Learn what a Project ID is, why it matters, and how you can use it effectively to interact with your projects via the command line interface (CLI).

Table of Contents

1. What is a Project ID?
2. Difference Between Project Name and Project ID
3. Why Use Project IDs?
4. Using Project IDs in CLI Commands
5. Best Practices for Managing Project IDs
6. Troubleshooting Common Issues
7. Glossary

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What is a Project ID?

A Project ID is a unique, immutable identifier assigned to each project upon creation. Unlike project names, which can be changed or duplicated across namespaces, the Project ID is guaranteed to be unique and persistent.

Think of the Project ID as the project's fingerprint — a way to reliably identify and interact with the project programmatically.

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Difference Between Project Name and Project ID

Aspect	Project Name	Project ID
Uniqueness	Unique per namespace	Globally unique
Mutability	Can be changed	Immutable
Human-friendly	Yes, usually readable	Typically a UUID or hash
Usage	Display, URLs	API calls, CLI commands

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Why Use Project IDs?

• Reliability: Avoid ambiguity when referencing projects, especially if names change.
• Automation: Scripts and CI/CD pipelines can use Project IDs to interact consistently.
• Security: Project IDs can be harder to guess, reducing accidental or unauthorized access.
• Integration: APIs and third-party tools often require Project IDs for precise actions.

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Using Project IDs in CLI Commands

When using the CLI to manage projects, you typically need to reference your project by its ID. Here are some common examples:

# List all projects to find the ID
cli-tool projects list

# Get detailed info about a project
cli-tool projects get --id <project-id>

# Deploy a build to a project using its ID
cli-tool deploy --project-id <project-id> --env production

# Delete a project by its ID
cli-tool projects delete --id <project-id>