Return the most recent cases with ORDER BY and LIMIT, plus OFFSET paging and the null-ordering options most admins never touch.
- SOQL LibrarySOQL Query for the Latest Contacts (ORDER BY and LIMIT)Return the most recent contacts with ORDER BY and LIMIT, plus OFFSET paging and the null-ordering options most admins never touch.