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# Sequential, Random or Free Text: How to Name Your Records
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/sequential-random-or-free-text-ids/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:33:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:33:09.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

Deciding **how to name records** matters more than it seems, because the title field is what identifies a record everywhere it appears — in forms, on cards, and in every connected field.

## What each approach signals

The identifier is read by people and, sometimes, by your customers.

- Free text depends on whoever is typing being consistent
- A sequential number reveals how many records you have created
- A random identifier reveals nothing about volume
- A prefix makes the record type obvious at a glance

## Comparing the three

| Approach                | Fits                                 | Watch out for                      |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| **Sequential ID**       | Payments, requests, internal tickets | Reveals record volume to outsiders |
| **Random or custom ID** | Customer-facing references           | Harder to sort chronologically     |
| **Free text**           | Clients, suppliers, projects         | Inconsistency and duplicates       |

## How to configure it in Jestor

1. Open the table's title field in **Jestor** and choose the type.
2. Use a sequential ID for internally numbered records; it fills itself and never needs to be required.
3. Use the random ID field for customer-facing codes, combining fixed text with a sequence or random part.
4. Set the character count — up to 20 — and add a date component if useful.
5. Where a readable name is also needed, add a separate field and set it as the display label.

## Why choose Jestor for record identification?

**Jestor** separates the title field from the display label, so a record can be numbered internally and labelled readably everywhere it is referenced.

The customizable identifier matters commercially: a code like a ticket prefix plus a random component tells a customer what they are looking at without telling them how many tickets you have handled.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Should a sequential ID be mandatory?

No, it generates automatically on creation. See [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### Can an identifier include a prefix?

Yes, fixed text combines with the generated part.

### Can I show a name instead of the code?

Yes, by setting another field as the display label.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.