Identify pipeline steps: Ref ID and step number

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Every Quickbase Pipelines step has two identifiers. Together, they help you understand your pipeline’s structure and reliably reference step outputs in Jinja.

Reference ID (Ref ID)

A reference ID is assigned when you create a step.

  • Permanent—It never changes, even if you reorder steps.

  • Never reused—If you delete a step, its Ref ID won’t be assigned again.

  • Auto-generated and not editable

  • Used in Jinja expressions—Ref IDs are the stable identifier for step output references.

Ref IDs follow an alphabetic format that expands as you add steps, for example:

  • aa, ab, ac, ad … zz

Example (Jinja)

Use the Ref ID to reference a step’s output:

{{ steps.ref_aa.output.field_name }}

Because Ref IDs don’t change, these expressions continue to work even after you reorganize your pipeline.

Step number

A step number is a sequential number based on the step’s current position in the pipeline.

  • Reflects execution order—1, 2, 3…

  • Changes when you reorder steps

  • For navigation only—Don’t use step numbers in Jinja expressions

Use step numbers to:

  • Scan the pipeline flow quickly

  • Follow steps in order in activity logs

  • Understand the current execution sequence at a glance

Where to find Ref IDs and step numbers

You can see Ref IDs and step numbers in:

  • Pipelines Designer

  • Quick Reference widget

  • Activity logs, error emails, and field usage

The Quick Reference widget provides the most detail. From there you can:

  • View the Ref ID and step number for every step

  • Search by step name, step number, or Ref ID

  • Click a step to jump directly to it in the designer

Working with existing pipelines (legacy IDs)

Older pipelines may show single-letter step identifiers (for example, a, b, c…). These are now treated as Ref IDs:

  • They are stable and permanent

  • They work in Jinja the same way as newer Ref IDs

If you add new steps to a legacy pipeline:

  • Existing steps keep their single-letter Ref IDs (a, b, c…)

  • New steps use the extended format (aa, ab, ac…)

Pipelines with a mix of both formats work normally (including duplication, export, and import).

Pipelines and YAML exports

  • Reference IDs are included in YAML exports and are preserved when you import or duplicate a pipeline.

  • Step numbers are not exported. They’re recalculated automatically after import based on step order in the file.

Best practice

When writing Jinja:

  • Always reference step outputs using the Ref ID

  • Never use step numbers in Jinja, since they change when steps move