Do I need a record ID column?
Not strictly: without one, rows are matched by slug or title. But an ID column that never changes is the safe way to update the same items week after week.
- 1 min read
- Updated October 13, 2026
No, but it is strongly recommended for anything you will repeat. With No ID column, a row is matched by its slug (if it has one) or its title, with the category as tiebreaker; Content Uploader makes up an identifier of its own for each new item. That works for a one-off import.
The weakness: a changed title is a new item, and the old one stays on your site. A real ID column (ID, SKU, your database's key) does not change when the content does, so the same article is updated week after week.
Choosing the record ID explains what makes a good ID and what to do if you have none.
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- Importing dataChoose the record IDThe record ID column lets next week's file update an item instead of creating it twice: what makes a good ID, how matching works without one, and what changing it does.
- Reviewing and publishingHow rows are matched to items on your siteHow Content Uploader decides that a row is new or the same item as before: by record ID, or by slug or title with the category as tiebreaker.
- Preparing your spreadsheetDuplicate IDs, titles and rowsWhat happens when two rows share an ID or a title in one file, the error each gets, why the first row wins, and why the same item next week is an update, not a duplicate.
- Getting startedImportant concepts and terminologyThe words this documentation and the app use, in the order you meet them: workspace, site, connector, configuration, record ID, run and more.