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The Auto Number field gives each new record the next number in a running sequence. The value is generated for you, so submitters never type it.
Auto Number is a computed field. Its value is system-generated, the field is always required, and it does not appear as something a submitter can fill in.

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When to use it

Reach for Auto Number when you want a counter that climbs on its own:
  • Sequential identifiers such as campaign numbers, batch numbers, or asset numbers.
  • A readable running count that nobody has to track by hand.
  • A numeric segment to fold into a Concatenation field.
Do not use Auto Number when you need an unguessable or globally unique handle. Use Terminus ID for a system-unique identifier, or Random for a non-sequential token.

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How it works

The first time you submit a record, the field takes the next number in the sequence and keeps it for the life of that record. The displayed value is that number left-padded with zeros up to the padding width you set. The sequence belongs to the field itself, not to a taxonomy. Every taxonomy that references the field draws from the same single run of numbers, so there is one continuous count rather than a separate count per taxonomy.

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Settings reference

SettingRequiredDefaultDescription
start_valueYesNoneThe first number in the sequence.
paddingNo0Zero-pad the number to this many digits, from 0 to 10. 0 means no padding.

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Example

A campaign_number field on a Campaigns taxonomy: 
name: campaign_number
type: auto_number
settings:
  start_value: 1
  padding: 5
The first campaign record gets 00001, the next 00002, and so on. Padding sets a minimum width, not a maximum: once the count reaches 100000, all six digits print in full.

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Gotchas

  • The sequence is per field, not per taxonomy. Every taxonomy that uses the field shares the same run of numbers.
  • Numbers can have gaps. A number is claimed when you first submit a record. If that record is later discarded, the number is not reissued, so treat the sequence as ever-increasing rather than gap-free.
  • The sequence never runs backward. Raising start_value moves the next number forward, but lowering it does not reissue earlier numbers. This is deliberate, to avoid duplicates.
  • padding controls display width only. It sets the number of leading zeros, not the largest possible value.
  • It is read-only. The number is generated for you and cannot be set or edited in the submission form.