---
title: "Identify pipeline steps: Ref ID and step number"
slug: "identify-pipeline-steps-ref-id-and-step-number"
updated: 2026-05-20T13:43:56Z
published: 2026-05-20T13:43:56Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/identify-pipeline-steps-ref-id-and-step-number"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Identify pipeline steps: Ref ID and step number

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