blog

Unique ID in SharePoint list

Published on
1 minute read

This seams to be a common problem, and one that I get many calls from users about: 

Unique ID in SharePoint list

I have a query with our Sharepoint site and was advised that you were probably the best person to ask.

I have created a list under:

http://sharepoint/sites/department/Lists/ListName/AllItems.aspx 

I need the first column (Issue ID) to be an automatically generated number but can’t seem to get it.  Would it be possible for you to take a look and advise?

You can’t add a new unique auto-generated ID to a SharePoint list, but there already is one there! If you edit the “All Items” view you will see a list of columns that do not have the display option checked.

There are quite a few of these columns that exist but that are never displayed, like “Created By” and “Created”. These fields are used within SharePoint, but they are not displayed by default so as not to clutter up the display. You can’t edit these fields, but you can display them to the user. if you check the “Display” box beside the ID field you will get a unique and auto-generated ID field displayed in your list.

Technorati Tags: SP 2007    Answers    SP 2010    SharePoint 

code-and-complexity blog answers configuration infrastructure sharepoint sp2007 tools

Connect with Martin Hinshelwood

If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.

Our Happy Clients​

We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.​

Big Data for Humans Logo
Ericson Logo
Microsoft Logo
Lean SA Logo
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd. Logo
Schlumberger Logo
Qualco Logo
Akaditi Logo
Slaughter and May Logo
SuperControl Logo
Lockheed Martin Logo
Alignment Healthcare Logo
Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG) Logo
Trayport Logo
Deliotte Logo
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company) Logo
Emerson Process Management Logo
Epic Games Logo
New Hampshire Supreme Court Logo
Department of Work and Pensions (UK) Logo
Nottingham County Council Logo
Ghana Police Service Logo
Washington Department of Transport Logo
Washington Department of Enterprise Services Logo
Healthgrades Logo
Deliotte Logo
MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Ltd. Logo
Higher Education Statistics Agency Logo
New Signature Logo
DFDS Logo