---
title: Custom Content ID System
slug: editorial/custom-content-id-system
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-08-15T05:37:57.694Z
---

## Summary

The **Custom Content ID System** in Purple Hub provides an additional, configurable identifier alongside the default Post ID. This allows editors and administrators to align with existing client or brand-specific ID systems, streamline migrations from legacy platforms, and create workflows that rely on predictable and easily readable IDs.

Custom Content IDs can be:

- **Numeric** (e.g., `100`). These IDs are auto-assigned.
- **Mixed aphanumeric** (e.g., `M2507`, `J2412`). These IDs are assigned during import.
- Configured **per post type** (e.g., Articles, Dossiers, Purple Variants)

This guide walks you through enabling, configuring, and using Custom Content IDs in Purple Hub.

***

## Preconditions

- Have an '**Administrator**' Role in Purple Hub
  Learn more: [Purple Hub: Overview of roles & rights](https://app.archbee.com/docs/TVywKCTovuwCqWPUHovCo/DjJ5YjJACDPlm9QT0qlFk)

***

## Getting Started

:::hint{type="info"}
### Understanding Custom Content IDs

- **Purpose**: Facilitate smooth migration from legacy systems and support external workflows requiring consistent, human-readable IDs.
- **Scope**: Can be applied to any supported post type, but configuration may vary depending on business needs.
:::

## Configuration

1. Navigate to the Purple DS HUB settings in your Purple Hub:
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/ygR6KtT9QI_R0u3uKTJsm/xw9UNVmuAr20ZuYAnhZhZ_image.png)
2. Locate the Content ID fields on the Purple DS HUB Settings page:
   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/ygR6KtT9QI_R0u3uKTJsm/S01_-RUt5ZmGBpptqdfPC_image.png)

### Configuration Options

The behavior of the Custom Content ID system is managed by several fields:

- **Content ID Name: **Here you can define a name for your Hub's Content IDs. This is used to describe the field in the Post Overview and Editor interfaces.
- **Content ID Starting Value: **The value in this field defines the starting point for the numeric Content ID sequence. This will serve as the next automatically assigned Content ID.
- **Content ID Assignment Strategy: **A Content ID assignment mechanism can be configured for each of the Hub's supported content types. The three assignment strategies are described below.

### ID Assignment Strategies

When configuring a post type, you can choose one of three assignment strategies:

1. **Disabled** – No ID is assigned to these content types.
2. **Auto Sequence** – *Numeric IDs* are generated automatically by the system based on a starting value.
3. **Manual **– IDs are supplied via the import API. These IDs can contain any alphanumeric character. Nonnumeric values will be ignored by the auto-sequencing logic.

:::hint{type="warning"}
### Scheduled Posts

Custom Content IDs are only assigned when a post enters **Draft** or **Publish** status. Scheduled posts without these statuses will not have a Custom Content ID.
:::

### How IDs Are Displayed

- **Editor View** – Shown at the bottom of the editor page.
- **Post Overview Table** – Displayed as a sortable column.

### Purple Importer

When creating and updating content with the Manual assignment strategy via the Purple Importer, Content IDs can be set with the `contentId` property.

***

## Related Topics

- [Purple Hub: Overview of roles & rights](https://app.archbee.com/docs/TVywKCTovuwCqWPUHovCo/DjJ5YjJACDPlm9QT0qlFk)
- [Hub Import API](docId\:nvYIU80I4CeSt3JmV9269)